THE ACOLYTE Reviews (Mostly) Praise Latest STAR WARS TV Series As Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Revealed (2024)

As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the review embargo for Star Wars: The Acolyte lifted earlier today and the series has already been "Certified Fresh" with 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.

While it's not exactly thecritical darling Andor was, verdicts are mostly positive and that score is essentially equivalent to 4/5 which is by no means a bad result. Some have already decided they'll hate The Acolyte because it features a diverse cast and Lucasfilm is likely bracing itself for review bombing.

It does sound like Lucasfilm has a hit on its hands here, though, and we're nowjust hours away from the two-episode premiere. With that, legitimate fans will be able to chime in and share their thoughts on this prequel to the prequels.

The Acolyte is expected to be a self-contained story, though there has been some chatter about the door being open to a second season. That will hinge on the show's viewership numbers in the coming weeks.

You can check out the Tomatometer reveal below along with a roundup of reviews from entertainment websites, the trades, and more.

What perhaps makes The Acolyte such an engaging and addictive watch (over the first four episodes screened for critics, at least) is its commitment to not treating the Jedi (or the Star Wars franchise writ large) as untouchable. If anything, Sol, Indara, and the like become figures through which the series pokes holes at the revered Jedi Order in a way that feels necessary if you’re to think of this world as an ethically ambiguous morass where everyone is trying to do their best and finding, in due time, that, yes, even Jedi are fallible. [B+] - AV Club

Star Wars like you’ve never seen it before, The Acolyte soars thanks to its impressive cast, compelling setting, and a mystery which will keep you coming back for more. Now, we just need to hope the series sticks the landing. - ComicBookMovie.com

A Star Wars mystery that interests rather than intrigues, this is spiced up nonetheless by a brand-new setting, some arresting Force-fu and a Wookiee with a lightsaber. [3/5] - Empire Online

The Acolyte does not throw out the Star Wars playbook entirely. It’s faithful to the charms that have carried this series for so many decades: strange planets, weird creatures, lightsaber battles with a fresh wuxia flair. Mae’s murderous quest is backed by a mysterious figure whose helmet, weapon and mechanical voice recall Darth Vader, suggesting this narrative could yet come down to another Sith-versus-Jedi battle.- The Hollywood Reporter

The Acolyte takes us to an earlier era of Star Wars than we’ve seen on screen, with mixed results. Awkward dialogue and a small scope rob it of some of the series’ signature space magic, but these old-school Jedi are a thrill to watch in action. [6/10] - IGN

The Acolyte had a lot of things that could have worked against it. A new era for the franchise, all new characters, and a small portion of the Star Wars fanbase who hates anything not straight, white, and male was pushing back on the show before it even started it. But the first four episodes of The Acolyte tell a story I cannot get enough of. -The Mary Sue

Someone is killing the Jedi. But who? And why? Harder to answer. Where the story unfolds from the two-episode premiere is anyone's guess, but it's safe to say that I'm on board for this particular jump into hyperspace. [8/10] - Slash Film

Full of logical fallacies, hokey dialogue and nonsensical plots, "Acolyte" feels entirely of a piece with the worst elements of the prequel trilogy, which many hardcore fans love to hate, even 25 years later. [2/4] - USA Today

In giving itself permission to poke at 'Star Wars'mythology, 'The Acolyte'cultivates the same sense of curiosity it exhibits about its own universe. Too often, franchise series feel like a perfunctory exercise in expansion. When my screeners for “The Acolyte” ran out, I wanted to learn what happened next, even if we already know where the Republic is heading. - Variety

With only half the season available for review, of course, it’s hard to say whether Headland and her staff will stick the landing, or whether 'The Acolyte'has its eye on an extension beyond these eight episodes. But this is also the rare-so-far 'Star Wars'show that doesn’t feel like its first job is to revive a bunch of beloved iconography. - The Wrap