Before The Rise of Skywalker at the tail end 2019, I was a big Star Wars fan. The release of the singularly subpar final chapter of the Sequel Trilogy had me distraught about the franchise, severely dampening my fandom. The recidivism of Episode IX had me believe that there was no true moving forward. We would be destined to remain in the strict boundaries of Jedi vs. Sith without a critical examination and growth of what these stories could be.

Spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1 follow:

While I still have enjoyed select Star Wars onscreen media since then, particularly the brilliant Andor and the moving Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars no longer inspired me. But Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte, so willing and able to challenge the core tenets of Star Wars with a richly inclusive cast and creative crew, has inspired me like no Star Wars media since 2004’s Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (aka “KOTOR II”), which similarly challenged the dogma of the Jedi and Sith, allowing for new story possibilities.

The Sith Lords, through the character of Kreia, critically analyzed the dogma and individual actions of the Jedi and Sith and explained why they were both lacking in true understanding of The Force and of sentient beings. Kreia emphasized the ways both Jedi and Sith force their followers to shed their humanity for the sake of their respective orders’ code and goals, and weakened themselves in the process.

Through a wrenching portrayal not often afforded to fans, Kreia opened a new line of perceiving the dynamics of the Jedi, Sith, and the Force writ large. It was no surprise to me that Leslye Headland had in fact played The Sith Lords and wants to do a live-action adaptation of Kreia. I for one would be enthralled to see it, especially after The Acolyte.

By stripping away the slogans and presumptions inherent in both, The Sith Lords had players question the futility in continuing the state of play for the ever persistent conflict between the two sides, and how millions continued to suffer and die in their conflict. While The Acolyte may not be as sweeping in its assessment of the Jedi Order writ large, through the critical eye on these four individual Jedi (and bringing up questions about their leadership), it exposes the pitfalls of having this monastic order being given this role in the Republic. Is an Order that is so endowed with upholding idealistic moral principles really equipped to police the denizens of the Galaxy and all that would entail? The Acolyte begs we ask these questions, and while it doesn’t necessarily give definitive answers, the questioning is itself profound.

More broadly, The Acolyte builds upon the foundation of the mythos of the Force, Jedi, Sith, and Chosen One prophecy in a daring way that vastly expands this universe since its soft reboot when purchased by Disney (by way of setting aside the “Legends” continuity). Headland and her diverse writing team (including Jasmyne Flournoy, Kor Adana, Charmaine DeGrate, Jason Micallef, Jocelyn Bioh, Jen Richards, Eileen Shim, and Cameron Squires) critically examined the Jedi through the actions of Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman), Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), and how their actions impacted the lives of twins Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) as well as the mysterious “stranger” Qimir (Manny Jaconto).

Outside of the era of the Prequel Trilogy and the Clone Wars, this is perhaps the most damning we have ever seen the Jedi in the era of Disney-owned Star Wars. Sol and his companions are effectively presented as corrupt cops who may cause more harm than they know, as we especially see in the, if inadvertent, murder of Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), and the destruction of the coven she led alongside Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva). Sol especially, up to the very end and as brilliantly performed by Lee Jung-jae, was so convinced he was right in his actions even as he committed manslaughter, and kept the truth from his apprentice Osha so as to “spare” her the pain. As Atton Rand from KOTOR II once cynically said “Jedi lie, and Jedi manipulate.” Hard to beat that allegation here, Master Sol.

Stenberg as both Osha and Mae conveys a huge range in dual roles, navigating the truth of what exactly happened to their family, and whether to trust the Jedi or Sith. Again, the journey is gradual, but leads us to question the core tenets of the franchise in a way we haven’t before. Through this journey, and especially their relationship with Qimir, played magnificently by Jacinto, we too start to question whether everything we’ve been told about the Jedi/Sith dynamic is true, and the series is all the richer for it.

Jacinto is an absolute revelation as Qimir. Showcasing his own range from playing innocent to his reveal as the actual Sith, he plays Qimir with a subdued ferocity and pathos that draws you to his grim cause. Even while he’s brutally killing Jedi in the stellar fifth episode, “Night” (written by Kor Adana and Cameron Squires and directed by Alex Garcia Lopez), you can tell he has his own righteousness in his cause, and his own pain he’s working through. It’s a marvelous and standout performance that establishes him as one of the best new Star Wars characters in years.

Speaking of Episode 5, the action is absolutely incredible. Leslye Headland has noted in previous interviews that she drew from East Asian cinema and wuxia in her creation of The Acolyte, just as George Lucas originally did for Star Wars. Indeed, Star Wars would not exist without the entire continent of Asia, from East (particularly Japan and Kurosawa), to South, to West Asia, as well as North Africa. It is thus appropriate than that The Acolyte has East and West Asian creators on its creative team, including Eilen Shim, Kogonada, and the Turkish Kor Adana.

The choreography by Chris Cowan, Mark Ginther, and Daren Nop is consistently stunning, with quick lightsaber flourishes, intensity, and precision, making for some of the best onscreen lightsaber duels in the entire franchise. The martial arts, sans lightsabers, on display from Stenberg, Moss, Jacinto, and Lee is remarkable, giving this franchise a fresh look at combat in a new way, yet integral in its DNA.

If there’s anything to dock The Acolyte for, it may only be in episode format and structure that did not permit full room for the story they wanted to tell. Certainly longer episode runtimes would have behooved the series, and given more detailed insight into the motivations of the characters and their dynamics. Hopefully if there is a Season 2, Leslye Headland and her team will be afforded more time in episode lengths, and fully go into the details of what makes each of these characters tick.

The Acolyte is one of Star Wars’ best onscreen series and expands the canon while keeping it rooted in the core of what this franchise is, and what it can be. With superb performances, extraordinary choreography, philosophical writing, beautiful cinematography, choreography, and music by Michael Abels, and one of the most diverse and inclusive creative teams on and off screen, it’s a standout for this franchise and proves it can move forward when the effort is put in. Hopefully a Season 2 would allow it to have more episode runtime to tell its story, but for what it is, it’s remarkable, and I’m excited to watch it again.

Representation Grade: A

Overall Grade: A-