The Acolyte's chancellor, edited over Kylo Ren facing Finn in The Force Awakens
The Acolyte season 1 finale introduced a lot of things into the Star Wars universe, and its new Supreme Chancellor of the Republic has a secret link to the sequel trilogy. During the High Republic era TV show, the deadly actions of the Sith named “The Stranger” have garnered the attention of some within the Republic senate. This has led Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh to have some interactions with senators, specifically some who wish to have an external review of the Jedi Order conducted by the Senate.

This all comes to a tee when Vernestra has to (falsely) testify about the events on Brendok to members of the senate. The episode revealed a new Supreme Chancellor, named Drellik, who fills the role that viewers saw both Finnis Valorum and Sheev Palpatine fill in the prequels. Drellik is the first ever live-action non-human Supreme Chancellor, and his species is actually notable for its connection to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The Republic’s Chancellor Is A Very Familiar Species

The Tarsunt Supreme Chancellor Drellik

Chanellor Drellik Acolyte Finale

Drellik being an alien is yet another example of the effort The Acolyte has put into increasing the number of aliens in more varied roles in the series when compared to the other Star Wars shows. He’s a member of the Tarsunt species, one that audiences may remember first appearing as members of the Resistance in The Force Awakens. This species also, however, appeared as the Chancellor of the New Republic in that movie – but viewers would only know this if they paid good attention to one specific scene.

There was also a Tarsunt Jedi youngling in the first episode of The Acolyte .

There’s A Tarsunt Chancellor In The New Republic Era Too

Chancellor Lanever Villecham

Hosnian Prime destruction in The Force Awakens.

In The Force Awakens, when the First Order fires Starkiller Base at the New Republic’s capital, Hosnian Prime, standing in the crowd on the planet is none other than Tarsunt Chancellor Lanever Villecham. First established in the movie, and it being pretty much his only appearance, Chancellor Villecham was the final Chancellor of the New Republic before he personally witnessed its destruction. This makes the Tarsunt species the only non-human species to canonically be Chancellor of the New or Old Republic more than once.

Lanever Villecham, as Chancellor during the rise of the First Order, was not the most effective being in the galaxy. He consistently refused to acknowledge the First Order as a threat, despite evidence from General Leia Organa that they were planning to strike. Much like this, it seems that Chancellor Drellik in The Acolyte is also not seeing the threat right under his nose in the Sith whose apprentice will eventually occupy his office.

All episodes of The Acolyte are streaming now on Disney+.