Star Wars: The Acolyte is finally available to watch on Disney+ worldwide. This High Republic-era show gives fans a look at things (mostly) from the perspective of the Sith.
Mae is the show's titular character, and the main plot revolves around her working her way through a hit list of Jedi Masters. Working for a mysterious Sith who operates from the shadows, Mae has begun striking down the Jedi one by one.
But just what is an 'Acolyte', and are there any more of them in the canon Star Wars universe? The answer is yes, and you may already be familiar with them!
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte
What is a Sith Acolyte?
In the old Star Wars canon, now known as Legends, an Acolyte was on roughly the same level as a Jedi Padawan. The title was given to apprentices starting their journey to the dark side.
One of the most well-known and popular Acolytes in Legends is Galen Malek, aka Starkiller, who was Vader's apprentice in the Force Unleashed video games, comics and novel adaptations.
In the current Star Wars canon, an Acolyte has a similar role to an Inquisitor but with more freedom in how they operate. Mae, for example, has been tasked with killing several Jedi Masters however she sees fit, provided she doesn't use any weaponry.
Now, I know you may say she has been using throwing knives, but the instructions appear to be directed towards lightsaber use rather than other weapons, as the other Acolytes we have seen in the canon have been clearly authorised to use lightsabers in combat.
So, just who are these Sith assassins? To answer that, we must first go back to the Clone Wars series.
Now, let's get to the real Acolytes we have seen outside of Mae in the new show.
All Canon Acolytes in Star Wars
Below is a comprehensive list of every Acolyte confirmed in Star Wars canon.
Savage Opress: Maul's Hulking Brother
Brother of Darth Maul, Opress was granted a strong, raw connection to the Force and domineering physical power by Mother Talzin and her Nightsister witches. The Dathomir native entered the Clone Wars as a Sith Acolyte working for Count Dooku.
While stealth wasn't on the table for the hulking brute, his enforcer-like ways made him a force to be reckoned with while working for Dooku. Later, Opress would be reunited with his brother Maul, who had survived his battle with Obi-Wan, and the pair would cause chaos throughout the galaxy.
Savage Opress, while ending up a Sith Lord under Maul's tutelage, never gave off the feeling of a stealthy ninja-like operative like we have seen from the actions of Mae in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Opress would meet his end when he and his brother decided to go up against the Emperor himself, Darth Sidious. Despite the power bestowed upon him and his juggernaut-like strength, Sidious would prove too much for the former Dathomir tribal chief, leaving Maul to continue his quest for revenge solo.
Asajj Ventress: The Legendary Clone Wars Operative
Mentioned above as the one who brought Opress onto the playing field during the Clone Wars, Ventress was the one true apprentice of Count Doku during the galactic struggles.
Acting more like a covert operative when required, Ventress faced off against some of the most well-known Jedi in that era, including Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Surviving through many missions and battles, she displayed her skills throughout the Clone Wars and even teamed up with Quinlan Vos for a period to take down Dooku in the novel Dark Disciple.
Born on the planet Dathomir, Ventress endured suffering and death at a young age before becoming a Jedi Padawan. Following the death of her Master, she would find her way to a gladiatorial arena run by a warlord before being taken under Count Dooku's wing.
These are the confirmed two canon Acolytes in Star Wars outside of Mae; more could very well be revealed as we learn more from the show.
Honourable Mentions
I would like to shout out some other 'almost an Acolyte' canon figures. These share traits of an Acolyte but aren't officially dubbed as such.
Darth Maul Went Beyond Acolyte Status
Everyone's favourite red-skinned tattooed Son of Dathomir, Darth Maul, was trained by the Emperor himself.
While displaying all the traits of a Sith Acolyte during his time under Palpatine's tutelage, he was referred to by Palpatine as "my apprentice" and treated more like a Jedi Knight would be by their Jedi Master.
This suggests that the canon hierarchy for the Sith (despite the Rule of Two) goes Acolyte-Apprentice-Sith Lord. Echoing the Jedi system of Padawan-Knight-Master, the Sith would, by the time of The Phantom Menace, adopt the rules laid out by Darth Bane to prevent their extinction.
There can only be two active Sith simultaneously: a Dark Lord to embody the power and an apprentice to crave it.
Maul was sent on several missions that could have been deemed Acolyte level, but due to Palpatine's apparent following of Bane's Rule of Two, Maul would be dubbed Sith Apprentice rather than Acolyte.
Quinlan Vos Used the Dark Side but Never Embraced It
Vos may not be as well known as Darth Maul, but like Maul, he also appeared in The Phantom Menace. The scene is a blink-and-miss moment during Sebulba's scuffle with Jar Jar. Quinlan can be seen sitting at a table in the background.
As a childhood friend of Obi-Wan, you might ask how Quinlan could be considered an Acolyte. Well, this Jedi has flirted with the Dark Side several times, ironically during covert questionable operations assigned to him by the council.
In Legends, Vos would become one of Count Dooku's Dark Apprentices, very similar to an Acolyte; in canon, he also worked for Dooku but in a lesser capacity and nothing close to embracing the ways of the Sith.
Those two are the closest to an Acolyte without becoming one outside the Inquisitors seen in the animated Rebels, the video game Jedi: Fallen Order, and across the canon Star Wars media.
If you haven't already, The Clone Wars is available to watch on Disney+ and is definitely worth watching to discover more about these dark assassins.
For more Acolyte coverage, make sure to follow our Star Wars Facebook page!