"Star Wars" just dropped the first trailer for "The Acolyte" after announcing yesterday (March 18) that the show would debut June 4 on Disney Plus. After watching it, there are a lot of reactions one could have but to me, there was one clear reaction.
This is a breath of fresh air for the "Star Wars" galaxy.
Is this show going to be perfect? Probably not. Shows rarely are to begin with, but after watching the trailer, it's likely not the dialogue that grabbed your attention.
The fight sequences? Maybe, though it's not exactly like I'm expecting John Wick-level choreography from this show in general, and certainly not after watching the first trailer. And while there's certainly plenty of lightsabers flashing about, that's to be expected from a show about the Jedi.
No, the thing that got my attention was simple — there are no Skywalkers. Not a one.
'Star Wars' finally ditched the Skywalkers
Yes, that's right. "The Acolyte" is completely devoid of any connection to the Skywalker saga. Well, at least no direct connection. While the events of this show will likely have some bearing on the eventual downfall of the Galactic Republic, the point of the show isn't to set up narratives about the Emperor or the Chosen One. There are no clones to be seen either, which is a relief, to say the least.
Instead, we're getting a story from the High Republic era. This part of the "Star Wars" story is set approximately 100 years before the events of "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace." And while there's certainly plenty of talk about someone running around killing Jedi and Jedi Masters sensing darkness (yet, apparently they don't sense "a disturbance in the force"), there's no doubt in my mind that at the end of this story, we won't suddenly find out that someone is secretly a Palpatine or a Skywalker.
And to me, that's the most important thing this show can do. Yes, I'd love to see it be a good show in its own right and explore as of yet unexplored corners of a time long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. But honestly, I just want "The Acolyte" to show Disney that they don't need Skywalkers to care about "Star Wars." To that end, this first trailer certainly seems to have done a good job.
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