While the percentage of Star Wars fans who are review-bombing The Acolyte remains up for debate, there's no denying that the discourse surrounding the Disney+ series has taken a nasty turn.
Believe it or not, Ki-Adi-Mundi (a character we're pretty sure no one cared about 48 hours ago) may have been the breaking point. The prequel trilogy Jedi made a surprise appearance in the fourth episode of The Acolyte, though some were quick to point out that he shouldn't have been there.
Why? Well, in the Expanded Universe, he hadn't been born yet and, in The Phantom Menace, the Jedi Master mentioned that the Sith hadn't been seen for a millennia. The problem with this argument is that the Expanded Universe hasn't been "canon" in close to a decade and, when The Acolyte takes place, the Jedi has no reason to believe The Master is a Sith.
When Wookipedia - the Star Wars version of Wikipedia - updated Ki-Adi-Mundi's page to detail his appearance in The Acolyte, its authors and moderators were inundated with threats and abuse.
That came after their social media accounts had previously shared their support for those enjoying the Disney+ series. In response to the trolling, Star Wars fans have rallied around the online encyclopedia by making it clear #WeStandWithWookieepedia.
As we write this, the hashtag is trending worldwide as social media users attempt to drown out those using grievances like this to attack The Acolyte. Some have legitimate issues with the series (which are valid), but there's a vocal section of fans incensed by the presence of female, diverse, or potentially LGBTQ+ characters.
Check out some of the #WeStandWithWookieepedia X posts below.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems...
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The next Star Wars TV series comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
Four episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.