Who Is Vernestra Rwoh, The High Republic Jedi Finally Coming To Live-Action In The Acolyte?

The trailer for Star Wars’ upcoming High Republic show, Star Wars: The Acolyte, has given audiences a first live-action look at a Mirialan Jedi known as Vernestra Rwoh – but who is she, and why is she so important? The Acolyte will be the first Star Wars show to be set during the High Republic era. Though Star Wars: The High Republic takes place a few centuries before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte will take place at the tail end of that era, approximately 100 years before Anakin Skywalker arrives on Coruscant for the first time.

As such, only a few of the High Republic’s most popular characters will be able to make the jump from the page to the screen, but Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh being featured in The Acolyte trailer is undeniably exciting. Vernestra, whose character first debuted in Justina Ireland’s A Test of Courage and has since become a firm fan-favorite, is a fiercely talented Jedi, one who wields one of Star Wars’ most unique weapons. Given her skills, Vernestra could make a real difference in the fight against the Sith as darkness threatens to overwhelm the Jedi Order once and for all in The Acolyte.

Rebecca Henderson Is Joining The Acolyte As Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh

During Phases I and III of Star Wars: The High Republic, which take place around 200 years before the events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Vernestra Rwoh is still a young and somewhat inexperienced Jedi. The Acolyte takes place roughly 100 years later – as such, she’ll be much older and more knowledgeable. Star Wars has confirmed that Rebecca Henderson, known for her roles in shows such as Russian Doll, Inventing Anna, and Single Drunk Female, will be portraying this more mature version of Vernestra Rwoh’s character.

Vernestra Rwoh Was A Prodigy Even In The High Republic Era

During the High Republic era, Vernestra Rwoh was seen as a prodigy amongst the Jedi. At the tender age of 15, Vernestra was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, making her the youngest Jedi to hold that rank in a very, very long time. Only a year later, in the aftermath of a battle with the Nihil – a band of vicious space marauders who terrorized the galaxy during the High Republic era – Vernestra took on her first Jedi Padawan, Imri Cantaros, a troubled young Jedi who struggled with the dark side and his state of mind.

Vernestra’s Force Powers Explained

Given Vernestra’s natural strong connection to the Force, it’s no surprise that she possesses a rare and unique ability amongst the Jedi. Though she, like many other Jedi before her, can use Telekinesis and sense threats through the Force – though, due to her lack of practical real-world experience, she wasn’t always able to distinguish what was a threat and what wasn’t – there was more to Vernestra’s power than that. For some mysterious reason, Vernestra’s power was most noticeable whenever she was traveling through hyperspace.

Vernestra often saw and even suffered from Force visions while traveling through hyperspace. Though these visions caused her to panic, at first, she would eventually allow the Force to flow through her, and some of her visions accurately predicted the future. Vernestra’s hyperspace visions seem to be an extension or a twist on the concept of Force visions, such as those experienced by Grand Master Yoda, which allow certain Jedi to see both the past and the future as well as other possible scenarios.

Because of these visions, Vernestra’s former Jedi Master, Stellan Gios, believed that Vernestra was capable of navigating ships through hyperspace with only the Force as her guide. This theory is made all the more plausible by what happens in Cavan Scott’s novel The Rising Storm, in which Vernestra makes contact with Mari San Tekka, a victim of the Nihil who has the preternatural ability to see as yet uncharted hyperspace paths. Mari provides Vernestra with one final hyperspace path before she dies. As such, Vernestra may develop a similar ability to navigate hyperspace with just the help of the Force.

Vernestra Rwoh’s Unique Lightsaber Explained

As well as her unique Force ability, Vernestra also wields a unique lightsaber. Vernestra’s lightsaber has a switch that turns the weapon from an ordinary rigid purple blade into a flexible lightwhip. Though Vernestra originally hid the modification from the Jedi Order, she later embraced her ingenuity and confessed to her Padawan that the lightwhip had been particularly useful when training against combat forms primarily used by the Sith. Given The Acolyte will deal with the threat of the Sith infiltrating the Jedi Order, Vernestra and her unique lightsaber may become an important part of the fight against the Order’s mysterious and unseen enemies.

What Role Will Vernestra Play In The Acolyte?

After the events of Star Wars: The High Republic Phase I, Vernestra, like many of the Jedi, is dealing with grief over the destruction of Starlight Beacon. Starlight Beacon was one of the Galactic Republic’s most ambitious projects, a space station meant to act as a way station to connect the Core Worlds and the Mid Rim with the Outer Rim, giving faraway planets access to more resources and better trade routes. It stood for light, life, empathy, and kindness, and the Nihil destroyed it instead, sending it crashing into a nearby planet. Many Jedi were presumed dead, including Vernestra’s Padawan, Imri.

Though the High Republic stories implied Vernestra might have become a Wayseeker – a Jedi who acts independently of the Jedi Council’s will, traveling the galaxy solo – she instead went off to meditate for a year, needing to find balance after the tragedy of Starlight Beacon. Star Wars: The High Republic Phase III isn’t complete yet, however. She could, potentially, have traveled the galaxy further, which would make her a valuable asset for the Jedi, as she could then possibly know more about the rumors of the Sith’s resurgence than anyone left on Coruscant.

It’s also highly likely that Vernestra’s visions will play a role in the upcoming series. If she’s able to see the future or the past, she may be the only one who can find out more about the Sith currently in hiding and what they may plan to do in the future. As such, Vernestra may be instrumental in safeguarding the Jedi Order and the Jedi Temple from an imminent attack.

Unfortunately, The Acolyte’s first official trailer didn’t reveal much about Vernestra Rwoh’s role in the show, as she only appears for a handful of frames. However, given the emphasis on how useful her lightsaber might be in a fight against the Sith, Vernestra may have a much bigger role in the show than the trailer implies. Star Wars has also confirmed that Vernestra is seen as a leader in the Jedi Order during the time of Star Wars: The Acolyte, so she may be tasked with tracking down the Sith together with Lee Jung Jae’s character Jedi Master Sol and Carrie-Anne Moss’s character Jedi Master Indara.