Why The Acolyte Was ‘Canceled’ By Star Wars Fans, Explained

The latest Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte has been “canceled” by some for its “woke” decisions and impact on the franchise canon.

Despite good reviews from critics (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), The Acolyte debuted to strong reactions from fans and a record audience score of just 14%.

Star Wars Fans’ 4 Biggest Problems With The Acolyte

Star Wars Goes ‘Awake’

The term “woke” is increasingly used in modern media, with many using it to criticize anything that presents diversity in gender, race, sexuality, and disability, which The Acolyte boasts by chance.

Some have issued “woke” criticism of the lead role of black actress Amandla Stenberg, who plays the Force-wielding twins Mae and Osha. Others have criticized her parentage, as she was born from the Force through the magic of two women, who The Acolyte involves being a lesbian.

Series creator Leslye Headland told The Hollywood Reporter that while it may appear that these characters are gay, their closeness “would be natural” due to the all-female nature of their community:

“They live in a matriarchal society. As a gay woman, I knew that their sexuality could be read as queer, but there are also no men in their community. So it would be natural for them to come together. It seemed plot-driven. I would say it’s really reductive to call them lesbians. I think it means you’re not really paying attention to this story.”

Anakin Skywalker’s importance is ruined

As the Chosen One who brought balance to the Force, Anakin Skywalker is undeniably one of the most important players in Star Wars, especially since he played a prominent role throughout much of the Skywalker Saga.

In The Phantom MenaceAnakin’s mother, Shmi, told Qui-Gon Jinn: “There was no father” and it was heavily implied that he was born as a creation of the Force to destroy the Sith and bring balance.

After The Acolyte When the society of women giving birth through the Force came about, many said that it ruined Anakin’s importance. But these two situations, while they may seem similar at first glance, are quite different, one coming from the use of the Force and magic, and the other being the natural will of the Force.

The Contradiction of Ki-Adi Mundi’s Age

As Star Wars delves into the High Republic — an era never before seen in live-action — Lucasfilm and Disney have been accused of breaking the canon of the galaxy far, far away with several plot points. The Acolyte.

Perhaps most importantly, Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi, who was present on the Jedi Council in the prequel trilogy, was a fixture. While legends indicated that Cereans (his species) only lived 50 to 100 years, his role in The Acolyte which takes place 100 years before The Phantom Menaceleaves him much older.

Although many fans have called this a canon contradiction, the Legends Expanded Universe tales were declared non-canonical after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, meaning Ki-Adi Mundi never had an official age in Star Wars.

(The controversy surrounding the age of the Ki Adi Mundi of the acolytes explained)

Acolyte “breaks” the Sith cannon

Speaking of Ki-Adi Mundi, after Qui-Gon Jinn’s first encounter with Darth Maul in The Phantom MenaceThe Jedi Master was the one who announced to the council that “The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.”

This line evokes the tragedy of Darth Plaguis the Wise and all the other Sith events that preceded the prequel trilogy and happened behind the backs of the Jedi. And yet, a whole group of Jedi have just met Qimir (aka the Stranger) played by Manny Jacinto, who is said to be a Sith Lord on the planet Khofar.

But with several episodes of The Acolyte The Disney+ series still has time to prevent this from becoming a problem. If none of the show’s heroes survive to report their encounter with the Sith to the council, their existence could remain a secret for Ki-Adi Mundi and the other modern Jedi to discover.

(The Acolyte’s Qimir Explained: Sith, Kylo Ren, and Other Connections Revealed)

Will The Acolyte Season 2 Happen?

There used to be rumors The Acolyte had been canceled by Lucasfilm before its release, but it never had an impact. Earlier reports indicated that the studio was considering “several seasons” from the Haute République show.

A rumor from insider DanielRPK published in March 2024, three months before the series premiere, claimed that a writers’ room had already been opened to begin development on The Acolyte Season 2.

But with The Acolyte After receiving massive fan backlash, it’s fair to say whether season 2 could be axed. A major factor in that decision will likely be the strength of the show’s Disney+ audience, which is unclear at the time of writing.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Leslye Headland suggested that Season 1 would leave a “a beautiful resolution that gives an impression of satisfaction” while simultaneously dropping “enough nods to mysteries” to leave fans wanting a second season:

“I think you should put everything you can into the first season and give the audience a nice conclusion that feels satisfying, but enough nods to the mysteries that you want to see a second season.”

So it seems The Acolyte The series will solve the mystery of the Sith in Season 1, while possibly leaving questions and clues for the future. This will allow Lucasfilm to cancel or renew the Star Wars epic in the future, depending on how the reviews and negative reactions impact the audience.

---

The first five episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+ with new episodes scheduled to air every Tuesday until the finale which begins on July 16.

Learn more about The Acolyte on The Direct:

DP Acolyte Reveals Why New Sith’s Early Days Were ‘Extremely Difficult’ (Exclusive)

The sidekick just revealed Sol’s dark secret

Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Release Schedule (Confirmed)