Phil Roberts 
Costume designer Jennifer Bryan offers a fresh look at the costumes of The Acolyte – streaming on June 4th.
As the release date for The Acolyte approaches, Lucasfilm is eager to give us a taste of what we can expect in the series. The two-episode premiere will be available on Disney Plus starting June 4th, and the shroud of the dark side has fallen.
With only a few hours until the big launch, costume designer Jennifer Bryan has offered a fresh look at the series’ costumes. She has delivered new looks at all the characters who will carry this new chapter in Star Wars storytelling forward, including Sol, Mae, Indara, Jecki Lon, and Yord Fandar. Moreover, thanks to StarWars.com, Bryan spoke about her inspiration for the designs. Check them out below.
MAE
Mae (Amandla Stenberg), the assassin at the heart of the series, is a warrior constantly on the move. Bryan and her team took great care to reflect that in Mae’s costume, which mixes chainmail, bamboo, and a patchwork quilt of a purple cloak into a look that feels both salvaged and utilitarian. “The first time that you see Mae, she’s walking into this town and she is mysteriously clothed,” Bryan says. “She’s been on the run, so everything is kind of pieced together…it’s got holes and some tatters because she’s been through a lot. She’s on a mission.”
JEDI MASTER INDARA
As the first Jedi Master viewers meet in the series, Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) wears the classic brown hooded robes that introduced Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope and became the go-to Jedi garment. “Knowing that Master Indara was going to be the first Jedi that you saw in The Acolyte, I really wanted to still keep that essence of how we’ve seen them, that significant and memorable brown mission cloak,” Bryan says. “How she’s hooded — I think it was a really great shot. Anyone who is a Star Wars fan, which for me is everybody on the planet, knows that that is a Jedi.”
JEDI MASTER SOL
In stark contrast, when we first meet Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), he’s dressed in his white temple robes, teaching a class of younglings on Coruscant. “Master Sol is your classic Jedi,” Bryan says. To usher his costume into this new era of the Jedi Order in its prime, Bryan and her team used new fabrics to layer his ensemble. “It still is Jedi, but a mix. We do have the traditional surplice neckline,” Bryan says, crisscrossing at the front of the garment, held in place with a Jedi belt, etched with the symbol of the era, and the clip to hold his lightsaber. For Bryan, it was essential to seek out fabrics that felt they could withstand the test of time, garments that would be issued to a Master and worn for years to come. “I layered his tunics and tabards,” she says. “I used new materials, new fabrics with different textures and weaves that are just a little bit more rugged and heavy.”
PADAWAN JECKI LON
Some Jedi Padawans of the era, like Sol’s Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), wear colorful sashes beneath their belts to signify their status as students. The pop of color, first seen in the Star Wars: The High Republic books and comics, stands out in addition to a classic Jedi tabard style that conforms more closely to costumes of the past. The hair and makeup department worked to craft a Padawan braid for the half Theelin, half human’s short blond locks.
YORD FANDAR
Another standout among the Jedi Order is Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett).
“Yord is a very fastidious character,” Bryan notes, from his locs to the delicate drape of his white temple robes. “His cloak I designed with inspiration from Roman senators’ togas. This is a guy that really takes a deep interest in how he looks, so he has more flair to his Jedi costume than I think we’ve seen previously.”
SYNOPSIS
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….
CAST & CREATIVES
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The Acolyte comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
RELEASE
With its incredible array of talent, The Acolyte promises to be an unforgettable addition to Star Wars lore. Leslye Headland, the series creator, has eight thrilling episodes to blow our minds. We’re here for it, one hundred percent. We were fortunate enough to attend the UK Premiere of the series and were treated to our first look at the opening two episodes.
In his first impressions, our Editor Phil Roberts said: “The Acolyte is off to a promising start. Under the expert guidance of Leslye Headland, the series explores the lore of the Jedi with aplomb. The visuals are stunning, and the fight scenes are incredibly well-choreographed. The result is a rich and rewarding Star Wars series that delivers.” The High Republic is an incredibly rich sandbox in which to play. We cannot wait to see where the series will take us. Be sure to check out Phil’s review here.
The Acolyte premiers with a two-episode launch event on Disney Plus on June 4th.
Our team will cover this series comprehensively, providing traditional review coverage and prominent character posters, bios, and teasers. To stay updated and never miss a story or review, please subscribe to our mailing list on our homepage.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
