Summary
The Acolytesecretly revealed there’s a Sith traitor among the Jedi. Set a century before the events ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,The Acolytetells a dark story in which theSith assassin Mae Aniseyahas launched a brutal attack on the Jedi who visited her homeworld of Brendok some 16 years ago. Mae appears to be a Sith acolyte, working for a mysterious Sith Lord.
This is a time when the Jedi believed the Sith to be extinct, when in reality they were operating in the shadows, manipulating events across the galaxy. Viewers know what the Jedi do not; that after almost a thousand years of planning, the Sith inThe Acolyteare poised to return. Within just over a century, the Jedi Order will be destroyed in Order 66. And yet alreadyThe Acolytehas hinted at the scale of the Sith plans, and indeed their infiltration of the Jedi Order.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
We’ve Totally Missed One Crucial Line Of Dialogue
It was only on a rewatch that I spotted one crucial detail inThe Acolyteepisode 2. When Mae confronts Jedi Master Torbin for the second time, attempting to persuade him to take Bunta poison she offers him a brutal choice: “Confess your crime to the Jedi Council, or receive the forgiveness you seek… Right here. Right now. From me.” Naturally, the focus here really lies on the fact a Jedi Master has such a profound sense of guilt that he takes the poison. But we’ve all missed another aspect of this scene.
Mae knows Master Torbin didn’t tell theJedi Councilwhat happened on Brendok.Mae is no fan of the Jedi, so she’s more likely to assume the Jedi Council simply didn’t mind about whatever really happened on her homeworld. That means her comment indicates knowledge of Jedi Council records. The Sith acolyte knows what information has been passed on to the Jedi Council.
Later in the same episode, Qimir shows knowledge that could only come from the Jedi Archives as well. He tells Mae he knows where Master Kelnacca can be found, on the “relaxing forest retreat” of Khofar. Qimir clearly has sources who are able to access the Jedi Archives too; there’s a traitor among the Jedi.
Is The Traitor A Sith Agent… Or A Sith?
This inevitably leads to the next question; is this a Sith agent, or an actual Sith? RecentStar Warsnovels have revealed Palpatine cultivated a network of agents who worked within the Jedi Temple; it’s how he identified potential recruits for theImperial Inquisitors. It’s quite possible he wasn’t the only Sith to come up with that idea. The problem, though, is that no random civilian or member of staff should be able to access Jedi Council records or mission logs for active Jedi. This suggestsa Jedi working for the Sith.
Suddenly the stakes ofThe Acolytehave been raised. In interviews, Leslye Headland has suggested this is the story of how the Sith “infiltrated” the Jedi - and it’s entirely possible that is true. The Sith are ruthless and manipulative, and it’s so easy to imagine them hiding among the Jedi themselves. That disturbing possibility cannot be ruled out.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
