Following the recent release of Star Wars: The Acolyte, fans want to know if the popular astromech droid R2-D2 appears in the series. R2-D2 played a significant role in the franchise by serving as a trusty companion to many masters, most notably Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Following his appearances in the epic space-opera franchise, the astromech droid has become one of the most popular characters, thanks to his cute quirks, amazing functionalities, and lovable mannerisms.
So does R2-D2 make an appearance in The Acolyte? Here’s your answer.
Does R2-D2 appear in The Acolyte?
R2-D2 has not made an appearance in Star Wars: The Acolyte as of Episode 2. However, R2 droids are mentioned.
The astromech droid’s earliest known appearance in the current Star Wars canon is as a maintenance droid for Naboo Royalty in 32 BBY, which is approximately 100 years after The Acolyte’s events and is the year in which the events of The Phantom Menace takes place. However, it is possible that the astromech droid was built sometime before.
Thus, given that R2-D2 was built only sometime before, around and during the time of The Phantom Menace’s events, it is unlikely that he will appear in The Acolyte.
Moreover, The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland has ruled out the use of existing Star Wars characters like Yoda in the new series. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, he mentioned they were only bringing in characters from the High Republic era and Expanded Universe (EU) lore. Thus, this also supports the notion that R2-D2 may very likely not appear in the new series.