Summary The Acolyte trailer introduces Dafne Keen’s Jecki, a new Jedi character who will face dark side threats in the High Republic Era.
Jecki, a Padawan to Lee Jung-jae’s Sol, is a Theelin/human hybrid with unique features, projecting calmness and maturity in her role.
The upcoming series will explore the rarely seen Theelin species, honoring Star Wars history and offering a unique twist on Jedi characters.
The Star Wars: The Acolyte trailer has just been released and has given audiences their first look at Dafne Keen’s character, who is a member of an obscure Star Wars species. Footage from The Acolyte’s first trailer shows that Keen’s character is a member of the Jedi Order who will be facing a new dark side threat. The Acolyte will be the first time the High Republic Era of the Star Wars franchise will be seen in live-action, with the show taking place about 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace.
With an era largely unexplored, it seems The Acolyte will feature a lot of brand-new characters. However, characters like Vernestra Rwoh will be familiar to those who have read the Star Wars High Republic Era novels. The Acolyte will follow Lee Jung-jae’s character, Sol, and other Jedi as they investigate someone who is murdering Jedi. This Sith infiltration will likely be led by Mae (Amandla Stenberg), who was seen dueling Jedi in trailer footage. The Acolyte trailer also featured footage of Jedi like Indara (Carrie-Ann Moss), Yord (Charlie Barnett), Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), and Dafne Keen’s character, Jecki.
Related Star Wars: The Acolyte – Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know The upcoming Star Wars show The Acolyte will take the franchise into the grand High Republic era, but what mysteries await in the Jedi’s golden age?
Dafne Keen’s Jecki Is A Jedi Padawan
While Keen is hardly shown in The Acolyte trailer, she will likely be working closely with Lee Jung-jae’s Sol. Jecki is the Padawan learner to Master Sol and will likely be accompanying him on his adventures in the Disney+ show. While Jecki can only be seen twice in the trailer, she is described as an individual who projects calmness and is mature. It’s unclear how old Jecki is, but based on Dafne Keen’s age and the fact that she is a Padawan, Jecki is likely a teenager in The Acolyte.
Jecki can be seen with white braided hair and pale skin that has streaks of orange and black dots near her temples. Keen had previously described her character at Star Wars Celebration as “pretty cool, pretty badass, [and] she gets to play with lightsabers.” Keen seemed quite happy that Jecki was an alien Jedi as well, saying it was an honor. It was revealed soon after The Acolyte trailer that Jecki is a Theelin/human hybrid, and she isn’t the first in Star Wars.
What Is A Theelin? Dafne Keen’s Character Species & Star Wars History
image via Disney+
Theelin is an alien species that is said to be rarely seen in the Star Wars galaxy and can be identified by skin tones, which are usually lavender, white, bronze, silver, or green. Additionally, Theelins have brightly colored hair, head horns, spotted skin, and hoofed feet. Theelins are mostly seen in their hybrid form in Star Wars, including Jecki – who is part human and part Theelin. In Legends, Theelins were doomed to extinction because of genetic mutations, leading them to interbreed to keep their species alive. This detail is being honored in The Acolyte with Jecki being a hybrid.
Headland was inspired to create a Theelin/human hybrid for The Acolyte after seeing the character Rystáll Sant in Return of the Jedi.
The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland has said it was a dream of hers to create a Theelin character, and that the creation of this character was something she wanted to do. Headland was inspired to create a Theelin hybrid for The Acolyte after seeing the character Rystáll Sant in Return of the Jedi. Rystáll was a singer and dancer as part of the Max Rebo Band and can be seen with bright orange hair in the film. Rystáll’s line of work wasn’t uncommon for Theelins, as they usually became artists, singers, or dancers – which Jecki could bring to her Jedi training.
Related Star Wars: The Acolyte Cast & Character Guide Here’s everything we know about The Acolyte’s cast and the characters they will be portraying in Star Wars’ most mysterious project yet.
Dafne Keen’s Movies & TV Shows Before The Acolyte
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Dafne Keen is best known for her role as X-23/Laura in the 2017 film Logan, where she played a pseudo-daughter to Hugh Jackman’s titular character. Keen went on to star in His Dark Materials on HBO and BBC One. The show had three seasons, running from 2019-2022, and featured Keen in the lead role, playing Lyra Belacqua. Keen also played the titular role in the 2020 film Ana, which also starred Andy Garcia. Even though Keen’s filmography isn’t extensive, her work in Logan certainly helped prepare her to take on the role of a Jedi in The Acolyte.
Many more details regarding The Acolyte will become available as it gets closer to its two-episode premiere on June 4th. Hopefully, in that time, audiences will get to know characters better, including Dafne Keen’s character, Jecki. With so much still unknown about Jecki and the direction The Acolyte will take, it’s truly an exciting time to be a Star Wars enthusiast.
Star Wars: The Acolyte starts streaming June 4th on Disney+.
All Star Wars movies and TV shows are available to stream on Disney+