The Acolyte: Star Wars Fans React to New Series, New Characters & Same Old Hate

The Acolyte has premiered its first two episodes on Disney+, and as usual, Star Wars fans have some things to say about it. 

As you can see in our sampling of fan reactions to The Acolyte, the show is getting a pretty even mix of praise for its novelty, criticism for its story, and hate for its perceived continuation of Star Wars‘ diversity initiative. 

Scroll below if you want to get a sense of where opinions about The Acolyte are falling, as well as what level of social media buzz the show is generating: 

For Light & Life

The Acolyte is striking a chord with a lot of Star Wars fans – and some newcomers jumping into the series for the first time. 

Hate For Hate’s Sake

No show is above criticism, but there is a very campaign to hate on The Acolyte simply because of the show’s casting, creative team, and vision of the franchise lore. 

To quote a wise Jedi…

Skywalker-Free

For a lot of Star Wars fans, this is the first instance of seeing the franchise onscreen without the shadow of the Skywalker Saga hanging over it in any way. 

It Rhymes… Like Poetry

Can we stop complaining every time there’s an echo or easter egg callback in a Star Wars project? That’s exactly the way George Lucas wanted it.

Fugitive Vibes

That climax to The Acolyte Episode 1 definitely had us feeling vibes of The Fugitive. 

What Happened to Woke-Fest?

For all the uproar, The Acolyte turned out to be… a compelling mystery story, with people in it. Maybe we can all settle down on this one? 

Sol Patrol

Star Wars already has some new fan-fav breakouts, including Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol. Lee’s performance and commitment to Star Wars (learning English for the role!) have endeared him to many. 

Yord Horde

We had to create a whole separate list showing how much love Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) is getting from Star Wars fans. 

Pippers

Rounding out the breakout character list: Osha’s droid companion Pip is a clear early favorite. 

He’s The Master, Right?

The Acolyte is definitely generating a certain amount of buzz for its mystery storyline alone. Early theory: Mae’s partner Qimir (Manny Jacinto) is actually The Master. 

Mae Survived Memes

We said it rhymes like poetry… and this is another example of how. Nonetheless, we’re stealing this meme for sure. 

Dope Details

Showrunner Leslye Headland clearly loves the world-building and aesthetics of Star Wars. Droid chairs? Stunning! 

STOP REACHING

Thoughtful, analytical criticism: fine. Yelling at Star Wars for being Star Wars…. Why? 

Star Wars – Dark Side of Fandom

Star Wars discourse shows ZERO signs of once again being a fun and affirming space. It’s about as civil as the war between the Empire and Rebels.