‘The Acolyte’ Timeline: When Does the New Star Wars Show Take Place?

A new Star Wars series, The Acolyte, premieres tonight on Disney+, taking viewers on a journey even further back on the timeline than ever before. Hardcore Star Wars nerds know all too well that the sci-fi universe’s storytelling spans millennia in books, comics, animation and video games. However The Acolyte marks the first time that we’ve visited an era before the Skywalker saga in live action. Meaning, things could easily get confusing for casual fans trying to figure out how Mae (Amandla Stenberg) fits in with the Sith, why there are so many Jedi in dazzling gold robes, and why there’s no hint of an evil Empire.

So when does The Acolyte take place? What does “BBY” mean in terms of Star Wars timelines? And why is it doubtful we’ll run into too many familiar faces on the new Star Wars show?

The Acolyte was created by Leslye Headland and it takes place a century before the main Star Wars films. The show follows the mystery surrounding Mae (Amandla Stenberg), the student of a mysterious Dark Side master who is killing Jedi. Her murder spree pulls Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), his Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) onto a hunt for justice that winds up being full of twists and turns.

The first two episodes of The Acolyte premiere tonight on Disney+ at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET. Here’s what you need to know about The Acolyte‘s timeline…

The Acolyte Timeline: When Does the New Star Wars Show Take Place?

The Acolyte takes place 132 BBY, which means 132 years before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope or 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It’s set in a time period known as “The High Republic,” an era of immense prosperity for the galaxy. The Jedi were at their zenith, able to work independently from the Republic and confident there were no Sith operating in the galaxy.

What The Acolyte explores is how did the Jedi fall from such a position of power? How did the Sith return?

“The High Republic” is also a catch-all phrase for a relatively recent storytelling initiative from Star Wars. A few years ago, a consortium of writers and concept artists were gathered to brainstorm a whole new era of Star Wars storytelling set a few hundred years before the movies. There are now numerous novels, YA books, comics, and even an animated children’s series, set in this time period.

Vernestra Rwoh is one character who is introduced in the first High Republic novel, Star Wars: Light of the Jedi, as a young Padawan who then emerges in The Acolyte as a wise Jedi Master played by Rebecca Henderson.

What Does BBY Mean? Star Wars Timelines Explained:

So if The Acolyte is set in 132 BBY…what does that mean? “BBY” has been used for decades by Star Wars fans and professionals to establish clarity in the Star Wars timeline. What “BBY” stands for is “Before the Battle of Yavin,” aka the thrilling space battle in the original Star Wars movie where Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) blows up the Death Star.

For movies, shows, and events that take place after the Battle of Yavin, the abbreviation “ABY,” or “After the Battle of Yavin” is used.

Basically all you need to know is that The Acolyte is set 132 years before the original Star Wars movie or 100 years before The Phantom Menace.

Is Yoda in The Acolyte?

**Mild Spoilers for the First Four Episodes of The Acolyte**

Disney sent select critics and journalists the first four episodes of The Acolyte for review and so Decider can confirm that Yoda does NOT show up in them.

That said, there’s a strong chance that we will see Master Yoda in The Acolyte based purely on the fact that he would definitely have been alive during this era. We know that he was about 900 years old at the time of his death. Since The Acolyte takes place 132 BBY, Yoda would be in his 700s. Meaning, he’s bouncing around in this time period.

Again, mild spoilers, but Decider can also confirm we spotted at least one familiar Jedi face from Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace in the episodes we screened.

So Yoda might be in The Acolyte, but he’s not in the first four episodes.