The announced Acolyte prequel lives on despite the show's cancellation

by

Key points

  • The book Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker will be released on May 6, 2025, despite the series' cancellation.
  • The book delves into Vernestra Rwoh's backstory, exploring her ties to the Jedi Council and Republic politics.
  • The cancellation of The Acolyte hampers future original Star Wars projects, but Wayseeker offers fans closure.



The Acolyte may be all but wrapped up on Disney+ after its first season, but a project meant to take fans even further back in time to explore one of the series’ most important characters in greater depth is still slated to be released to fans as previously planned.

The Acolyte It was a bit of a puzzle at first Star Wars fans, many of whom had no idea what to expect from a show set in what was essentially the Wild West of the High Republic era of the franchise, a time period the company has only recently begun to sketch out the contours of after the demotion of most Star Wars content to the Legends continuity, banning most High Republic-era stories from canon. The project would garner a lot of attention and become quite polarizing, leading to many mixed responses when it was confirmed that The Acolyte It was canceled despite Star Wars having hinted that there would be a second season.


The cancellation was followed by a wave of fan talk in both directions, including the idea that the next Star Wars Eclipse can act as a spiritual successor to The Acolyte, but there's an upcoming project that could give fans of the show another, more direct look into the world of The Acolyte. According to the official listing on the Penguin Random House website, the planned prequel book Star Wars: The Acolyte: Seeker of Ways is still scheduled for release on May 6, 2025 despite the cancellation of the main series. The book, which retails for $30 in hardcover and is available at several major retailers, is the next installment in Disney’s High Republic series. The Penguin Random House website also has a brief synopsis of the book that may be of interest to potential readers.

Vernestra Rwoh has spent more than a decade exploring the Outer Rim as a Wayseeker, answering to no authority but the Force itself. When a request from the Jedi Council orders her to return to Coruscant, Vernestra initially refuses, feeling that her first priority should be the beings she already serves. But after Jedi Master Indara arrives to ask Vernestra for help in person, Vernestra finds herself drawn back into Coruscant's complicated world of Republic politics and underworld crime. As the two delve deeper into their investigation and the lines between Jedi and Republic business blur, Vernestra must reconsider what it means to serve the Light and Life.


Rebecca Henderson's Vernestra Rwoh was one of the most important players in The Acolyte short term. Star Wars: The Acolyte: Seeker of Ways is set to further develop the character's backstory and could potentially answer some of the most pressing questions fans may have had from the show's first season. Additionally, it looks like the bulk of the story will feature Rwoh as an outsider to the Order where he would eventually rise to greatness, which could just be a huge selling point for fans of the show. One of the things that detractors of the direction of The Acolyte may not have appreciated (despite their valid criticisms elsewhere) is the uncomfortable idea that Star Wars The Jedi are not all that interesting to some audiences. This is not particularly new or controversial, given the wealth of content centered on politicians, soldiers, and even criminals on the loose in the Star Wars the universe that existed before Disney wiped the slate clean proves it.


Star Wars: The Acolyte The cancellation is a bad sign for several reasons, as the project was a departure from anything that had come before in the franchise. For all its flaws, there was a genuine sense of novelty to the show that could have been refined in later seasons and potentially inspired a more diverse range of approaches to Star Wars projects. While Star Wars show how The Mandalorian AND Andor has managed to broaden the landscape in a similar way and with better effect, the dissolution of even one single project can dampen the creativity of future creatives who try to bring different ideas to the great space opera. At least, through Seeker of ways, Those who enjoyed the show will be able to draw some more ideas.

Star Wars: The Acolyte is currently available for streaming on Disney+.

Source: Penguin Random House

Leave a Comment

URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL URL