Star Wars: The Acolyte, although decently reviewed by critics, received so many negative comments from viewers that Disney axed the show after just one season. The first live-action venture into the High Republic era went very far from planned, but even if you didn't like The Acolyte, it's definitely worth checking out the many other stories set during the same period in the Star Wars timeline.
While The Acolyte wasn't a perfect show, I don't think it deserved the level of hate that it received. It was a visually spectacular and Jedi-heavy story that always had me looking forward to the next episode. Furthermore, the surprise on-screen debut of Darth Plagueis in the finale set up an exciting future if the show had been renewed. Alas, it was not, but that doesn't mean your High Republic journey needs to be over.
The Star Wars: High Republic books are set before The Acolyte
The High Republic era is not as short as The Acolyte's lifespan might suggest. The show is set over a century after a series of canon books, comics, and other forms of media, but it still falls under the same umbrella. The strongest connection between The Acolyte and the High Republic books is Vernestra Rwoh, who has literary origins but was played by Rebecca Henderson in live-action.
Vernestra is over a century old by the time of The Acolyte, and is a senior figure within the Jedi Order. In the books, she is a teenager still forging a path for herself. Almost none of the other characters in The Acolyte show up in the books because they wouldn't be born for a very long time. The Acolyte's story also doesn't interact in any way with the High Republic books and comics, other than being set within the same continuity.
Star Wars: The High Republic won't leave you hanging like The Acolyte did
The Acolyte's cancelation means there are now several narrative loose ends that are very unlikely to ever be resolved. Thankfully, the multi-media saga set long before the show has now wrapped up in its entirety. After debuting in 2021 with Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi, the multi-platform storyline ended in 2025 with a one-shot comic written by Cavan Scott, simply titled The Finale.
So, if you were excited by the prospect of exploring a new corner of the Star Wars universe, but ended up being disappointed by The Acolyte, I would strongly encourage you not to paint the entire era with the same brush. The High Republic has quickly become one of my favorite parts of Star Wars, and I think it's certainly worth giving it a shot if you haven't already.