The Acolyte has not escaped the spotlight, featuring its fair share of criticism since showrunner Leslye Headland took the reins. Despite this, it honors the Star Wars tradition of fantastic creatures from across the galaxy.
In keeping with the franchise’s history, from Jawas to Grogu, Star Wars often introduces new, adorable creatures that captivate fans’ hearts. Following a critique-filled third episode, The Acolyte aims to regain favor with its audience through its latest cute and lovable addition.
A New Favorite Creature
The original trilogy gave us Ewoks and Jawas, while Disney added Porgs and Lothcats. Now, in the High Republic Era, The Acolyte introduces Bazil the Tynnan Tracker as the latest crowd-pleaser.
Bazil Brings Charm to The Acolyte
Though it can be hard for some fans to admit, the new series adheres to many traditions set by George Lucas. This includes samurai-inspired visuals for Jedi and a blend of practical and CGI effects to create captivating creatures.
Bazil, a beaver-like Tynnan, assists the Jedi Order as they hunt down Mae while she plans to eliminate Jedi Master Kelnacca. With his furry form and keen snout, Bazil breathes new life into the creature lineup, making even the Ewoks seem dated.
The Creation of Bazil
Neal Scanlan, a creature & droid FX creative supervisor for Star Wars, shared insights into Bazil’s design process. According to Scanlan, Bazil’s role required careful consideration of his physical characteristics like his prominent snout for tracking. Scanlan states that Bazil was very sensory, so he would obviously smell and hear things probably better than using his eyesight
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This focus on senses led to adding goggles that allow Bazil to hone in on his tracking abilities by shutting out distractions. Such attention to detail underscores the thoughtful creation behind this character.
Bazil’s Role in Merchandise and Popularity
While Bazil’s cries might be jarring to some, there’s no doubt that his lovable appearance is designed to captivate fans’ affections. Merchandise is an essential part of Star Wars, and Bazil is poised to become an appealing plushie or collectible figure.
Comparisons with Fan-Favorite Characters
Like Grogu from ‘The Mandalorian‘, Bazil may leverage his cuteness and unique features to bolster fan engagement and merchandise sales. Grogu quickly became popular among fans despite being less versatile than other characters.
A Look Ahead for Bazil
The main cast including Lee Jung-jae as Master Sol, continues their ventures on Khofar with a newly revealed Sith Lord. This suggests we will likely see more of Bazil as he aids their quests. It will be interesting to see how the showrunners develop Bazil beyond merely sniffing out targets.
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