Leslye Headland’s Star Wars TV show, The Acolyte, triggered a firestorm on social media. The review bombing wasn’t subtle; although the series undoubtedly had flaws, it hardly earned its 19% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lucasfilm ultimately cancelled The Acolyte in August 2024, despite a cliffhanger ending that promised Yoda and Darth Plagueis in the second season. And yet, despite that cancellation, the show has suddenly shot back into the streaming charts.
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According to FlixPatrol, The Acolyte is currently in the top 10 Disney+ TV shows for the United States. The current shows in the top 10 are:
- Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
- Daredevil: Born Again
- Secrets of the Bees
- Little Margo Stories
- How NOT To Draw
- Perfect Crown
- American Idol
- Locker Diaries: ZOMBIES
- Star Wars: The Acolyte
- Zootopia
It’s not unusual to see older Star Wars TV shows return to the streaming charts when there’s a new release, meaning The Acolyte‘s ranking in the streaming charts is related to Maul – Shadow Lord. But there’s normal a direct link between the new release and the old shows that benefit from it. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for example, was boosted massively by The Bad Batch.
Why Maul – Shadow Lord is Leading to Interest in The Acolyte
There may not be a narrative link, but there is a thematic connection between The Acolyte and Maul – Shadow Lord. Both series are focused on the dark side, with a Sith-adjacent character seeking an apprentice in accordance with the Sith Rule of Two. Maul is Palpatine’s former student, and he appears to be trying to establish a rival branch of the Sith to challenge Palpatine and Darth Vader. The Acolyte starred Manny Jacinto’s mysterious Sith known as the Stranger, who seems to have tried to reestablish the Sith line under his leadership as well. The stories mirror one another.
In reality, all the evidence suggests the Stranger was destined to fail. Rather than reestablish the Sith, Star Wars has hinted he founded the Knights of Ren – the mysterious dark side faction led by Kylo Ren by the sequel trilogy era. Maul, too, fails; we already know he’s destined to die at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hands in Star Wars Rebels, and there’s no sign of his potential apprentice Devon Izara by that point in the Star Wars timeline. That said, Star Wars loves to play around with the timeline, so it’s possible Devon has become a way to reintroduce the Sith after The Rise of Skywalker.
Over on social media, The Acolyte‘s resurgence is boosting the parts of the fandom who want the show back. The Acolyte may have had its flaws, but the division was overdone by YouTubers who clearly had agendas of their own. Some of the controversies were particularly absurd (such as one involving a Jedi Master, with YouTubers complaining his age contradicted a non-canon DVD-ROM from 1999 that Lucas himself ignored when he gave Mace Windu a purple lightsaber). The Acolyte‘s fans remain dedicated, and they’re pointing to FlixPatrol as evidence the show has a potential audience.
Do you think The Acolyte should have been cancelled, and should Disney renew it after all this time? Leave a comment below andย join the conversation now in theย ComicBook Forum!
