This article contains spoilers for Phase I of the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries, on sale now.
Star Wars Celebration 2023 revealed that Rebecca Henderson has been cast as Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh for the upcoming High Republic era series The Acolyte. While the series will be Vernestra's first live action appearance, she was one of the main characters in the first phase of the High Republic subseries. She was a lead character in all of Justina Ireland's Phase I novels: Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage, Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows and Star Wars: The High Republic: Mission to Disaster.
Vernestra's role in The Acolyte is an important step for Star Wars for many reasons. As an aroace character, she will bring more diversity to the Star Wars live-action galaxy. Since Vernestra is a pivotal character in the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries, her unique Force abilities and her experiences throughout Phase I and III could connect The Acolyte to the franchise's past while also opening new storytelling doors for the series' future.
Vernestra Rwoh Is a Vital Figure in Star Wars's High Republic Era
For many younger Star Wars fans, Vernestra's story forms their introduction to the High Republic era. In Phase I, Vernestra Rwoh was a Jedi prodigy. She became a Jedi Knight at only fifteen years old, and she also took on her first apprentice, Imri Cantaros, just a year later after the events of A Test of Courage, the subseries' first middle-grade novel. Through Vernestra, younger readers first encountered the Nihil, a band of space marauders who were determined to keep the Republic and the Jedi out of the Outer Rim through mass violence, terrorism and destruction.
Vernestra's next appearance in Out of the Shadows delves more into Vernestra's innate Jedi abilities. Throughout the novel, Vernestra deals with visions triggered by hyperspace travel, an ability that she wanted to suppress or ignore because it falls outside the norm for Jedi Knights. However, these visions lead her to Mari San Tekka, a brilliant hyperspace cartographer held captive by the Nihil. In her final moments, Mari bestows upon Vernestra a final hyperspace map that could play a key role in Phase III.
In Mission to Disaster, Vernestra and Imri save their friend Avon Starros, after she and many other children are kidnapped by the Nihil. Their adventure ends on the Starlight Beacon days before the station's fall and the deaths of many Jedi due to the Nameless' attacks. While Vernestra's survival has been confirmed both by her role in The Acolyte and her inclusion in upcoming Phase III High Republic novels and stories, the fates of many of her friends and her Padawan still remain unknown.
Why Vernestra's Role in Star Wars: The Acolyte Matters
Outside of her role as a Jedi, Vernestra is canonically aromantic and asexual. Technically, Vi Moradi is the first canonically asexual character in Star Wars, as revealed in Delilah S. Dawson's Star Wars: Phasma. However, unless another aroace character appears in a series before The Acolyte airs, Vernestra will be the first confirmed aroace character in a live action Star Wars series. Since Vernestra's asexuality and her aromanticism have been explicitly confirmed, she will be important representation for both the asexual and aromantic communities. Her role in The Acolyte will also open the doors for Star Wars to explore other identities on the asexuality and aromantic spectrums on screen.
Vernestra's story also connects The Acolyte to the previously published works in the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries. Vernestra's unique battle tactics and Force abilities could shape some of The Acolyte's narrative. Since showrunner Leslye Headland confirmed that The Acolyte is inspired by Frozen and Kill Bill, Vernestra's signature lightsaber whip could create unique and exciting battle sequences. Her hyperspace visions also could make Vernestra a formidable enemy for any Sith since they allow her to see more deeply into the Force. Since Vernestra will be much older in The Acolyte, her hyperspace visions may even have evolved into the ability to navigate through hyperspace using the Force alone.
Because Vernestra is involved, The Acolyte might also draw upon other elements of the subseries, like the lasting effects of the Nihil and the Nameless on the galaxy. In particular, The Acolyte could explore the effects of Vernestra's younger Jedi years on her path as a Jedi Master. The official Star Wars twitter's reveal of Vernestra's casting also emphasizes the role of Vernestra's mistakes in her growth, and readers might be able to witness this evolution of her character in upcoming works in Phase III of the High Republic subseries. Since The Acolyte will view the Jedi through a more critical lens, Vernestra's self-reflection and desire to do better could help uncover issues within the Order even as her fellow Jedi also investigate the potential rise of new Sith.
Overall, the casting of Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh might seem like a small reveal to fans unfamiliar with The High Republic subseries. However, Vernestra's inclusion in The Acolyte provides an important connection between the on-screen Star Wars universe and the publishing side of the franchise. While High Republic era works will likely not be required reading for The Acolyte, fans eagerly awaiting the series can still catch up with the subseries to see Vernestra's evolution into the Jedi she will become in The Acolyte.