Star Wars' Next TV Show Reveals Every Sith Lord's Ultimate Fate - & Palpatine's Greatest Fear

Summary The Acolyte will uncover the secrets of the Sith, exploring the Master-Apprentice dynamic and the Rule of Two.

The Acolyte lies at the heart of this, at a time of transition among the Sith.

Palpatine feared exactly this transition, working to avoid the ultimate outcome of the Rule of Two - his death.

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland finally explains the show's title, revealing it will explore the fate of every Sith Lord - and Palpatine's greatest fear. The Sith Order has been shrouded in mystery for 47 years, but Leslye Headland's The Acolyte will finally remove the mask and reveal their true nature. Set a century before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte will reveal secrets of the Sith - and of the Rule of Two.

Speaking to Lucasfilm's Dave Filoni in an interview posted by Star Wars, Headland finally explains what The Acolyte's title means.

"What I was interested in examining were the Sith. The Master-Apprentice dynamic. If the Apprentice is craving the Master's power, then at some point, he must recruit his Apprentice to overthrow the Master. And that is The Acolyte."

Acolytes have been mentioned in Star Wars lore before; Headland is actually borrowing the term for the old Expanded Universe. But the idea has never been so precisely defined before.

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?

The Acolyte Is The Story Of A Sith Apprentice Overthrowing Their Master

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The clear implication is that The Acolyte is set during a time of transition in the Sith - a time when an Apprentice is preparing to overthrow their Master. They have either recruited their Acolyte, or they are seeking one; in either case, it's reasonable to assume Amandla Stenberg's Mae is the Acolyte in question. The Jedi who investigate Mae's Jedi killings are therefore being drawn into the heart of the darkness, the rivalry that drives the Rule of Two.

According to Star Wars lore, there are only ever two Sith: one to crave power, and the other to wield it. This dynamic is inherently competitive and unstable, destined to end in bloodshed. Should the Apprentice fail to overthrow their Master, they will be killed, and another Apprentice will be sought out. Should they succeed, they will become the Master, and they will know that one day they will share their Master's fate. This is the story of The Acolyte.

This Is Why Palpatine Abandoned The Rule Of Two

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Palpatine became a Sith heretic, however, discarding the Rule of Two. As seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, he sought not to be supplanted by his Apprentice but rather to become immortal through cloning and a dark side Force power known as essence transfer. It's telling that, when he returned from the dead in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine didn't seek another Apprentice; he knew doing so would ultimately lead to his death, an outcome he could not allow again.

Although he claimed to embody the Sith, there's a sense in which Palpatine considered them merely a means to an end. He used the Rule of Two for his own advancement, and then played fast and loose with it throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy. As soon as he was in a place of power, he began attempting to subvert the ways of the Sith - ensuring his own Apprentice never took an Acolyte of his own. The Acolyte will reveal the fate Darth Siidious sought so desperately to avoid.

Source: Star Wars

The Acolyte premieres on June 4, on Disney+.