Canceled Star Wars Show’s Second Season Had A Major Link To Kylo Ren

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Set roughly 100 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the TV series The Acolyte primarily told its own unique story. Despite its cancellation, the show still included connections to the larger Star Wars saga. The finale featured appearances by Darth Plagueis and Yoda, characters who were intended to play bigger parts if the series had continued. Including Plagueis would have added depth to the prequel trilogy, revealing more about Palpatine’s mentor. However, showrunner Leslye Headland also planned to connect The Acolyte to the sequel trilogy and the character Kylo Ren in a future season.

The new book The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte reveals that series creator Leslye Headland originally planned to reveal The Stranger as the founder of the Knights of Ren. According to Headland (via The Sietch of Sci-Fi on X), this idea tied into the introduction of Darth Plagueis, who would eventually become Palpatine’s master. The plan was to establish The Stranger as the first member of a Sith-influenced group—the Knights of Ren—allowing the Rule of Two (limiting the Sith to a master and apprentice) to continue through generations.

The Acolyte Could Have Fixed One of the Sequel Trilogy’s Missed Opportunities

Throughout the production of the sequel trilogy, fans eagerly speculated about the Knights of Ren and their purpose. However, the group ended up with limited screen time. They briefly appeared in a Force vision in The Force Awakens, had a small role in The Rise of Skywalker, and were ultimately defeated by Ben Solo on Exegol. The Last Jedi didn’t mention them at all. Considering all the fan theories, their portrayal in the films felt like an afterthought. Since The Rise of Skywalker, the Knights of Ren have appeared in some comics and other official stories, but haven’t been seen on screen.

Given that The Acolyte takes place long before the sequel trilogy, it couldn’t have directly improved the Knights of Ren we see in those films. However, the show likely would have provided a richer backstory for the group, potentially giving more depth to Kylo Ren and his followers. It would have been fascinating to see how the Knights originated and understand their motivations and beliefs. According to the showrunner, the Knights may have formed as a reaction against the Sith’s strict tradition of having only two members – perhaps a character like The Stranger was rejected as Darth Plagueis’ apprentice and decided to create a different, more numerous order.

Ever since The Acolyte was cancelled, actor Manny Jacinto has said he’d love to come back if the show is revived. But a quick return seems unlikely – and it’s not just about the money issues that caused Disney to halt production. Lucasfilm appears to be focusing more on making Star Wars movies than TV series. Currently, only a second season of Star Wars: Ahsoka is confirmed, and beyond that, the future of live-action shows is uncertain. At the recent Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm showcased several films in development, but didn’t announce any new TV shows. In fact, Disney reportedly told Andor creator Tony Gilroy that streaming TV is no longer a priority, suggesting a broader shift away from producing a lot of shows for streaming.

It’s disappointing that a second season of The Acolyte probably won’t happen. While the first season received mixed reactions, it had a lot of promise, particularly with storylines involving characters like Plagueis and Yoda. It’s a shame those plotlines won’t be continued on screen, but Lucasfilm could still explore them in other formats. The ideas originally planned for Season 2 could be adapted into a novel or comic book, which would be a good option considering the success of the High Republic books. It wouldn’t be the same as watching the story unfold visually, but it would be a way to see those ideas realized.

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2025-10-26 16:12