The first trailer for The Acolyte didn't reveal much, though it's clear that a significant threat to the Jedi - widely believed to be the Sith - is about to rise from the darkness.
The latest Star Wars TV series plays out during The High Republic era and is set roughly 100 - 150 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. That closes the door on Sheev Palpatine being the mystery villain wielding the red lightsaber showcased in the trailer. However, we're not discounting meeting his Sith Master, Darth Plagueis!
While time will tell on that front, eagle-eyed fans believe they've spotted a major connection to the prequel trilogy and, if they're right, it's a big one!
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, Star Wars die-hards on social media are sharing their belief that Plo Koon appears in the teaser; as we're sure you'll remember, he was a key supporting character in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith, later earning a devoted fanbase thanks to his role in The Clone Wars animated series.
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A Jedi with a striking resemblance to the fallen hero can indeed be seen, but how would this work timeline-wise? Well, Plo Koon is thought to have been roughly 385 years old when he died in Episode III; that would make him somewhere around 185 - 235 when the events of The Acolyte play out.
Plo Koon's age was established in the Expanded Universe, something we know The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland is pulling ideas from for the show. Having him appear as a young Jedi would be a fun way to respect the wider Star Wars lore.
"There were certain things that I really wanted to do. You'll see a half-Theelin, half-human Jedi, Jecki, played by Dafne Keen, which was always a dream of mine," she said in a recent interview. "There's also some [Star Wars Legends] lore that I decided to put in because I thought it was so cool and no one told me I couldn't."
"There are a couple of really big [Expanded Universe] ideas that are utilized both early on in the series and later in the series."
Let us know your thoughts on this wild Star Wars theory down in the comments section.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems...
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The Acolyte comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
The next Star Wars TV series will premiere on Disney+ on June 4.