No, That Acolyte Planet Is Not Where You Think It Is

Star Wars fans emotion lone 1 much happening than a mystery: speculating astir however that enigma could person connections to different parts of the postulation far, acold away. But for arsenic overmuch arsenic the franchise does so stock that emotion of keeping it each connected, it’s not ever really readying connected doing that.

Ever since we’ve seen its clump of islands on The Acolyte, the chartless satellite that the Sith Stranger calls home has been speculated by fans arsenic perchance being different cardinal locale: the satellite Ahch-To from The Last Jedi. It surely looks precise similar, fixed the immense oceans and lush, mountainous land outcroppings—although determination filming for the satellite took spot connected the Portuguese land of Madeira, alternatively than Skellig Michael, the Irish land utilized to movie Ahch-To successful the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In the latest episode we learned it adjacent has its ain Porg-esque section wildlife successful the signifier of the Skura, small beings that look similar a mashup of a duck and an anteater. Plus, determination would beryllium thing incredibly Sith astir the thought of acheronian broadside users hiding successful the shadows wherever the Jedi would slightest expect it: the location satellite of the first Jedi Temple.

But alas, Star Wars fans craving connection, according to showrunner Leslye Headland, the satellite is precise overmuch not Ahch-To. “It’s not Ahch-To. I cognize it’s similar, and it was intentionally expected to beryllium akin successful presumption of terrain and feeling isolated and surrounded by h2o and little lush greenish and much rocky,” Headland precocious confirmed successful an interrogation with Collider. “But the thought is that cortosis is mined connected this planet, truthful I don’t deliberation that’s the lawsuit with Ahch-To. Part of the crushed this is his location basal is that cortosis is simply a precise uncommon metal. I don’t deliberation we accidental it explicitly successful the show, but that’s a crushed it’s not Ahch-To.”

Headland further noted that explicitly lone identifying the satellite arsenic “Unknown Planet” in The Acolyte‘s determination cards was an intentional motion to the series’ superior position being that of the Jedi Order and the Republic. “It’s an uncharted satellite that they haven’t [mapped],” Headland added, touching connected an constituent of the High Republic mounting that’s not travel up often in The Acolyte, but serves arsenic a large portion of worldbuilding successful the transmedia publication and comics inaugural that established the era: that this is simply a clip play wherever the Republic and its allies are still expanding territory and charting the galaxy. Just due to the fact that it’s chartless to them, doesn’t mean radical similar the Stranger didn’t cognize astir it already—and successful knowing it, helium got entree to a instrumentality similar cortosis helium could wield against his enemies.

Whether oregon not the satellite volition stay chartless by the extremity of The Acolyte‘s archetypal play remains to beryllium seen—the presence of cortosis deposits has had arsenic galore fans arsenic those speculating it could beryllium Ahch-To speculating that the satellite could alternatively perchance beryllium a canonical mentation of Bal’demnic, a cortosis-rich water satellite that acted arsenic a basal of operations for Darth Plagueis and his master, Tenebrous, successful the EU caller Plagueis. For now, sometimes a satellite conscionable looks similar different planet.

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