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The Acolyte has a surprise place on the Star Wars timeline. Yes, The High Republic era has officially been introduced in live action, but it's a time period that may be unfamiliar to those who haven't yet dipped their toes into the wider world of High Republic books and comics in a galaxy far, far away.
But one thing is clear, even for High Republic newcomers: we know exactly when The Acolyte takes place on the Star Wars timeline. Below, you'll have your answer, including what year it's set and where that falls in comparison to the prequels, original trilogy, sequels, The Mandalorian, and other Star Wars movies.
When does The Acolyte take place on the Star Wars timeline?
Before we dive in, it's worth refreshing ourselves on how the Star Wars calendar works.
In-universe, one date is key: the Battle of Yavin, AKA the assault on the Death Star in Star Wars: A New Hope. Much like how the Gregorian calendar revolves around the birth of Christ in real life, everything hinges on this date here. So, in Star Wars terms, we've got Before the Battle of Yavin (abbreviated as BBY) or After the Battle of Yavin (ABY). Does that make sense? Good. Let's dive in.
"A hundred years before the rise of the Empire, it is a time of peace," the opening text to The Acolyte reads. So, when exactly is that? It's actually 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, which was set in 32 BBY.
That means The Acolyte takes place in around 132 BBY, during the High Republic era.
For the uninitiated, The High Republic (first introduced as a Star Wars era in 2021) was a prosperous, peaceful golden era which saw the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order arguably at the height of their powers. The High Republic era lasted from roughly 500 BBY to 100 BBY, when the Sith emerged. The Acolyte, then, will likely chart some of the events that eventually snowballed into Darth Plagueis, Palpatine, and then Darth Vader holding an iron grip over the galaxy.
How does The Acolyte fit in to the rest of the Star Wars timeline? In short, we're a long way off from any mainline story. It's 100 years before The Phantom Menace and 110 years before Attack of the Clones; the events of The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith follows for the next two-to-three years in 22 BBY-19 BBY.
The original Star Wars trilogy takes place across 0 BBY and 3 ABY, some 130-odd years after The Acolyte.
The Mandalorian comes later, with its three seasons lasting from 9 ABY-11 ABY. Ahsoka is also set in 11 ABY, though the Ahsoka timeline is a little more difficult to pin down exactly.
The Star Wars sequel movies (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker), meanwhile, take place 34-35 ABY, some 200 years after the events of The Acolyte.
Dive into more of Star Wars' history with our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order. There's also The Acolyte release schedule for all the latest on the future of the first season on Disney Plus.
