The Acolyte’s Original Title Revealed — and Why the Creator Says It Succeeded
Canceled after one season on Disney+, Star Wars series The Acolyte still counts as a win, says creator Leslye Headland—who also reveals the original title it carried in development.
The Acolyte is done at Disney+ after one season, but creator Leslye Headland is still very much in the conversation. She is calling the series a success, and she just pulled back the curtain on a bunch of development choices, including the title they almost used and the Sith-sized swings that were on the table.
The title we almost got
Before it became The Acolyte, the show carried The Lost Sister as its working title, a direct nod to the twin leads, Mae and Osha. That detail comes from the newly published The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte by Kristin Baver (Abrams Books), which tracks the show from early concepts through release.
Headland on why she says it worked
When we set out to make The Acolyte, I hoped to create a new expression of Star Wars, inventing something to expand on the storytelling I have loved since I was a child. And since it premiered in 2024, the fans of the series have affirmed this: We succeeded.
Given the reaction and the worldbuilding swings the show took, that read makes sense, even if the run ended after one season.
Qimir, unmasked (for real this time)
The art book finally locks in what many suspected: Qimir, played by Manny Jacinto, is identified as a 'secret Sith master.' That officially ties him to classic Sith traditions and closes the door on the guessing game.
Design-wise, Headland says the team pulled from all over the franchise and beyond. Qimir’s mask borrows from Kylo Ren’s helmet, folds in the samurai language that originally shaped Darth Vader, and sprinkles in the stark, inkblot vibe of Rorschach from Watchmen. A very specific cocktail, and it tracks on screen.
Plagueis plans, shadows, and a cut send-off
Headland had a major reveal slotted for the finale: Darth Plagueis.
I had always wanted the end of the season to introduce Plagueis. Having him come in in the middle felt like it was going to be too loaded.
She aimed for an indirect tease, borrowing the approach used for Gollum in The Fellowship of the Ring: tell the audience who is looming through movement and silhouette. Think hand language, think shadows, and let the mind do the rest.
There was also an alternate ending planned right before Yoda’s epilogue. In that version, Vernestra exits the Galactic Senate Building, looks up, and hears Senator Rayencourt drop: 'Welcome to the world of politics.' The scene made it through to the edit bay and then got lifted.
- Original working title: The Lost Sister, a reference to Mae and Osha
- Qimir is officially a secret Sith master; Manny Jacinto portrays him
- Qimir’s mask pulls from Kylo Ren, Darth Vader’s samurai roots, and Watchmen’s Rorschach
- Darth Plagueis was planned to appear at the season’s end via a shadowy, Gollum-style introduction
- A cut scene had Senator Rayencourt telling Vernestra, 'Welcome to the world of politics,' just before Yoda’s epilogue
- The Acolyte premiered in 2024 and streams on Disney+
The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+ right now, and the art book adds some surprisingly candid context for a show that clearly still has people talking.