5. The Acolyte

Oh, The Acolyte, you were too pure for this world. How dare you tell a brand-new Star Wars story during a never-before-seen-in-live-action era starring several actors of color that lambasts the small-mindedness of the Jedi Order and has an enemies-to-lovers plot point? Notoriously close-minded sects of the Star Wars community hated The Acolyte before it even aired, and relished in its cancellation. But The Acolyte isn’t a bad Star Wars show, it’s just a victim of modern television and ballooning budgets.

Though it tripped on its own two feet midway through the first (and now seemingly only) season, The Acolyte gave us the best live-action lightsaber fight since Duel of the Fates, a deliciously deviant villain in Manny Jacinto’s Qimir, a pointed critique of the pointless rigidity of the Jedi Order, and new characters who immediately endeared themselves to us. It’s an inspiring show that’s fresher than drinking Bantha milk out of the damn bucket, with great performances from Jacinto, Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Dafne Keen. It has a tactility to its set and costume design reminiscent of old-school Star Wars. It lovingly embraces what makes the franchise special while turning its back on what makes it reductive.

Perhaps Star Wars didn’t deserve The Acolyte, but The Acolyte deserved better. — AM