Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t watched “The Acolyte,” Episode 1, “Lost / Found,” and Episode 2, “Revenge / Justice,” stop reading now!
Suggested Reading
Seriously, stop reading!
Fine, you’ve been warned.
In recent years, Disney+ has explored new areas of the “Star Wars” Universe with its TV series. Though we’ve mostly stayed within the established timeline of the previous films and animated series, we have discovered new characters, stores and locations.
The emotionally complex aspects of the series have allowed the creative teams to introduce more diverse characters and arcs to the franchise. That inclusivity is on full display in the new series, “The Acolyte.”
Set around 100 years before “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,” the story takes place in the final days of the High Republic and follows Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as he investigates the mysterious murders of other Jedi. Amandla Stenberg is Mae, a force-sensitive woman at the center of things.
Stenberg’s stellar work has made Mae among the most captivating new “Star Wars” characters, and certainly one of the universe’s best Black characters.
“Star Wars: The Acolyte” is now available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes premiering every Tuesday.
Mae
The surprise reveal in the first episode of “The Acolyte” is that Amandla Stenberg actually plays two roles. They are spectacular as both Mae and her twin sister Osha.
Relentless in her pursuit of revenge, it’s clear Mae is smarter than most of those around her. She uses her enemies’ underestimation of her abilities against them. In the modern “Star Wars” universe things aren’t always so black and white, so Mae’s attraction to darkness doesn’t necessarily tell the full story of her motives.
Osha
Stenberg is breathtaking in two distinct, brilliant performances. Unlike other actors we’ve seen play twins, they never fail to portray the differences between these siblings. From their use of the force, to the way they stand, to facial expressions, this performance is flawless.
“Amandla did a lot of work ahead of time. She wrote biographies for each character. What the character’s background was? What happened from childhood to where the character was now,” Creator/Executive Producer Leslye Headland told The Root. “It was very helpful to have someone so committed and so skilled, to be able to bring two separate characters to life. I really took her lead and then just went from there.”
Enfys Nest
The best thing to come out of “Solo” was Enfys Nest, a principled badass who has a very personal reason for fighting the Empire. She’s an early leader of the Rebellion, so maybe we’ll get to see her return in “Andor” Season 2.
Greef Karga
Only the late, great Carl Weathers could have portrayed such a masterful redemption arc for Greef Karga. He effortlessly moved from bounty hunter guild, to Chief Magistrate without ever losing his edge. He also always added an interesting new level of character development Din Djarin’s life.
Lieutenant Gorn
One of the most fascinating aspects of the new series is how they’ve portrayed the Empire. Yes, there are evil Siths subjugating the galaxy, but there are also a lot of normal people who didn’t realize the bureaucracy they’d be working for was so incredibly evil. Now we get to see those officers working to dismantle the system from the inside.
Kawlan Roken
Kawlan Roken is one of the only people Obi-Wan Kenobi can trust as he goes on his redemption journey in the acclaimed miniseries. You can see the pain he’s in as he discusses his wife, but also how he knows what she’d want him to do. Let’s hope we get to see more of him as the Rebellion’s evolution is explored in “Andor” Season 2.
Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams)
From the moment he stepped on-screen, Lando had a confidence that couldn’t be matched. He became a hero, but never lost his scoundrel roots.
Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover)
The young Lando that Donald Glover plays in Solo has the swagger and style the character is known for. But, he also has a more comedically clever tone to him than Billy Dee. There’s always talk of Glover possibly returning to the character, but I don’t know that I need to see more of him. I like the mystery of Lando’s past.
Finn
Just like when we met Han Solo for the first time, the moment we met Finn we knew he was someone we wanted to be friends with and that we would root for him no matter what. I’m still holding out hope that his story will get the showcase John Boyega deserves.
Mace Windu
We never got enough Mace Windu. But what we did get to see was a powerful Jedi Master who saw the evil coming and probably would have stopped it if it weren’t for Anakin’s betrayal.
Saw Gerrera
When we meet him in Rogue One, Saw Gerrera seems to be one of the few Rebel leaders who understand that fighting the Empire means fighting dirty. While others prefer to fight from the shadows, Saw goes right at the Empire and refuses to apologize for it.
Maz Kanata
Lupita Nyong’o instantly makes Maz the most interesting character in every scene she’s in. She’s one of the best characters to come out of the sequel trilogy. She’s clearly had a fascinating life and I’m going to need Disney+ to give me an animated series where I get to learn about all her adventures.
Reva/Third Sister
Reva’s emotional arc was one of the most devastating aspects of Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s no defense for her methods, but there’s also no way to truly understand the level of trauma Anakin/Darth Vader inflicted on her. I really hope she returns so we can see more of her redemption story.
The Duchess of Plazir-15
Yes, we only got a few minutes with Lizzo’s Duchess of Plazir-15, but like Grogu, we instantly fell in love with her character and hope she makes a return appearance on The Mandalorian.
Moff Gideon
Giancarlo Esposito never disappoints. He’s one of the best villains in the entire franchise and I refuse to believe any scenario that tries to tell me he won’t be back in some form. No one is ever really gone from Star Wars.
Koska Reeves
I wish there was a world where we could hear every single Mandalorian’s story of life after Mandalore fell. Something tells me Koska Reeves became a warrior out of necessity. What was her real path before the purge?
Jannah
Obviously, Jannah and her friends have a story to tell and hope Lucasfilm decides we need to know about all the children the First Order stole from their homes. I also need to know if they started a new force-sensitive community with Finn as their leader.
Kelleran Beq
His scene on The Mandalorian may have been short, but it was impactful. Though he was more of a teacher than a warrior, Kelleran Beq didn’t hesitate to pick up those two lightsabers and handle his business like a legendary Jedi Master. The last time we saw him he was still alive, so I’m firmly believing that he’s out in the galaxy fighting evil.
Ahsoka Tano
Rosario Dawson brings a world-weary, more grounded Ahsoka to the live-action universe. With experience of battle behind her, this Ahsoka is still hopeful and optimistic, but she’s also more realistic about the gray areas of the universe.
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