Star Wars The Acolyte: What are the acolytes of the Sith?

Star Wars fans have a brand new live-action series to look forward to on Disney+. “The Acolyte” has already premiered its first two episodes, getting into the mysterious world of the Sith acolytes.

The story follows a young man who seems to be under the command of a fearsome masked villain wielding a red lightsaber. While it’s not officially confirmed yet, all signs point to this villain being a Sith – a dark side force-user that Star Wars fans are all too familiar with, including iconic characters like Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader himself.

Those well-versed in the franchise know about the Sith’s “Rule of Two.” This rule dictates that there can only be two Sith at any given time: a master who is an expert in the dark side of the Force, and an apprentice who craves that power and ultimately aims to confront and kill their mentor.

This is where the acolytes come into play. They are young apprentices who have not yet achieved the necessary power or experience to be considered accurate Sith, but they aspire to follow that path. Their role might be to become the new Sith apprentice once the current one defeats the master or to help the original master defeat the apprentice and take their place.

Acolytes serve as a third element or accessory to the Rule of Two formula. Darth Bane implemented the rule to ensure that each generation of Sith would be more potent than the last, and the acolytes became a fundamental ingredient in maintaining this cycle.

While the plot of “The Acolyte” is shrouded in secrecy, it seems likely that the character Mae, played by Amanda Stenberg (who also portrays her twin sister Osha), will take on the role of an acolyte.

The series boasts an impressive cast, including Lee Jung-jae as Master Sol, Carrie-Anne Moss as Master Indara, Joonas Suotamo as the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca, Rebecca Henderson as Master Vernestra ‘Vern’ Rwoh, Charlie Barnett as the Jedi Yord, Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya, Dafne Keen as Padawan Jecki, and Manny Jacinto as Quimir.