Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Day celebrations are picking up, with a brand new trailer for The Acolyte – one that even features a glimpse of the Sith.

Lucasfilm has released a new trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte as part of 2024’s Star Wars Day celebrations, finally unveiling the Sith Lord of the High Republic Era. The future of Star Wars lies in the past; specifically in the High Republic Era, a time when the light of the Jedi shone brightly across the galaxy. Leslye Headland’s upcoming Star Wars TV show, The Acolyte, is set at the tail-end of that era – a century before the Skywalker saga.

Lucasfilm has released a new trailer for The Acolyte, unveiling what seems to be the Sith Lord of the High Republic Era. The Jedi of this time believed the Sith had been extinct for a millennium, and in truth they had forgotten almost everything about their ancient nemesis; all they really knew was that they wielded red lightsabers.

That makes The Acolyte‘s new trailer all the more stunning – and ominous. It seems the scales of balance have been tipped in favor of the dark side, which can only mean the Sith are at work. Any Jedi who encounter this mysterious, malevolent figure will either not be believed – or die before they can tell their tale.

We Know So Little About The Sith Of The High Republic

The Sith of this time are a mystery. It is possible this Sith Lord is Darth Plagueis, Palpatine’s own master, who learned how to conquer death – and unwisely passed his secret on to his apprentice. Palpatine told Anakin Skywalker the story of Darth Plagueis in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but canon has yet to flesh out the details. If this is Plagueis, then his power must be phenomenal.

Alternatively, The Acolyte could feature Darth Tenebrous, Plagueis’ own master. Even less is known about Tenebrous’ story in canon, although he has been confirmed as the designer of the Sith Infiltrator used by Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Given The Acolyte‘s status as a prequel to the prequels, it would be so very fitting to introduce him in this show.

The most exciting comment, though, is that the scales have been shifted. This directly links to the balance of the Force, between the light side and the dark; it suggests the Sith have somehow secured an advantage on a cosmic scale, through unknown means. If that is the case, Star Wars: The Acolyte could finally be revealing why the Chosen One was needed in the first place.