There’s no solid news on The Acolyte season 2, but the story is expected to set up several key stories that can be continued further down the road. In an ideal world, The Acolyte would serve as the launchpad for Star Wars to explore a whole new part of the timeline, with TV shows and even movies set at the tail-end of the High Republic Era. The golden age of the Jedi and the Republic, this period is ripe for exploration.
Unfortunately, it’s very difficult indeed to tell whether The Acolyte was a success – in large part because of a backlash and review-bombing that often overwhelmed all other conversations. Still, Lucasfilm will surely be assessing viewership, and the fan reaction has generally improved over the course of the show. Here’s all we know about The Acolyte season 2.
The Acolyte Season 2 Hasn’t Been Confirmed By Lucasfilm
No decision has yet to be made about the future of The Acolyte. According to showrunner Leslye Headland, any decision will be made based purely on viewership, and she’s not sure when the final numbers will be in. That said, third-party analytics suggest The Acolyte’s viewership is comparable to that of Andor, which was of course renewed for a second season.
Some Major Acolyte Plots Were Originally Saved For Season 2
Incredibly, many of the most popular Acolyte plots were originally saved for season 2. The Acolyte’s Sith Lord was originally central to season 2, barely seen in the original season 1 scripts after one clash with the Jedi. Manny Jacinto’s performance was a gamechanger however, because Headland recognized that he simply had to have a much bigger presence. As she put it:
“I saw Manny’s screen test early on in pre-production, and I just thought, ‘There will be riots in the streets if I don’t [go further]. Here we go. I guess I’m rewriting an episode .’ ”
The Acolyte Cast & Crew Clearly Hope For Season 2
Although Headland has stressed that The Acolyte’s ending will be a satisfying one, she’s openly admitted she pitched this as a multi-season show. “There are a lot of things at the end of this season that I think are narrative threads that are not tied up, for sure,” she confirmed in one interview with Collider a full three months before The Acolyte’s premiere. This fits with more recent observations from producer Rayne Roberts, who revealed there were initial thoughts – but nothing quite nailed down.
Everything We Know About The Acolyte Season 2’s Story
There’s clearly a narrative throughline running from the creation of Osha and Mae in The Acolyte to the Force powers of Darth Plagueis, who learned how to coax the midi-chlorians into creating new life. Given this is the case, it’s reasonable to assume The Acolyte season 2 will continue to move through the Star Wars timeline, establishing the power of the Baneite Sith and revealing more about how they remained hidden while seeking power.
It’s unclear which cast and crew will return for The Acolyte season 2. The first season was shocking in terms of willingness to kill off major characters, with Carrie-Anne Moss’ Master Indara dying within the opening few minutes. That means many of the cast will be all-new, although Manny Jacinto’s Qimiir and Amandla Stenberg’s Osha and Mae seem safely locked in for a return.