By George & Josh Bate
Although The Acolyte was officially canceled shortly after the conclusion of its first (and, so far, only) season, the divisive Star Wars lives on through a number of new tie-in books, the latest of which sheds light on an alternate ending for the series.
As revealed in The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte by Kristin Baver (in stores on February 3 from Abrams Books), the finale of The Acolyte originally featured an additional scene before the Yoda cameo.
There was a moment where I think you understood Vernestra’s choice to betray Sol,” Headland describes in the book. “As she was leaving [the Galactic Senate Building], she walked out and looked up as Senator Rayencourt said, ‘Welcome to the world of politics’. But as we were cutting things together, it did seem a little odd to end Vernestra’s story, but then come back to her talking to Yoda.”
Headland elaborated, “It didn’t work in the edit, but it’s just one of those things that I really miss, you know. I’m so sad we had to cut this. It was a good one.”
This alternate ending would have tied The Acolyte even further to the Star Wars prequels in featuring the Galactic Senate Building, a key location introduced in George Lucas’ Episodes I-III and most recently depicted in Andor.
The scene would have also further showcased just how much Vernestra Rwoh’s moral compass had eroded since her depiction in the High Republic multimedia project. Vernestra’s cover-up of Sol’s crimes, intended to protect the Jedi, is a decision that is seemingly done with some reluctance from the character played by Rebecca Henderson. However, Vernestra proclaiming, “Welcome to the world of politics” to David Harewood’s Senator Rayencourt means that her fateful decision takes on a different, more defiant tone. The statement suggests that, rather than reluctance and sadness, Vernestra approached the decision to cover-up the actions of Qimir as a necessary political maneuver and a display of her one-upping Rayencourt.
We’re sure this isn’t the last tidbit about The Acolyte we learn from The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte when it hits bookstores on February 3.
