The Star Wars franchise is full of memorable iconography, including now-famous spaceship designs. From the very beginning, X-wings have been a fan favorite, as they’re an integral part of the thrilling finale in Star Wars: A New Hope. Ever since that film premiered, X-wings have been a franchise staple, appearing across a variety of mediums. The ship is so synonymous with the Star Wars brand that Lucasfilm brought the X-wings back for the sequel trilogy, illustrating how the Resistance picked up the Rebel Alliance’s mantle. If things had gone differently with another Disney-era Star Wars project, fans would have been treated to X-wing precursors.
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The book The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte (which is now available for purchase) includes a piece of concept art depicting what’s called a “Jedi X-wing.” While there are some differences between this design and what’s seen in the original trilogy, the two iterations share plenty of DNA. The S-foils on the Jedi X-wing are locked in attack position, and there’s a port where an astromech droid can sit to provide assistance. Ultimately, the Acolyte showrunners opted to go with the Jedi Vector ship from the published High Republic stories, but the X-wing design sets up what could be an exciting franchise retcon.
Why The Acolyte‘s Jedi X-Wing is Significant for Star Wars
Just because the Jedi X-wing wasn’t used in The Acolyte doesn’t mean it won’t ever see the light of day. The Star Wars franchise has a history of storing ideas away and revisiting certain concepts at a later date. For instance, the Lasat species (of which Star Wars Rebels hero Zeb Orrelios is a part of) is based on an early design Ralph McQuarrie came up with for Chewbacca. George Lucas first came up with the idea of Jedi Padawans when he was working on the treatment for A New Hope, yet it didn’t become part of the lexicon until the prequel trilogy. There’s always the chance someone decides to run with the idea of Jedi X-wings.
If this comes to pass, it would be a truly fascinating development for Star Wars. The X-wing ship would be transformed from a simple Rebel starfighter to a symbol of the Jedi Order, adding an intriguing amount of depth to key set pieces from the Skywalker Saga. Luke’s assault on the Death Star in A New Hope would take on greater meaning. There’s a tremendous amount of symbolism to dive into, as Luke (and his fellow Rebel pilots) are flying in ships that descended from the Jedi of generations ago, fighting back against the very evil that wiped out the Order at the end of the Clone Wars. It’s even more fitting that Luke is the one who destroys the Death Star, calling upon the Force for guidance as he soars through the trench in his X-wing.
In the same vein, Rey’s flight to Exegol in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker takes a similarly significant meaning considering what she represents. Having Rey pilot Luke’s old X-wing drew a strong parallel between master and apprentice, but knowing the X-wing could have originated with the Jedi Order adds depth to the action. Before she calls upon the strength of all the Jedi spirits who came before her, Rey flies the ship of the Jedi straight to the place where the ultimate evil waits to rise again. It’s a way to bring things full circle; the Jedi were always guardians of peace and justice, so it makes sense that their ship design is at the forefront of major events that impacted galactic history.
Star Wars has been guilty of leaning too heavily on legacy elements in the past, looking to get a reaction out of fans with a hit of nostalgia. But this X-wing retcon is something subtle enough that it wouldn’t be too distracting in the grand scheme of things. It would simply illustrate how a particular vehicle has evolved over time in the Star Wars galaxy, mirroring what happens in our own world. Plus, it’s a fun way to highlight George Lucas’ “it’s like poetry, it rhymes” mantra without being too on the nose. An argument can be made that Star Wars could use some new iconic ship designs (especially for stories set well before the Skywalker Saga), but change for the sake of change isn’t always what’s best. The X-wing is a classic for a reason, and making it part of the Jedi lineage only adds to its enduring legacy.
Will Star Wars Ever Make the Jedi X-Wing Retcon Official?
Now that Star Wars has planted the seeds for the Jedi X-Wing, it’ll be interesting to see if this retcon ever becomes an official part of canon. There is always the possibility that the concept art is brought back for another project. After all, the Jedi Vector design began its life as a possibility for clone starfighters in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, illustrating that Lucasfilm’s creative teams truly leave no stone left unturned when digging through the archives to find concepts deserving of being revisited. Nearly two full decades separated the premieres of Revenge of the Sith and The Acolyte, so there’s no statute of limitations here.
That said, it seems unlikely we will see the Jedi X-Wing in a project set during the High Republic era. The publishing initiative is over, and The Acolyte was its lone foray on screen. Despite a finale that featured cameos from Darth Plagueis and Yoda (setting the stage for future story developments), The Acolyte was cancelled after just one season. Especially when considering Disney’s shifting priorities (seemingly favoring theatrical releases over new streaming TV shows), The Acolyte will probably never be revived. Unless Lucasfilm decides to pick up the narrative in a comic series or novel, those unresolved threads will be left dangling, and we’ll never see the Jedi X-Wing in the High Republic.
In order to maintain the spirit of the intended Jedi X-Wing retcon (the Rebel ships are descendants of the Jedi ships), the fighters would have to be featured in a project set before the Skywalker Saga. Fortunately, there’s at least one notable project in development that fits those specifications: James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi, a biblical epic that will explore the origins of the Force and the Jedi Order. Perhaps that film could establish that the first Jedi traveled in ships resembling the Jedi X-wings, making the iconic design part of the very beginning of the Jedi religion. In-universe, the Jedi obviously would shift away from the X-wings for at least the High Republic era before the design makes a triumphant return.
Sadly, Dawn of the Jedi is currently on hold as Lucasfilm enters a new era with co-presidents Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. With Mangold signing a new deal with Paramount, it’s unknown when that film will take shape. It might be several years until Dawn of the Jedi gets off the ground. In the meantime, there’s always the possibility the Jedi X-wing could be featured in a movie or show set between the events of The Acolyte and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The Acolyte takes place roughly 100 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga, so there’s plenty of real estate to work with on the Star Wars timeline if a filmmaker comes in with a great pitch for a story about the Jedi at the height of their powers.
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