Movies News Talk
Lucasfilm has constantly promoted The Acolyte as occurring 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, so positioning it within the High Republic Era. Still, this arrangement creates a notable discrepancy in the show's story. Based on several hints and comments, the chronology of the show calls for a small change to properly fit the larger Star Wars universe.
We must first appreciate the relevance of the High Republic Era if we are to grasp the temporal variations in The Acolyte. For the Republic and the Jedi Order, this time—roughly 132 BBY—Before the Battle of Yavin—marks a period of peace and wealth. During this time the galaxy enjoys a relative sense of safety and the Jedi are most powerful. Originally aiming to highlight this age, the Acolyte's chronology veers the emphasis toward the fall of the Jedi Order.
Two main components define the chronology of the show: a flashback sequence set sixteen years before the main narrative and the title crawl, asserting the main story is set one hundred years before the Empire's founding. Still, these apparently consistent times produce a notable temporal discrepancy.
In The Acolyte, the flashback episode revolves on a Jedi expedition to the planet Brendok investigating the aftermath of a hyperspace catastrophe a century past. This event directly relates to the High Republic book Light Of The Jedi by Charles Soule, so confirming its era of publication.
The Acolyte's title crawl claims that the main narrative takes place 13 years after the events of The Phantom Menace—that is, 100 years before the Empire's founding. This location implies that the main story unfolds following the High Republic Era, when the Jedi Order is already battling inner conflicts and the approaching gloom inside the galaxy. The ending of The Acolyte shows a Jedi Order battling to hold onto its hold on the political scene and confronting an uncertain future, so reflecting this change in narrative.
The claim that the main narrative is set sixteen years following the flashbacks creates the main inconsistency. This disparity cannot be ignored; it is reiterated often throughout the show. We have to suppose a small error in the Jedi's chronology for the hyperspace catastrophe in order to fix this. It might have happened 97 years before their trip to Brendok, not a century. This little change lets the timelines of the show line up without much changing the story.
This changed chronology gently alters The Acolyte's story. The flashback to Brendok becomes a moving reminder of the fading High Republic era, stressing the errors and weaknesses that finally helped the Jedi to fall from grace. Set in the era of decline, the main narrative shows the degradation of the Jedi Order and suggests the approaching gloom that will finally bring the Sith and the Empire to rise. Witnessing the effects of the fall of the High Republic, the Jedi on Brendok would surely bear the weight of this knowledge, which would help to explain their particular hardships and fears.
Understanding the linked events and characters spanning several generations in the Star Wars universe depends on the careful chronology. Clarifying the timeline discrepancies in The Acolyte helps us to better appreciate the story of the show and its position in the larger framework of the Star Wars galaxy.