Star Wars: The Acolyte will bring viewers a hundred years before the prequel trilogy begins, during the High Republic Era, a time of peace in the galaxy and the golden age of the Jedi Order. The show aims to take a deep dive into the uncharted origin of the Sith, as the dark side of the Force’s plan to destroy the Jedi begins amid the beliefs that they’re all extinct. Considering this part of the story is yet to be explored, showrunner Leslye Headland reveals what inspires this new Disney+ series.
In an interview with Den of Geek, Headland revealed that certain things in the prequels intrigued her the most. Qui-Gon Jinn instantly knew that Darth Maul was a Sith when they went on a battle and told the Jedi Council about the crime lord. Yoda also understood the Rule of Two, saying there would always be a master and an apprentice. So, though the Sith were believed to be extinct then, the Jedi were aware of their presence.
“There was a little bit of knowledge about the Sith that I felt would not have come from ancient history,” she said. “To me, it felt like to know that information that quickly; it would have had to have been in the last 100 years.”
So, to dig deeper into the Sith mythos, Headland developed The Acolyte. She then revealed why she set the series during the High Republic Era. For one, it's to avoid messing with the canon and introduce legendary characters from that time.
“The other thing that I loved about this period was the lack of legacy characters,” she explained. “I was too nervous to take them on, but also, I feel like we’ve seen a lot of that. [The High Republic] felt like a sandbox that I could easily jump into.”
The Russian Doll creator used the 2004 video game Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords as a particular reference. But if there’s one thing she loves about this RPG, it’s the story of the main villain, Darth Traya.
“Darth Traya really stuck out to me as an inspiration,” she revealed.
She also revealed that she considered using or mentioning the character of Darth Bane, though it wouldn’t happen in the first season. By mentioning these legendary Sith, she seemed to hint that the legacy of these figures from the dark side would be explored.
“While we don’t get into that particular lore, there were some things in Legends that I wanted to drag out because I felt they were really interesting, not only to the storyline but to myself as a fan,” she continued. “I thought, ‘Well, I’d love to do that.’”
Who is Darth Traya and Darth Bane in Star Wars?
Darth Traya was an unconventional and controversial Force user. She aimed to build a new Jedi Order to free the sentient beings from being enslaved to the Force. A Jedi Master and historian, she wanted to understand the Force fully. However, her unconventional and novel approaches forced the Jedi Council to exile her, leading her to the dark side and turning into Sith Lord Darth Traya.
Alternatively, Darth Bane was a legendary Dark Lord of the Sith. He was the sole survivor of the destruction of the Brotherhood of Darkness following the Jedi-Sith War. After the tragic event, he realized that the Sith's quarreling and competition had weakened them. So, to stop this, he reformed the Sith and created the Rule of Two, mandating there could only be two Sith—the master and the apprentice. From there, he planned to destroy the Jedi and conquer the galaxy in secret.
Headland hasn’t elaborated further on how Darth Traya has influenced The Acolyte or if she will ever appear in the series. Though it remains to be seen who the mysterious Sith Lord is at the end of the official trailer, Darth Bane’s story seems to fit the show’s narrative perfectly. However, as Headland mentioned, he might not be seen in the first season.
The Acolyte’s two-episode premiere is set to release on Disney+ on June 4, 2024.
