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Why Is The Disney+ Show 'The Acolyte' So Reviled? The Lowest Rated 'Star Wars' Show Ever And Its Controversies Explained
The newest Disney+ show, set in the Star Wars universe roughly 100 years before the prequels began, known as The Acolyte has been running for several weeks now.
The episodes, revolving around a space coven of force-sensitive witches, have managed to stir different, distinct controversies that fans claim go against the decades-old official canon of the series, but what did it do to make people so angry?
Here's a breakdown of why so much of the SW fandom is calling The Acolyte "the worst Star Wars product of all time."
What Is 'The Acolyte' About?
The series, which follows the adventures of two twin sisters, is set during the High Republic era within the universe. There's an initially curious backdrop of mystery surrounding it, especially concerning a coven of witches, which were last seen in Star Wars: Ahsoka, and who are also able to do things connected with the Force.
However, this is where fans already have started to have problems with the show, as it was one of the earliest issues that many among the fandom fought on.
What Is The 'Force Baby' Controversy?
In episode three of the show, it is revealed that the twin main characters were actually conceived via The Force, with the act itself being done as part of a chant performed by the group of witches (producing the much memed and criticized "the power of one, the power of many" quote).
This led to many online commenters pointing out that this act removes the "Chosen Child" prophecy of Anakin Skywalker, as Anakin being born "of the Force" was a major plot point, yet The Acolyte is showing it as something that can be "forced" into existence, angering fans.
What Is The 'Ki Adi Mundi' Controversy?
In Star Wars_, once a character becomes a member of the Jedi Council, their lives change and they need to adopt and adhere to several rules. Ki Adi Mundi, a Jedi from the "_Clone Wars":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/star-wars-the-clone-wars series, is featured in episode four of The Acolyte — despite the show coming out way before any of the original timeline.
This means that Mundi, a Jedi master on the council, would really be over 40 years older than his established age in official material (Mundi would've been born 40 years after the events of the show … prior to the retcon).
This particular instance of canon breaking was considered a major one by the fans, as it retroactively changed the framing of the prequels as well as made previously created materials featuring Ki Adi Mundi's birthday to need to be changed. Since then, a battle on the character's Wookieepedia page has been raging over his birth year.
Is 'The Acolyte' Good?
The show is considered by some to be a breath of fresh air for the series, taking place in a different phase of time, but audiences differ on the overall narrative structure and the creative choices made for several different scenes.
As of now, the Google Reviews sit at a 1.5/5 rating (19 percent liked), 3.4/10 on IMDb and an 84 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — though it's worth mentioning that the audience score there is a measly 14 percent.
For the full history of 'Star Wars The Acolyte' be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
