Star Wars: The Acolyte - 6 Incredible Details You Probably Didn’t Know

The first trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte dropped yesterday, and it’s looking to take the much-loved sci-fi universe in a dark new direction.

Structured like a detective procedural, it sees a Jedi master on the search for a powerful Sith that’s hunting down his brethren. Watch the trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte that's sending fans into a frenzy.

Here are six incredible things about Star Wars: The Acolyte you might not have known ahead of its debut on Disney+ June 4, 2024.

There’s a Wookie Jedi

At roughly 0:55 in the trailer we see a Wookie unlike any other. With braided hair, brown robes, and what looks like a lightsaber hilt on its belt, this furry fellow might be the first Jedi Wookie we’ve seen in a live-action Star Wars series.

It borrows from the extended universe

The series borrows from the Star Wars extended universe. For instance, we see Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh making her live-action debut. Played by Rebecca Henderson from Netflix series Russian Doll, she’s a fan-favourite from this period in the Star Wars timeline.

It features familiar faces

Star Wars: The Acolyte features a few actors you might recognise. The cast is led by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae as a wise Jedi master. It also features Logan’s Dafne Keen, The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss, and The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto.

It's set before Episode I

Speaking of which, when is Star Wars: The Acolyte set? It takes place in an era called The High Republic, a time of peace and prosperity in the universe. Remember how there were loads of Jedi in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace before they were all unceremoniously massacred in the sequels? This is set roughly 100 years before all that.

It doesn't use The Volume

Unlike The Mandalorian, this series didn't use Disney’s proprietary soundstage The Volume during filming. If you didn’t know, The Volume resembles a more technologically advanced green screen resulting in better VFX, but its use has gone out of fashion in recent years due to audience demand for physical sets and on-location shoots.

There are eight episodes

Star Wars: The Acolyte features eight episodes, with each episode lasting around 30 min. This gives it a faster pace than Andor, whose episodes are closer to an hour each. It’s also pitched as a multi-season show, so expect to see Star Wars: The Acolyte season 2 in 2026.