Soon, we’ll be heading off into the galaxy far, far away for a brand new Star Wars adventure. Star Wars: The Acolyte will be released on Disney+ on June 4. This series will be set about a century before the events of The Phantom Menace. It’s a period of time that live-action and animated Star Wars projects haven’t really explored to date. And so, The Acolyte will feature a whole host of brand-new Star Wars characters for us to get to know. Until recently, these figures were largely a mystery. But now, The Acolyte‘s main players have received descriptions from the official Star Wars website.
Let’s meet all the new characters that will feature in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s New Characters
Jump to: Mae // Jedi Master Sol // Jedi Master Indara // Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca // Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh // Jedi Knight Yord Fandar // Padawan Jecki Lon // Former Smuggler Qimir // Mother Aniseya
Mae: The Acolyte‘s Masked Marvel
Mae is the main character of The Acolyte. Her official description reads, “Mae gets swept up into a sinister mystery—one that puts her into the center of a conflict in unexpected ways.” And additionally, we know that this new The Acolyte character is “a masked marvel who isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with a Jedi.” Finally, Mae is said to be “a dangerous warrior from Jedi Master Sol’s past.”
Who Will Play the Character of Mae in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Amandla Stenberg will play Mae in The Acolyte.
Sol: The Acolyte’s New Jedi Master Character
We’re about to meet many Jedi in The Acolyte, but one new character we meet is Jedi Master Sol. Sol’s official description is as follows: “Master Sol is a wise, highly respected, powerful Jedi Master, strong in the ways of the Force, who is going through emotional conflict.” Lee Jung-jae shares of Master Sol, “I definitely was inspired by a lot of the past Jedi Masters and the wonderful actors that played them. And one of my favorite characters was Qui-Gon Jinn, played by Liam Neeson. I really kind of tried to find the connective tissue between him and my character, Master Sol.”
Additionally, The Acolyte‘s synopsis shares, “an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past.”
Most mysterious indeed.
Who Will Play the Character of Sol in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Lee Jung-jae will play the new character of Sol in The Acolyte.
Indara: Another New Jedi Master in The Acolyte
Jedi Master Indara is referred to as a “protector of the peace.” In The Acolyte this new Star Wars character is described as “a Jedi Master of great physical and mental skill.”
Who Will Play the Character of Indara in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Carrie-Anne Moss will play Jedi Master Indara in The Acolyte.
Kelnacca: The Acolyte‘s Wookiee Jedi
Wookiee’s can be Jedi too. And Jedi Master Kelnacca will certainly prove that when he appears as a new character in Star Wars: The Acolyte. Kelnacca is described as “a Wookiee Jedi, a loner who lives a solitary life.” Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the first canon story to bring a Wookiee Jedi to life, but Jedi Master Kelnacca marks the first Wookiee Jedi in live-action. This new The Acolyte character will also be the first canonical Jedi Master Wookiee in Star Wars because The Clone Wars‘ Gungi was a Youngling.
Who Will Play the Character of Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi, in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Joonas Suotamo will play the Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi, in The Acolyte.
Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh: A New The Acolyte Character but a Familiar Star Wars Face
Fans of The High Republic book series will know Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh. In The Acolyte, Vern Rwoh will leap from page to screen as she debuts in the live-action world. Vernestra Rwoh will be the only character we’ll see from The High Republic books, though. But still, we’re very happy to have her.
Vernestra’s description reads, “Vernestra Rwoh is an elder Jedi Master who has ascended the ranks of the Jedi from a teenage prodigy to a leader in the Order. She became one of the youngest Jedi Knights in a generation at age 15, and solidified her status as a prodigy when she took Imri Cantaros as a Padawan the next year. With a purple-bladed lightsaber that can change into a lightwhip, young Rwoh led with unwavering faith in the Force and devotion to the Jedi Order. But in the year after the fall of Starlight Beacon — while mourning those lost in the destruction, including her own Padawan — Vernestra pulled back from the Order and shifted her focus to heal herself.”
Additionally, Vernestra Rwoh is a Mirialan character. According to an Empire interview with the showrunner, Rwoh is 116 years old in the series and has been through some serious trauma that will alter her personality from The High Republic books.
Who Will Play the Character of Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Rebecca Henderson will play the live-action version of The High Republic‘s Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Jedi Knight Yord Fandar: The Acolyte‘s Jedi Temple Guardian
Another character new to The Acolyte will be Jedi Knight Yord Fandar. Yord is “a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple, [who is also] an overachiever and a rule follower. His need to be a by-the-book Jedi can cloud his mind.”
We can’t say Yord sounds like the most fun new character from The Acolyte, but we guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Who Will Play the Character of Yord Fandar in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Charlie Barnett will play Yord in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Jecki Lon: A New Padawan Character From Star Wars: The Acolyte
Padawans can be critical characters in the Star Wars world, and so we’re glad to meet another one in The Acolyte. Jecki Lon “is the Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Although she is young, she projects calm and conducts herself with maturity.” With her close connection to Sol, she’ll undoubtedly be a critical character.
Dafne Keen shares of her new Star Wars: The Acolyte character, “I’m very happy that I get to say that she’s an alien and that she’s a Padawan and that she’s a Jedi. She’s a mixed species — part Theelin, part human. She’s very cool and I have some very cool fights I do with the lightsaber.” And additionally adds, “‘d say she is a very dedicated Padawan. She’s definitely in awe of him in a very kind of sweet way. She thinks the absolute world of him in a way that I think they have a very sweet relationship, but she’s much more aware of the authority difference than, for example, Obi-Wan and Anakin. She’s very much like, “No, he’s the master and I’m the Padawan and he’s perfect. And everything he says, I have to follow to the T.”
Additionally, Keen reveals her character is like a Jedi David Bowie. She notes, “For sure – ‘Starman’ was, like, my tune while we were filming. I had it in my trailer all the time. As soon as we put that makeup on, I went to Leslye and I was like, ‘This is David Bowie.’ And she was like, ‘You’re absolutely right.’ We had the running joke that it was like Jedi David Bowie. Jedi Bowie, like, duh! It’s almost funky ‘70s, ‘80s-looking, which is really cool. I was so excited by the braid – as a Star Wars fan, to get a Padawan braid is, like, the sickest thing ever. I was so excited when they put it in. ‘Oh my god, I have my own Padawan braid!’ It was really cool. There were a ton of Bowie songs on set, all the time.”
It sounds like Jecki will be a Padawan like we’ve never seen before. We can’t wait to meet her.
Who Will Play the Character of Jecki in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Dafne Keen will play Jecki in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Qimir: Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s Former Smuggler and Trader
Who doesn’t love a charming rogue? Qimir joins a long line of dashing smugglers that have lived in Star Wars‘ world. This new The Acolyte character “is a former smuggler who now makes his living as a trader, procuring unusual things and enjoying a life of leisure.” Manny Jacinto recently commented on his The Acolyte character to Total Film (via Slash Film), sharing some interesting details. He noted, “Qimir isn’t the most fashionable person,” the actor said when describing his character’s digs. “I think he’s spent a lot of his money eating at his home planet’s cantina. His fashion sense is basically hobbit meets … poverty.” That’s quite the description.
Jacinto added, “Qimir is an everyday guy minding his own business,” and he’s “doing his own thing and gets pulled into this whole storyline, whether he likes it or not.” Total Film notes that “Jacinto doesn’t seem keen to categorize him as a hero or villain.” He also doesn’t appear to wield a lightsaber at any point. Ultimately, this Star Wars: The Acolyte character is “trying to do his best, but has certain faults,”
Qimir sounds like fun. Though we bet Yord won’t think so.
Who Will Play the Character of Qimir in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Manny Jacinto will play Qimir in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Mother Aniseya: A Leader of a Coven of Witches
We are obsessed with Mother Aniseya. She’s Mother, after all. This new witchy character is Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s independent thinker. Her description reads, “Mother Aniseya is the leader of a coven of Witches who value their independence and the preservation of their beliefs and powers.”
These new Witches may have some kinship with the the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Showrunner Lesyle Headland shares, “The Clone Wars [inspired The Acolyte], a lot being inspired by Nightsisters. We don’t have any Nightsisters in this show, but being inspired by them, being inspired by Asajj Ventress. My favorite episode is ‘The Wrong Jedi.”‘ I definitely took some inspiration from that.”
Who Will Play the Character of Mother Aniseya in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Jodie Turner-Smith will play the new character of Mother Aniseya in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Originally published on March 21, 2024.
