Summary The Acolyte trailer showcases new alien characters in the High Republic Era, enhancing Star Wars lore.
Wookiee Jedi, a rare sight due to George Lucas’ rule, make a significant appearance in the series.
Vernestra Rwoh, a Mirialan Jedi, and a potential Kel Dor character add depth to the Acolyte’s diverse cast.
The first trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte features a delightful number of alien races, including several that are brand new to Star Wars lore. Star Wars: The Acolyte will take viewers into the High Republic Era, a time when the Republic and the Jedi were at their height. The first trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte opens at the main Jedi Temple on Coruscant, stressing the significance of this setting, and it immediately reveals alien younglings. Jedi are drawn from every race across the galaxy, so this isn’t a surprise.
The aliens seen in The Acolyte’s trailer are all humanoid, allowing for practical effects and costuming. Some viewers have expressed disappointment that there aren’t more exotic races in evidence, but this seems to be a conscious choice made as part of the production process. Still, creator Leslye Headland is an old-school Star Wars fan, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that the aliens who do make an appearance in this trailer include some tremendous deep cuts into Star Wars lore. Here’s all we know about the various alien races in The Acolyte’s trailer.
Related Star Wars: The Acolyte Trailer Breakdown The first trailer for Star Wars’ The Acolyte is finally here, bringing several interesting reveals, Easter eggs, and references along with it.
6 The Acolyte Introduces The First Live-Action Wookiee Jedi
Wookiees Have Been A Key Part Of Star Wars Since A New Hope
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Prominent Wookiee in Star Wars lore Chewbacca Black Krrsantan Burryaga Agaburry Gungi
The Acolyte trailer features Joonas Suotamo as the first live-action Wookiee Jedi in Star Wars canon. Wookiees have been an established part of Star Wars lore since the very first movie, with Chewbacca numbering among the most famous. Wookiees hail from the planet Kashyyyk in the Mid Rim territories, and they have developed a peaceful, family-focused society that dates back thousands of years. Most Wookiees are communal, living in homes built high in the boughs of the ancient wroshyr trees that cover their world.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith brought Kashyyyk to life in live-action, with Master Yoda heading there to help repel a Separatist invasion. This revealed Yoda had good relations with the Wookiees, although he was by no means unique in this respect; Wookiee traditions, including their reverence of life, make them natural allies of the Jedi. There have been subtle hints Kashyyyk may be a planet rich in the Force, meaning Wookiee mysticism may be a Force tradition in its own right – one that complements the Jedi.
George Lucas Originally Forbade Wookiee Jedi
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There have been surprisingly few Wookiee Jedi in Star Wars lore. This is largely because of a strange edict from George Lucas himself, established during the prequel era; he insisted there should be no Wookiee Jedi, likely in part because he feared them being over-powered. The standard Wookiee is a formidable warrior, given their towering height and phenomenal strength, and a Jedi Wookiee would be a literal force to be reckoned with.
Lucas broke this edict himself during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which introduced a Wookiee Jedi youngling named Gungi (who’s since returned in Star Wars: The Bad Batch). The Acolyte introduces Jedi Master Kelnacca, the first Wookiee Jedi to appear in live-action, and he’s played by none other than Joonas Suotamo. Suotamo is best known as the actor who played Chewbacca himself in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Jedi Master Kelnacca May Be An Unusual Jedi
Jedi Master Kelnacca is an unusual Jedi, living in isolation and cut off from the rest of the Order. This is even stranger for a Wookiee, given the race tends to be communal. It’s possible Kelnacca has made some sort of vow, perhaps in an act of repentance. Star Wars lore has established there are indeed such traditions among the Jedi Order, and Kelnacca may even have taken a rare Barash Vow, one established during the High Republic Era. This may also explain Kelnacca’s shaved head.
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?
5 Vernestra Rwoh Is A Mirialan Jedi
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Prominent Mirialans in Star Wars lore Luminari Unduli Barriss Offee Cyslin Myr Seventh Sister
Mirialans are a near-humanoid species who originate from the Outer Rim planet Mirial. A cold, dry, desert planet, Mirial’s inhabitants evolved to survive in some of the most inhospitable environments. Mirialan skin tones vary wildly, from pink to purple, although shades of green are particularly common. Like the Wookiees, Mirialans have a strong connection with the natural world, and there have been hints they have Force traditions of their own.
Vernestra Rwoh Is One Of Many Mirialan Jedi
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Vernestra Rwoh A prodigy among the Jedi of the High Republic, Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh was one of the youngest Jedi ever to achieve the rank of Knight. She served at a time of crisis for the Republic, battling on the front lines against the Nihil, the Nameless, and the Drengir, and proving herself wise beyond her years. Vern will appear in live-action in The Acolyte, set over a hundred years after she became a Master, at the tail end of the High Republic Era. Created By Justina Ireland Cast Rebecca Henderson First Appearance Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage Alias Vern TV Shows The Acolyte
Rebecca Henderson is playing the High Republic Jedi Vernestra Rwoh, a prominent figure in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative. She is one of many Mirialans to join the Jedi Order; the most well-known is Luminara Unduli, a Jedi Master who served during the Clone Wars. Mirialan Jedi traditionally take one of their own race as a Padawan, although it’s unknown whether Vernestra has done so.
Mirialans tend to be deeply spiritual, communing with the Living Force, and they also possess many strange and unusual Force powers. Vernestra, for example, was sensitive enough to the Force to craft a unique lightsaber – one that becomes a lightwhip – in response to its promptings. She also has a strong bond with hyperspace, experiencing visions of other places while traveling through it.
4 The Acolyte Trailer Hints At A Kel Dor (Is It Plo Koon?)
The Kel Dor Are An Aquatic Species Noted For Their Rebreathers
Prominent Kel Dor in Star Wars lore Plo Koon Bo Keevil
It’s easy to miss, but the group on what may be Kashyyyk include an alien who seems to be a Kel Dor. Hailing from a gas-rich world named Dorin in the galaxy’s Expansion Region, the Kel Dor struggle to survive in more oxygen-rich environments. This is why they are most noted for their distinctive rebreathers, which filter the gases of other atmospheres into something they can breathe. By the time of the Empire, Kel Dor rebreathers seem to have become collectibles, because one is seen in Luthen’s antique shop in Andor.
Kel Dor are noted for their thick, leathery skin that can actually allow them to survive in a vacuum for a time. Genetically, they are related to other similar races such as the Gand and the Tognath, who similarly require rebreathers. The Kel Dor were strong participants in the Republic, with their own environmentally-adjusted rooms in the Senate.
Plo Koon Is The Most Famous Kel Dor
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The most famous Kel Dor is, of course, Plo Koon. A Jedi Master by the time of the Clone Wars, Plo Koon is most notable for discovering the Togruta Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Koon is dearly loved in Lucasfilm – Dave Filoni even tried to persuade George Lucas to make him an Order 66 survivor – so it’s quite possible the young Kel Dor in The Acolyte trailer is in fact Plo Koon. There’s no information on Kel Dor lifespans, so the possibility can’t be ruled out.
3 Dafne Keen Is Playing A Part-Human, Part-Theelin Jedi Padawan
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Dafne Keen is best known for playing the part of X-23, Wolverine’s clone in Logan, and apparently she has this role to thank for her appearance in The Acolyte as well; showrunner Leslye Headland couldn’t resist giving X-23 a lightsaber. Keen is playing Jeckie, a Jedi Padawan who’s half-human and half-Theelin. This origin fits with Star Wars Legends, where the Theelin – a rare race – are noted for interbreeding with other races to keep their own species alive.
In Legends, Theelin suffered a tragic fate towards the end of the Old Republic era. Genetic mutations meant they became unable to reproduce among their own kind, and they desperately interbred with other races. They tragically became almost extinct, explaining why the Theelin are so rare. They’ve previously been mentioned in several of the Star Wars: The High Republic books.
2 The Acolyte Introduces A Tarsunt Jedi Youngling
Tarsunt is a Mid Rim planet, and its inhabitants are noted for their wide faces, large eyes, and furry manes. Tarsunts have played a prominent role in galactic history, with one – Lanever Villecham – serving as Chancellor of the New Republic before the destruction of Hosnian Prime in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Acolyte trailer features the first Tarsunt Jedi Youngling, seen meditating under Master Sol’s guidance.
It’s interesting to note that the Youngling istruggles to close their eyes during meditation. It’s possible Tarsunt eyelids do not close easily, the first time there’s been any indication of this. it is currently unknown whether this Tarsunt will be a named character in The Acolyte.
1 Unidentified Alien Species In Star Wars: The Acolyte
There are brief glimpses of other races in The Acolyte trailer, especially in the hustle and bustle of the market scenes, and there’s one brand new alien among the Jedi Younglings. Most of these are blurred and out of focus. This approach is something of a tradition in Star Wars, ever since the days of the Mos Eisley cantina in the first Star Wars movie, when George Lucas populated the background with so many aliens. It will be exciting to see more of them in future trailers – and in the show itself, when it finally releases in June.
The Acolyte will be available to watch on Disney+.