Star Wars: The Acolyte's secret inspiration is one specific episode of The Clone Wars, says creator Leslye Headland

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When it comes to Disney+’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte, much has been made of its connection to The High Republic era and the show’s connected to the now non-canonical EU lore of the franchise. But, it turns out, creator Leslye Headland has another, very specific, inspiration for the series.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Yes, the animated series was one of the primary inspirations of The Acolyte, Headland revealed in an interview, adding, “a lot [of the show came from] being inspired by Nightsisters. We don’t have any Nightsisters in this show, but being inspired by them, being inspired by Asajj Ventress. My favorite episode is The Wrong Jedi. I definitely took some inspiration from that.”

‘he Wrong Jedi was the final episode of the show’s fifth season — and also the show’s farewell to Cartoon Network, its original home. It’s easy to see where Headland’s inspiration lies for The Acolyte when knowing that this is her favorite episode. After all, it’s an episode in which Ahsoka Tano is on trial for murder, having been framed for the act. (Given that part of The Acolyte is the investigation into the murder of Jedi Knights, this almost seems too on the nose for Headland’s favorite episode…)

More to the point, The Wrong Jedi is an episode that points out moral flaws in the Jedi Order and their code — which also feels like the sort of thing that The Acolyte, a show that inverts the traditional power structure of a Star Wars story, would draw no shortage of power from.

The Acolyte debuts on Disney+ June 4. We'll see if it features any Jedi refusing to rejoin the order after being unjustly accused of crimes they didn't commit.

Turn back the clock 100 years before the earliest Star Wars movie and enter the era of the Disney+ series The Acolyte. We have everything you need from guides on the cast, the episodes (and their release dates), it's not-for-kids rating, where it fits in the Star Wars timeline, how the show asks who 'deserves' to use the Force, as well as bigger picture things such as a complete Star Wars watch order, and a comprehensive guide to the Star Wars timeline, and all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows on the horizon.