The Acolyte Trailer Teases Why Star Wars' Main Villains Are The Jedi - Not The Sith
With the third and final season of "The Bad Batch" currently underway and "Tales of the Empire" having just been released, it's safe to say the "Star Wars" franchise is in hyperdrive, especially with "The Acolyte" just a month away.
After the release of the live-action series' second trailer, which features seasoned fighters like Jedi Masters Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) in the middle of a galaxy-wide whodunit mystery, "Star Wars" fans were quick to come out of hyperspace with some fascinating theories and ideas regarding the show, specifically how "The Acolyte" could possibly portray the Jedi-Sith relationship in a way that would completely flip the franchise on its head.
A prominent line in the trailer tackles the idea of pre-determination. "Destiny is not decided for you by an anonymous force. If you want to pull the thread and change the future, pull it." Fans like Redditor u/DoodleBugout expressed how exploring these types of themes can help depict the Jedi-Sith split in a new light. "That line about pulling at the thread reinforces what I've thought all along: in Canon the original difference that causes the schism between the Jedi and the Sith will be the question of whether the Will of the Force must be obeyed or can be resisted."
Could The Acolyte show a more villainous, or at least hypocritical, side of the Jedi Order?
"Star Wars: The Acolyte" takes place around a century before "The Phantom Menace" during the tail end of the High Republic era. This would be the perfect moment to portray some of the Jedi Order's hubris before the galaxy is completely engulfed in war and strife. What better way to do that than by depicting them as overzealous and rigid followers of the Force who heed its call too blindly?
On Reddit, many fans were supportive of u/DoodleBugout's idea, who further explained that "making the Sith the ones who defy the odds and challenge destiny makes them vaguely heroic, in a problematic way." "I like that a lot and it will make the Sith far more empathetic," one fan wrote. Another comment agreed, citing how these sorts of themes could even help explore some of George Lucas' original plans involving the Force (and the Whills).
Should "The Acolyte" go this route, it wouldn't be the first time "Star Wars" has portrayed the Jedi in a negative light; 2004's "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords" tackled the Jedi's slavish devotion to the Force, with Darth Traya famously and vehemently proclaiming her utter disgust toward the Force as a whole. "I hate the Force, I hate that it seems to have a will, that it would control us to achieve some measure of balance when countless lives are lost." If Disney's "The Acolyte" challenges viewers with similar hard-hitting themes, showing glimpses of why and how the Jedi and their teachings aren't exactly squeaky clean and can often lead to immense suffering, then "Star Wars" fans will be in for an absolute treat come June 4.