Is Star Wars: The Acolyte Actually About The Sith?

"The Acolyte" remains one of Lucasfilm's most mysterious Star Wars projects. Outside of a few cast announcements and a possible cameo from Keanu Reeves, there's little information about the Sith-centered Disney+ series. Technically, we don't even officially know if the Sith will be the center of attention. Given Lucasfilm's decades-long focus on the Jedi, would the studio be so willing to shift gears, putting the spotlight on the light side's longstanding nemesis? 

Naturally, the entire cast of "The Acolyte" has been pretty quiet on any plot details for the series. However, Dafne Keen may have given fans the first "official" confirmation that the Sith are taking over "The Acolyte." "I can tease that it's a prequel series!" she joked to TechRadar when asked for information on the Disney+ series. "No, I mean, as you know, it's set 100 years before the prequel movies, and it's kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi. It's a Sith-led story, which has never been done before." 

Although Lucasfilm continues vaguely billing "The Acolyte" as a mystery-thriller featuring "shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers," Keen's statement unofficially confirms that the series will center on the Sith, a first for the studio's live-action projects. 

Despite no official confirmation from Lucasfilm, the studio has poised "The Acolyte" to explore the Sith, giving the spotlight to the iconic villainous group of Force users. With that focus, the Disney+ series will finally answer a longstanding question regarding the Star Wars villains.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, "The Acolyte" showrunner Leslye Headland revealed she wanted to answer a question that's been bugging her for quite some time. "My question watching 'The Phantom Menace' was always like, 'Well, how did things get to this point?' How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?" Interestingly, there aren't many Star Wars projects set before the events of "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," but "The Acolyte" plans to remedy that, detailing the politics and spiritual events that led to Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) sneaking into the Galactic Senate.

When "The Acolye" premieres, it'll introduce audiences to a prosperous era of Star Wars without many conflicts, with the Jedi more or less keeping to themselves. They won't be taking sides in every problem that plagues the Republic, which ultimately blinded them and led to their downfall in the prequel trilogy. Headland relates the era to the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, with peace spreading across the galaxy, setting up the perfect opportunity for the Sith to come and throw a wrench in things.