‘The Acolyte’ takes us deeper into the Jedi Order

As Disney marches forward into its “century of Star Wars,” per Bob Iger, the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now rebranded as “Legends”) continues to be a source of new stories. From creator and executive producer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Single Drunk Female) comes The Acolyte on Disney Plus. Enter Amandla Stenberg as twins, representing two paths of the Jedi, along with Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Dafne Keen (Logan) and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix).

It plays like a murder mystery, though we know some of the perps early on. A series of Jedi masters are being killed, and the Jedi Order under Jung-jae is investigating. The twist comes early on, but for this female-driven tale, a bigger mystery is who’s really behind all the mayhem? The series not only expands on Jedi powers not previously detailed in the SW canon, but turns our attention to the private life of Wookiees— specifically a Jedi Wookiee (yes, there is such a thing!) who plays a part in protecting the Order.

The Acolyte also features Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto in an amusing turn as a shifty former smuggler who guides one of the twins towards her destiny. (The show benefits from his comic relief.) Also on display is much Filipino martial arts influence in the fight scenes, with nods to The Matrix as well as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

What begins to escalate in this carefully-doled-out tale is the previously unseen power of a Jedi who’s truly taken on the power of the Dark Side. Suffice to say, toppling a row of Jedis like bowling pins with a wave of a hand means we’re in new territory for Star Wars fans.