STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Character Vernestra Rwoh From The High Republic Novels Has "Been Through Some Sh*t"

Star Wars: The Acolyte creator and showrunner Leslye Headland has shared some new details on one of the characters in the series, Vernestra Rwoh, who comes from The High Republic Novels.

Rebecca Henderson is bringing this Rwoh character to life, who in the books, is “a prodigious young Jedi Knight who passed the trials at 15, and soon finds herself facing the threat of the marauding Nihil.”

In The Acolyte, the Mirialan is now 116 years old and a fully-fledged Jedi Master based in the temple on Coruscant.

When talking about bringing this character into the series, Headland said: “I absolutely love Vernestra. You can tell, because I cast my wife.” She goes on to say that Rwoh has “been through some shit.”

Hedlund said: “That has resulted in her going from this fun-seeking adventurer character [in the books], to a little bit closer to the [type of] Jedi that we see in The Phantom Menace.”

It’s also explained that in the High Republic books, Vernestra has a purple lightsaber, which she converted so that its blade can also become a lightwhip, which will be interesting to see if incorporated into the series.

Henderson goes on to explain: “Because she has been around for so long, she has basically met everyone that has come through the Temple, and seen them all die their natural deaths if they’re living a natural human life. She’s known [Lee Jung-jae’s Jedi Master] Sol since he was a tiny child.”

Vernestra Rwoh is the only High Republic novel character set to appear in The Acolyte… for now. But, there are thoughts of other characters from the books who could come into play somewhere down the line. She said: “I’ve already talked to Pablo Hidalgo about it.”

The story is described as “a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.” The High Republic is set 100 years before the Skywalker Saga begins.

In The Acolyte, “An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…."

The series also stars Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae as the Jedi Master, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva, Joonas Suotamo, and Amy Tsang.

Stenberg previously talked about the series, saying: “In the context of the Star Wars universe, it’s a time of great peace, theoretically. It’s also a time of an institution, and it’s a time in which conceptions around the Force are very strict.”

She said: “And I think what we’re trying to explore within our show is when an institution has a singular conception of how power can be used…we try to provide a lot of different perspectives and answers to that question. The idea is to kind of honor the ethos of Star Wars and ideas around the Force and also challenge them, hopefully harmoniously.”

Headland previously stated that The Acolyte will dedicate a lot of screen-time to "the antagonists, and described it as “Frozen meets Kill Bill.” She shared the that story will be told from the perspective of the villains and is set between the High Republic and the beginning of the prequel trilogy, “because this is when the bad guys are outnumbered.”

The series is described as a “spiritual war,” and it includes conflict between siblings, and parents, as well as a conflict between a master and an apprentice. It was reiterated the project is very much inspired by samurai films.

It has been said to focus on the emergence of the Sith, a group of Dark Jedi set on conquering the galaxy. The “acolyte” term has been used in the Star Wars universe to describe soldiers for the powerful Sith Lords.

The Acolyte will have eight episodes in total, with Headland, Garcia Lopez, and Kogonada directing episodes of the series. It’s set to premiere on June 4, 2024, on Disney+.

Source: Empire