The Acolyte was supposed to shake up Star Wars. The series had a female showrunner in Leslye Headland and a Black lead in Amandla Stenberg, and a bold new setting: the last days of the High Republic, one hundred years before Anakin Skywalker was born. The series also questioned our understanding of the Force, the Jedi, and the very foundations of Star Wars itself. It was a bold new vision for the franchise.
The Acolyte also ended on a bold cliffhanger, setting its main character on a path towards the Dark side while finally bringing one legendary Sith character into Star Wars live-action. So it may come as a disappointment (if perhaps not a total surprise) to learn that The Acolyte is canceled.
Deadline reports that The Acolyte will not be getting a second season. The report notes that although the show boasted strong streaming numbers in the first week, it struggled to keep that momentum. The series also drew backlash from certain corners of the fanbase, which may explain both that low viewership and this ultimate decision.
While Lucasfilm hasn’t said why the show was canceled (and likely never will), one possible reason seems obvious: the fan backlash. The Acolyte received generally favorable reviews (it has a 78% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), but the reaction of the fanbase was polarizing (18% audience score on RT). Fans blamed Leslye Headland and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy for the show’s supposed poor characterization and pacing and, for certain fans, pushing a “woke agenda.” Even small things, like changing Ki-Adi-Mundi’s questionably canon birthday became a point of contention.
But despite the fan response, The Acolyte delivered a solid finale with a major tease of more to come. Sith Qimir and his acolyte Osha stood were primed for a new adventure, and even Darth Plagueis — the character The Acolyte’s harshest critics kept hoping would appear — made a cameo lurking in the shadows, alongside a brief appearance from a young(er) Master Yoda.
It’s also worth noting that The Acolyte’s cancelation is actually the first time Lucasfilm has actually canceled a live-action Disney+ Star Wars show. The Mandalorian is still going on strong and getting a movie — with the possibility for another season after that — while Ahsoka Season 2 is currently in development. Andor Season 2 premieres next year, which will mark the planned resolution of its self-contained story. Meanwhile, both The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi remains in a sort of limbo; neither is officially canceled, but they haven’t been renewed for seconds seasons yet either. (Though, considering Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 1 is referred to as “the complete series,” it seems Lucasfilm may have quietly canceled that one without ever admitting to it.)
As for The Acolyte, unfortunately, it seems we’ll never learn what happens next to Osha, Qimir, and the rest of the crew — or if we do it may be in a cheaper format like a comic book or novel.
