Credit: Disney/LucasfilmA long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas released the Star Wars prequel trilogy, giving us insights into more Jedi lore and how Emperor Palpatine rose to power, which led to the downfall of one young Anakin Skywalker.
Now, 25 years later, Disney has released a new trailer for a new Star Wars series in which Lucasfilm takes us back even further in the timeline, giving us tons of new changes to the prequel-era Jedi we’ve come to know and love.
Disney and Lucasfilm Will Take ‘Star Wars’ Fans Back to the High Republic
It’s no secret that Disney has been working on various new Star Wars projects that will be released over the next few years. For starters, we have a new Disney+ series set to debut this summer, taking fans back to the High Republic era in the timeline.
In the expansive lore of the Star Wars galaxy, the High Republic Era emerges as a captivating period spanning from 500 BBY to 100 BBY. Characterized by exploration and expansion, this epoch represents a golden age for both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. It takes place hundreds of years before the Clone Wars, Darth Vader, the Death Star, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo, Sabine Wren, Princess Leia, Kylo Ren, Rey, and everything else we’ve come to love and know.
The Republic exudes confidence within this era, basking in an era of relative peace. However, unbeknownst to many, the Sith, believed to be extinct, lurk in the shadows, orchestrating clandestine machinations. Beyond the realm of conflict, the High Republic Era also witnessed significant social and political transformations, coupled with a flourishing of artistic and scientific endeavors, marking it as a time of profound cultural and intellectual renaissance within the Star Wars universe.
A New Era Dawns for the Prequel Era Jedi
The trailer for the highly anticipated Disney+ series this summer titled Star Wars: The Acolyte (2024) dropped moments ago, revealing considerable changes to the Jedi canonical treatment we’ve all come to know and love. But before diving deep into how Disney has changed the prequel-era Jedi, take a look at the official trailer below:
Coming in at one minute and forty-five seconds, the trailer reveals a slew of new imagery and lore surrounding the prequel-era Jedi. Now, we have to understand something significant: this is the first time since George Lucas sold the rights to Star Wars over to Disney that we get brand-new reveals of changes made to the Jedi before Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999).
This is the first time we get a more in-depth look at younglings in the Disney-era Star Wars timeline. Yes, we got a few glimpses of some younglings during the Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi series in 2022. But I will argue that those were merely glimpses and nothing tangible enough to see some differences, unlike what we get in this trailer. The Skywalker saga does not exist during this time before Anakin isn’t even born yet. There seems to be some form of the Dark Side, but that has not been confirmed yet. We do see a typical Jedi master, but nothing like before. This Star Wars story is meant to stand out from the rest we’ve come to know, like Star Wars Rebels (2014) or The Force Awakens (2015).
This is the first time we properly get a glimpse and more information on the lore of Jedi in the prequel timeline, not to mention it’s the first time we see other Jedi from the prequel era who are not Ahsoka, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and others. However, the most significant change from the trailer is that the Jedi are not at war with the Trade Federation, the Galactic Empire, or even the First Order. We are witnessing Jedi dealing with an unknown evil rising throughout the galaxy, something that the Jedi of this era have yet to encounter.
More Changes to Consider for the Prequel-Era Jedi by Disney
Some more changes from the prequel-era Jedi we see from Disney is the fact we look at a fully-grown Wookie Jedi in live-action, something we have never seen before. The Wookie looks menacing yet gentle in a screenshot from the trailer above, giving fans of the Kashyykian world a new hope in Disney, bringing to life a never-before-seen warrior of the Jedi arts.
Another change we see in the trailer from Disney regarding the prequel-era Jedi is, and bare with me on this one, Jedi just being – well, typical for once. We see Carrie-Ann Moss (The Matrix trilogy from the 2000s) in the trailer relaxing in what appears to be a cafe/restaurant, just being a Jedi and not running from the Empire, not hiding from the First Order – a Jedi amongst the common folk.
Finally, the most significant change we see in the prequel-era Jedi from Disney in the new Acolyte series is the Jedi during a time of peace. There is no conflict, no Sith, and no need to be on alert, as we’ve seen in the past from George Lucas’s masterpieces. The Jedi in this era are all training, learning, and roaming the galaxy as keepers of the peace, not soldiers. Disney is ushering in a new era of Jedi not seen before in live-action format, and that’s a perfect thing.
Get ready for Star Wars The Acolyte, hitting Disney+ this summer.
What are your thoughts on the new Disney+ series ‘Star Wars The Acolyte’ showing us a new era of Jedi?