“A Long Time Ago…In A Galaxy Far Far Away” is a phrase that many Star Wars fans are familiar with. But with how new shows keep dropping on the famed streaming site, lots of people are wondering when The Acolyte actually takes place in the Star Wars timeline.
The Acolyte premiered on June 4, 2024 on Disney+. The show is described as a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. It stars Amandla Stenberg as the dual roles as Mae and Osha, Squid Game star Jung-jae as Sol, Carrie-Anne Moss as Indara, Manny Jacinto as Qimir, Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon, Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar, and Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya.
Live Actionhows like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and The Mandalorian take place after Episode IV, V, and VI, while others like Andor take place in between Episode III and IV. Not to mention the animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch take place inbetween Episode II and III. If you’re just a casual Star Wars fan, it can get very confusing to when everything actually takes place. But don’t worry, we got you covered about Disney+’s newest Star Wars release.
When does The Acolyte take place?
The Acolyte occurs 100 years before Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. If you’re a die-hard Star Wars nerd that means 132 BBY (Before The Battle of Yavin). The show takes place when Jedis were at their peak.
Showrunner Leslye Headland wanted to explore a new side of the Star Wars universe that we’ve never seen before. “If Star Wars is about the underdog versus the institution, [in The Acolyte] the Jedi are the institution,” Headland told StarWars.com. “I was so interested in a storyline where the Jedi were at the height of their power — and I don’t mean The Phantom Menace, because at that point, there’s a Sith Lord in the Senate that they’re not picking up on.” If you think Siths will be frequently encountered in the series, you’ll be mistaken. She likens it to seeing a velociraptor in the wild. “Like it’s a thing I’ve heard of, but it’s not a thing that you would ever consider you’d be interacting with.”
If you’ve consumed different Star Wars media, then you’ll know that most characters are intertwined storylines with each other like in The Book Of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian etc. We can never get rid of those darn Skywalkers. However in this series, there’s only one character that’s been introduced in previous media— a Jedi Master from novels named Vernestra Rwoh.
“Leslye wanted this show to be accessible — no homework needed before watching,” writer Jocelyn Bioh told The New York Times. “She wanted to potentially invite in new fans — people like me.”
