ThoughThe Acolytewas canceled after just one season, these 10 shows can helpStar Warsfans scratch the itch the High Republic series left. Though it wasn’tthe bestStar Warsshow, and it proved extremely divisive,The Acolytedid endear itself to many viewers. Theending ofThe Acolytealso proved to be a cliffhanger, asThe Acolytewas canceledjust months after it ended. For those reasons,Star Warsfans who enjoyedThe Acolytemay be looking for a new series to fill its place and replicate some of the show’s many wonderful attributes.
Luckily, there are plenty of shows that live up to the task of takingThe Acolyte’s place. SinceThe Acolytetouched on so many different genres - from mystery to romance and martial arts action - there are a myriad of options to choose from. WhileThe Acolyteseason 2might not be happening, fans of the show can still get more of all the things that worked well about theStar Warsshow. These 10 TV shows all replicate some part of what madeThe Acolyteso lovable, and they’re all well worth watching.
Viewers who likedThe Acolyte’s complicated mystery and web of lies will surely appreciate Apple TV+‘sSeverance.Severancefollows Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a man who has agreed to “sever” his perception of reality in two so that his other self can work in a top secret department of a shadowy corporation named Lumon. That’s just the tip of the iceberg withSeverance, however, as Mark’s alter ego - his “innie” - is experiencing a horrifying and mysterious life at Lumon.Severance’s mystery is every bit as intriguing as Mae and Osha’s (Amandla Stenberg) search for the truth about their childhood inThe Acolyte.
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Severanceis similar toThe Acolytesimply by virtue of being a science fiction mystery show, but it also has some other major similarities. Mark’s quest to uncover Lumon’s dirty deeds will remind viewers of Mae and Qimir’s (Manny Jacinto) goal of exposing the Jedi’s hypocrisy.There’s also arguably much more moral ambiguity inSeverancethan there was inThe Acolyte, and audiences can chew on Mark’s decision to sever just as much as they could Sol’s decision to save Osha instead of Mae. The best part is,Severanceseason 2 has already begun, so it has a much lower chance of leaving viewers with cliffhangers.
One of the best moments inThe Acolytewas when Osha and Qimir finally revealed their feelings for one another. One of the worst parts ofThe Acolyte’s cancelation was the fact that viewers will never learn how their romance played out. Luckily,Farscapeoffers the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy for fans of Osha and Qimir’s passionate relationship.Farscapefollows John Crichton (Ben Browder), an astronaut who inadvertently joins up with a crew of fugitive aliens. Romance is a heavy focus throughoutFarscape, so John and Aeryn (Claudia Black) should help lessen the sting of not getting more “Oshamir.”
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In addition to its well-done romantic storylines,Farscapehas a host of other offerings thatThe Acolytefans will appreciate.Farscapewas produced by the Jim Henson company, so many of the show’s eccentric puppet aliens are visually reminiscent of manyStar Warsspecies, likeThe Acolyte’s Bazil.Farscapealso earned a cult following for a reason, and it’s simply a great take on science fiction in its own right.Farscapefeels every bit as experimental asThe Acolytedid, which is quite a compliment.
Another notable aspectThe Acolytegot resoundingly right was its action. Known as “Force-fu,“The Acolytefeatured a combination of Jedi powers and more traditional martial arts fight sequences.While it can’t compare withThe Acolyte’s use of the Force, AMC’sInto the Badlandsmore than holds its own in terms of martial arts action.Into the Badlandschronicles the various powers fighting for control of the Badlands, a dystopian sci-fi world where crossbows, swords, and martial arts reign supreme.Into the Badlands’ martial arts fights are so similar toThe Acolyte’s - in their speed, intensity, and energy - that the former may well have inspired the latter.
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Into the Badlandsalso shared one broad similarity withThe Acolytebeyond its action. Both shows featured completely novel settings that were almost as interesting as the stories themselves.InThe Acolyte’s case, it was the High Republic era, a part oftheStar Warstimelinethat had never been put to live-action before. InInto the Badlands' case, the Badlands themselves are so well-developed and intriguing that it’s worth looking past some of the show’s writing flaws to explore them more. Any show that can make the setting as much of a character as any actor is well worth giving a try.
The AcolyteandInto the Badlands' martial arts don’t just work in live-action, however.Cowboy Bebopproved decades ago that high-speed and intense martial arts fights could be just as thrilling in animation as they were in the real world. Like Mae or Sol (Lee Jung-jae) inThe Acolyte, Spike Spiegel takes on incredibly skilled opponents in impressive displays of martial arts action inCowboy Bebop. There’s even a parallel toThe Acolyte’s “Force-fu,” asCowboy Bebopregularly employs “gunkata,” where Spike mixes gunfire into his attacks to brilliant effect.
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Many of the themes that characterizedThe Acolyteare also present inCowboy Bebop, and the latter may even handle them better.The Acolytelargely revolves around the past, as Mae, Osha, Sol, and others all deal with the fallout of thenight on Brendok.Cowboy Bebopdoes the same, as Spike, Faye, Jet, and even Ed all deal with the ghosts that haunt them from before they joined theBebop, their ship. Both shows deal with the ideas of regret, lost family and love, and trying to find peace in a very dangerous galaxy.
The Acolytetook inspiration from all corners ofStar Wars- both canon and Legends - and it also seems to have been influenced by other pillars of the science fiction genre.One of those pillars was likelyThe X-Files, as Osha and Qimir seem very similar to Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson). While their relationship wasn’t nearly as romantic as Qimir and Osha’s, Mulder and Scully had a truly compelling and sometimes antagonistic dynamic that helped them become one of thebest duos in television history. They’re a more than fitting replacement for Oshamir.
While their relationship wasn’t nearly as romantic as Qimir and Osha’s, Mulder and Scully had a truly compelling and sometimes antagonistic dynamic that helped them become one of the best duos in television history.
Mulder and Scully are some of the main draws ofThe X-Files, but they’re not the only reason their show is similar toThe Acolyte.The X-Filesis an unusual take on the police procedural format, as Mulder and Scully investigate supernatural and often sci-fi occurrences. Each episode is a mystery waiting to be solved, which makes it very similar toThe Acolyte’s mysterious elements.While the latter’s mystery didn’t always live up to the former’s,The X-Filesis still perfect for anyone who wanted more ofThe Acolyte’s sci-fi mystery feel.
The Acolytestarted out with a rather simple mystery: viewers didn’t know who Mae was or why she was killing Jedi.The Acolytequickly grew into a much more complicated web of betrayal, lies, and sins long past, and one science fiction show matches that perfectly:The Expanse.The Expansestarts off quite simply: a girl has gone missing, and several different factions and people desperately need to find her. As audiences quickly learn, however, the politics and powers at play are no laughing matter, and every answered question was replaced by two new mysteries.
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Fans ofThe Acolytewill instantly recognize several elementsThe Expanseis built on. For example,Vernestra Rwoh’s (Rebecca Henderson) juggling of senatorial concerns and public perception of the Jedi is extremely similar to Chrisjen Avasarala’s (Shohreh Aghdashloo) political concerns inThe Expanse. If anything,The Expanseactually handles its sprawling conspiracy and mystery better thanThe Acolytedid, and with six seasons, it had more than enough time to explore all the questions it brought up.
The cast ofThe Acolytewas filled with colorful characters and big personalities, all led by Osha and Mae. One show features a protagonist with a ton of similarities to the twins:Pantheon.Maddie Kim (Katie Chang) leads the cast ofPantheon, and like Osha and Mae, spends the entire show searching for the truth about her parent’s mysterious death. In her search for answers, Maddie has to go up against the massively powerful Logorhythms company, just as Mae and Osha had to fight against the Jedi.Pantheonalso centers around a world-changing conspiracy, just asThe Acolytethreatened to shatter the peace of the High Republic.
Pantheon also centers around a world-changing conspiracy, just as The Acolyte threatened to shatter the peace of the High Republic.
Along with their overarching goals, Maddie, Osha, and Mae have even more in common. A big part of all three characters' journeys is about their struggle to accept themselves - in Osha and Mae’s case, their inner turmoil between light and dark, and in Maddie’s case, her self-esteem issues and the grief she holds for her father.That, coupled withPantheon’s focus on artificial intelligence, technology, and unchecked power over human life, makes it a perfect replacement forThe Acolyte.
The central conceit ofThe Acolyte- andStar Warsin general - is the battle between the light and dark sides of the Force.Osha fell from the light to the dark side inThe Acolyte, and though it didn’t use the Force, Marvel’sDaredevilhad a similarly dark character development. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) spends much of his time as the titular superhero, Daredevil, toeing the line between anti-hero and vigilante. Eventually, he nearly becomes an actual villain and gives into his dark urges, just as Osha did when she killed Sol.Daredevil, however, explores Matt’s inner moral dilemma to a much greater extent.
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The moral complexity ofThe Acolytewas one of its most interesting characteristics, and one thatDaredevilactually did better.Daredevilalso features some extremely slick and exciting martial arts action reminiscent ofThe Acolyte, with a villain that’s as easy to hate as Emperor Palpatine himself. There’s always a lot of overlap betweenStar Warsand superhero stories, but the similarities betweenDaredevilandThe Acolyteare much clearer to see.
There’s nothing else that’s quite likeStar Wars, so there’s really nothing that can replaceThe Acolyteas well as anotherStar Warsshow could. Luckily,Andoris the perfect alternative for fans of the galaxy far, far away who likedThe Acolyte’s experiments with a familiar franchise.Andorhas all the grittiness, edge, and tense situations thatThe Acolyteintroduced, but it ties them all together in a much more satisfying fashion. While it doesn’t have the same focus on the Jedi Order,Andoris easily one of - if not the - bestStar Warsshows ever made, and more than worthy of watching afterThe Acolyte.
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That’s another reason to watchAndorafterThe Acolyte: it’s simply a tremendous show. Everything about it works, from its complex and three-dimensional characters to its sprawling story of rebellion and deep lore references.Andoris essentially a view of whatThe Acolytecould have aspired to be, if it only had more time. Plus, sinceAndorseason 2is quickly approaching, fans of the darker take on the galaxy far, far away won’t have to wait long to get even more of the kind of storyThe Acolytewas hoping to tell.
For all its flaws,The Acolytewas a groundbreaking story forStar Wars, and much of it was due to showrunner Leslye Headland. She took a chance on a new and fascinating story set in the High Republic, and there were more than a few instances where Headland’s exceptional writing skills really shone.The Acolytewas Leslye Headland’s brain-child, and one of her best shows outside ofStar Warsis a fitting replacement for it.Headland createdRussian Dollfive years beforeThe Acolytebegan, and it functions as a view of how well she could have tied everything together if given a second season.
Russian Doll is filled with twists, turns, heartfelt and moving stories, and incredibly compelling writing, acting, and direction. It’s one of the more unique science fiction shows of the past decade, and quite difficult to summarize.
Russian Dollfollows Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) andThe Acolytestar Charlie Barnett as Alan, two people stuck in a time loop. As clichéd as it sounds,Russian Dollquickly proved that it wasn’t a typical, formulaic time travel story.Russian Dollis filled with twists, turns, heartfelt and moving stories, and incredibly compelling writing, acting, and direction. It’s one of the more unique science fiction shows of the past decade, and quite difficult to summarize. Since Leslye Headland can’t continueThe Acolyte,Russian Dollis the next best thing.
