The Next Star Wars TV Show Finally Moves Beyond George Lucas' Greatest Jedi Fear

Summary The Acolyte breaks Star Wars tradition with non-human Jedi protagonists like Vernestra Rwoh, exploring a fresh era of Jedi diversity.

Ahsoka Tano's live-action success paved the way for non-human characters like Vernestra in The Acolyte, proving that relatability knows no species.

George Lucas' desire for human Jedi led to a lack of non-human focus in live-action, but The Acolyte finally spotlights diverse Jedi stories.

Now that The Acolyte is finally coming to Disney Plus, Star Wars is finally breaking one very specific decades-long trend and fear of George Lucas. Taking place roughly a hundred years before the prequel trilogy during the High Republic Era, this series explores a period of time when Jedi were plentiful, as were the dangers they faced. Many comics exploring this era show Jedi on the frontier, exploring and tackling threats such as the brutal Nihil marauders.

The Acolyte is set to premiere on June 4th, 2024 on Disney Plus and is sure to bring a fresh story to the franchise unlike any seen in live-action. After all, most of the characters in The Acolyte are either brand new for the series or have never been seen in live action, like Vernestra Rwoh. She, along with other Jedi in the cast, break a long-standing tradition when it comes to Star Wars protagonists.

Related Star Wars: The Acolyte - Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know The upcoming Star Wars show The Acolyte will take the franchise into the grand High Republic era, but what mysteries await in the Jedi’s golden age?

With The Exception Of Yoda, All Major Live-Action Jedi Are Human

Animation, Comics, And Novels Have Been Left To Pick Up The Slack

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In every Star Wars movie so far, all Jedi main characters have specifically been made to be human. Characters such as Luke and Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even Rey have been tailor-made with this in mind. Yoda seems to be the only exception, operating as a solitary figure both in design and in his location on Dagobah. That is not to say that there aren’t any non-human Jedi, but throughout the series, there has been little focus on these characters in live-action.

This is because George Lucas wanted his Jedi to be as relatable as possible. Because viewers are human, he figured that these characters would be the easiest for an audience to empathize with, and so he made the protagonists human. Though this has led to the creation of some legendary characters, fan-favorite characters and cultures have been left with less development because of it.

The Acolyte Finally Stars Jedi Who Aren't Human

Rebecca Henderson And Dafne Keen Are Finally Breaking The Mold

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Vernestra Rwoh Created By Justina Ireland Cast Rebecca Henderson First Appearance Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage Alias Vern TV Shows The Acolyte

With the release of The Acolyte’s trailer, more information about the series and the characters that will appear in it has finally dropped. Something that many viewers have noticed is the specific inclusion of more non-human main characters. This includes the characters played by both Dafne Keen and Rebecca Henderson, the latter of whom will be playing the character Vernestra Rwoh.

Vernestra served as one of the youngest Padawans to graduate to become a Jedi.

This is the first time that Vernestra Rwoh will be seeing live-action, but she has previously been a popular character in a variety of different High Republic media, including both comics and novels. Vernestra served as one of the youngest Padawans to graduate to become a Jedi, doing so at only fifteen years old. She is also Mirialan and not human, making her one of very few non-human Jedi main characters to ever be a main focus in live-action.

Related Who Is Vernestra Rwoh, The High Republic Jedi Finally Coming To Live-Action In The Acolyte? One character from Star Wars' High Republic books is making the jump from page to screen. So who is Vernestra Rwoh and why is she in The Acolyte?

Ahsoka Blazed The Trail, & Now The Acolyte Follows

Ahsoka Tano Proved Non-Human Protagonists Can Be Relatable, Too

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Before Vernestra Rwoh, Ahsoka Tano was the blueprint for non-human Jedi main characters. She was previously one of the main characters in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and later Star Wars Rebels, but until recently, that was where her story remained. It wasn’t until her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 “Chapter 13: The Jedi” that she finally made her way into live-action, going on to receive more appearances in The Book of Boba Fett and even her own show, aptly titled Ahsoka.

Ahsoka has proven on more than one occasion that non-human protagonists can be just as relatable as human ones, paving the way for shows like The Acolyte to follow. She has time and time again proven herself in various situations, facing struggles such as coming to terms with the death of her master, Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka is just as human as anyone else, capable of the same emotions and character arcs. Now, viewers can hopefully expect Star Wars to focus on even more varied and unique characters down the line, starting with The Acolyte.

The Acolyte starts streaming June 4th on Disney+.