It’s been two years since The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ and was just as quickly canceled. The Star Wars series, set in the time of the High Republic, was divisive to say the least. Many fans loved the show’s “forbidden romance” energy between a former Jedi (Amandla Stenberg) and a Sith Lord (Manny Jacinto), while a vocal portion of the fanbase hated it before they ever saw a frame. The show got decent ratings to start, but fell off hard after that, and Lucasfilm quickly announced there wouldn’t be a season two. Despite fan outcry and petitions, Disney+ did not budge on The Acolyte’s cancellation. But now, it seems The Acolyte has had a resurgence in viewership, enough to make the Disney+ top ten series two years later. And, of course, The Acolyte fans are rallying for season two at the news.
According to FlixPatrol (via Comic Book Resources), for the week ending April 22, The Acolyte returned to the Disney+ top ten series in the number nine position. Now, there’s one key factor here as to why. Currently, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is the top show on Disney+, and at the end of each episode, as the credits run, Disney+ suggests The Acolyte as a show you might enjoy to watch next. Clearly, some people are finally sampling the Star Wars series because of Maul’s popularity. But whatever the “why” is, they’re clearly watching enough for The Acolyte to climb into the Disney+ top 10 again.
Does this mean we’re finally getting a second season of The Acolyte? Well, probably not. The show was very expensive, and the days of Disney+ giving movie budgets to streaming shows may be behind us. But even if we don’t get a direct continuation, there could be something that finishes the story of Osha and Qimir. There are still so many unanswered questions. What does Darth Plagueis have to do with everything? Will Qimir truly form the Knights of Ren? Fans want to know. Certainly, Maul has shown that animation is just as good a format for such a story as anything live-action. And it’s far more cost-effective. Why not deliver The Acolyte season two in the form of a Star Wars animated show?
If you’re still holding out hope for another season of The Acolyte in any form, it certainly can’t hurt to post #renewtheacolyte on social media.