‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Creator Reflects on New Interpretation of the Sith & Jedi: “Are They Good Guys or Bad Guys?”

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ marks the next installment in the ‘Star Wars’ saga, premiering on Disney+ on June 4th with a promise of a wholly distinct adventure.

Set during the High Republic Era, often hailed as the Golden Age of the Jedi Order, characterized by their vast numbers, Headland appears to be leveraging this backdrop to challenge the notion that the Jedi exclusively wield the Force for good. Instead, she aims to explore the possibility that even they can assume darker roles given the right circumstances.

Details about the show remain sparse, with only the premise of someone hunting down Jedi in the Galaxy and initiating their demise known. While a significant accidental spoiler recently surfaced, it ultimately doesn’t detract from the anticipation of the journey ahead.

Headland recently engaged in a conversation with Den of Geek, shedding light on her strategy for reshaping perceptions of the Sith and Jedi within the series. She aims to demonstrate how the lines between these two factions blur, depending on who holds the advantage.

The character of Mae was rooted in a very early idea I had, even before we had her character, which was: do the Jedi have a monopoly on the Force? Or are there Force users that exist in the galaxy, who are either dealt with and disposed of, or do they have to keep themselves hidden? Are they good guys or bad guys?

Headland recently expressed her fondness for morally complex characters, leading us to speculate that the main character, Mae, in the show will embody such traits. Mae, formerly a Padawan under Jedi Master Sol, opted to depart from the Order for reasons yet undisclosed. Mae’s narrative is anticipated to revolve around themes of personal agency and redemption as she navigates a path distinct from the confines of both the Jedi and Sith ideologies. Headland has also referred to the series as an extension of the Sith mythology.

There are certain things that happened in the prequels about the Sith and about Darth Maul, and the Jedi’s understanding of them, that I found intriguing. Qui-Gon on Tatooine immediately knows that Darth Maul is a Sith from fighting him and then reports that to the [Jedi] Council. Yoda knows about the Rule of Two; he says there’s always a master and an apprentice. So, while they’re considered extinct, there was a little bit of knowledge about the Sith that I felt would not have come from ancient history. To me, it felt like to know that information that quickly; it would have had to have been in the last 100 years.

She also made the decision to incorporate some nods to the franchise’s lore.

I really toyed with utilizing Darth Bane or mentioning Bane. We do not do it in the first season, but it is obviously the legacy of these practitioners of the dark side. 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. I thought, ‘Well, I’d love to do that.’

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