'The Acolyte', Star Wars books, and media literacy
It's okay to like or not like Star Wars things, actually. Just don't be a jerk about it.
It is, once again, exhausting to be a Star Wars fan online.
Let me back up. I love being a Star Wars fan. And I love how, over the last few years, I’ve connected with others around the world in our shared passion for this fictional, fantastical galaxy. I consider these communities of mutuals my friends — even if I’ve never met them in person.
The exhausting part of being a Star Wars fan online comes from, once again, trolls, bigots, and bad-faith engagers. It’s, once again, seeing online friends and official Star Wars pages bombarded with racist, sexist, and just plain mean comments attacking the stories and characters in a new Star Wars project.
I’m so tired of it. Real Star Wars fans are tired of it. Female, queer, and POC fans are beyond tired of it.
As a Star Wars fan and an entertainment journalist, I understand the struggles of balancing the love of a thing with the desire and right to question and criticize storytelling decisions. Being a fan doesn’t mean thinking a franchise like Star Wars can do no wrong. It’s not a cult. We absolutely should point out flaws or problematic behavior in things we love. We should engage in meaningful, mature, educated conversations about themes, morals, and metaphors showcased in Star Wars stories. We should identify and combat misinformation, disinformation, and harmful rhetoric in culture-defining media like Star Wars.
It shouldn’t need to be said that racism, sexism, homophobia, bigotry, and harassment have no place in Star Wars. But all of those things keep happening, and the toxicity online has, once again, hit a fever pitch after the premiere of The Acolyte. And there are no valid excuses for engaging in such behavior — no matter what the series does that you don’t like. You can dislike a TV show, movie, or book and still not be a racist, sexist jerk. It’s really not that hard.
But beyond that inexcusable behavior, much of the discourse surrounding The Acolyte and Star Wars in general is rooted in a lack of fundamental media and cultural literacy.
As a college professor, one of the lessons I try to instill in my students is understanding echo chambers. With the vastness of the internet — with all the world’s information at our fingertips — we inevitably cocoon ourselves in communities that reflect our passions and opinions. This can be great for connecting with people who like all the same weird things you do. It’s a beautiful thing when those connections are made.
However, these media bubbles can limit exposure to other opinions, perspectives, and experiences even within the same fandom. This can be harmless, but where the harm comes in is with intentional avoidance. Star Wars book fans know this has been a constant issue since the Expanded Universe was transformed into Legends to make way for new Disney-led stories.
MORE: 10 years ago, the Expanded Universe became Star Wars Legends
With these echo chambers often come gaps in cultural and historical context — how and when a piece of media was made and by whom. I’ll save my thoughts on how Star Wars has always been political for another post, but it truly baffles me how many people don’t see how much Star Wars uses “fake and in space” stories to create metaphors for real-world events and issues.
MORE: Book talk with The History and Politics of Star Wars author Chris Kempshall
Few comments annoy me more than ones like “Disney ruined Star Wars” or “the EU was better” or “I only read Legends.” Like…cool? You can read whatever you want and have whatever opinion, but sir, this is a Wendy’s.
I’m a ‘90s prequel kid, but I didn’t grow up reading the Expanded Universe. I didn’t start seriously reading Star Wars books until a few years ago thanks to The High Republic. But I still understand some of the feelings felt by fans who hold nostalgia for the EU books. Those fans should remember the 16-year gap between movies where the only new Star Wars content were books and comics. We didn’t have Luke Skywalker in his Jedi prime coming to rescue a Force-sensitive child on an Imperial remnant spaceship on our TV screens. And we certainly didn’t yet have an animated series chronicling the horrors of war with Jedi-led child soldiers and clones.
All this to say — it’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan. Not just because there are new Star Wars projects dropping all the time. Not every new Star Wars thing is good or groundbreaking. You don’t have to like it all. And you don’t have to keep watching or reading the stuff you don’t connect with.
I’m lucky to be the type of person who finds something to enjoy in most things I read, watch, and listen to. Even if I don’t like the product as a whole, there are always characters or plot threads I enjoy. The entire Star Wars franchise isn’t ruined just because I didn’t like some aspects of a new book, movie, or TV show.
The Acolyte and The High Republic are good, actually. Great, even. The third episode is an incredible showcase of unreliable narration, individual perspective, and religious conflict where neither faction is wholly good or bad. It pokes holes in the Jedi’s righteousness and offers alternative understandings of the cosmic Force.
It doesn’t break Star Wars or make later Skywalker saga stories less special. It makes them more meaningful by expanding the lore.
If you don’t like certain aspects of The Acolyte or other Star Wars media — that’s okay! There’s a Star Wars thing out there you probably will enjoy and can share that passion with others. Just don’t be a jerk about it.
What’s something you loved about The Acolyte or a recent Star Wars book you read? Share them in the comments!
This week’s Star Wars releases
June 11
Star Wars Legends: The Rebellion Omnibus Vol. 2
The High Republic: Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton
The High Republic (2023) Phase III Vol. 1: Children of the Storm
Obi-Wan Kenobi trade paperback
June 12
Darth Vader (2020) #47
Well said. I've really enjoyed a lot of The Acolyte so far. It's excelled at showing us a certain point of view. Especially with regard to the Jedi.
I love that The Acolyte is questioning some of the Jedi practices, namely separating children from their families! It gives space for interesting conversations about how the environment you’re raised in shapes your world view and what you think is right.