After Carrie-Anne Moss’ Jedi Master Indara was killed within the opening minutes of Star Wars: The Acolyte, her role in the Star Wars TV show felt quite diminished, and the first flashback episode made her look quite guilty. The biggest mystery of The Acolyte has been, no doubt, the true nature of what actually happened to the witches of Brendok the night the Jedi “rescued” Osha (Amandla Stenberg). When Osha’s perspective on that fateful night was given, this view made it seem like Indara had a lot more to do with the tragedy than she actually did.
I know that I was definitely a part of the crowd who thought Indara was largely to blame for what happened, particularly because of the way she spoke about the Jedi having a right to test potential Padawans. Many other viewers seemed to be on board with my train of thought, too. Now that The Acolyte episode 7 has revealed the truth from the Jedi’s perspective, however, it’s clear that Indara was not only far from the person we all thought she was, but that she was the one who kept anything worse from happening that fateful night.
After Episode 3, A Lot Of Blame Was Placed On Indara
Osha’s Perspective Made Her Seem More Guilty Than She Was
One of Master Indara’s most notable traits is her natural sense of authority, which provides a certain serenity in the proper setting. When she first arrives with the Jedi to the witches’ coven on Brendok, however, this trait works against her. Osha’s perspective makes it seem like Indara is leading the group of Jedi to the coven to take the girls away, as if they knew ahead of time that they were Force-sensitive. Though she makes it clear they have come in peace and won’t force any decisions to be made, this is still the impression that’s given.
Witnessing Mae’s rage towards Indara during their fight in The Acolyte’s opening scene only made Indara’s guilt in the matter seem even more likely. We had already witnessed and felt Mae’s raw emotions in that confrontation, so having it in mind when watching The Acolyte episode 3 made it easier to frame Indara for much of what went down on Brendok that night. It wasn’t that we thought Indara was a villain of any kind, rather that she seemed to be the authoritative leader charging the Jedi into the witches’ coven. This, however, isn’t the case.
Indara Was Actually The Wisest Of All The Jedi On Brendok
She Had The Foresight To Warn Against Taking Action
In reality, The Acolyte episode 7 shows that Indara is the wisest of Brendok’s Jedi, and that she’s actually the one who hesitates to get involved at all with the witches. Indara is constantly emphasizing their need to both reach out to the Jedi Council and to obey whatever order they give, and though she takes charge once they’re inside the witches’ coven, she emphasizes the need to keep themselves out of the witches’ affairs. They would only “test” the girls to make sure they were happy and safe, which they were – aside from Osha.
It’s Indara who reminds Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that the witches are more than free to partake in their own culture and rituals.
It’s Indara who reminds Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that the witches are more than free to partake in their own culture and rituals. Even when it’s evident that the twins are derived from a vergence in the Force, Indara doesn’t push for them to investigate. She holds tight to the belief that they mind their own business and proceed according to the Council’s wishes. Indara is still quick to assist Torbin and Sol when they run off to the coven, but it doesn’t change the fact that she initially warned them against such action, and she was undoubtedly correct.
Indara Is Also A Massive Badass
Her Fight Against Mae & Her Actions At The Coven Prove This
Because of the lack of Indara we have had in The Acolyte due to her tragic murder, we haven’t gotten to see her in action that much, but what we have seen is absolutely incredible. She only loses her fight with Mae because of the choice she’s forced to make in saving a civilian rather than herself, and up until that point, she goes toe-to-toe with Mae and easily has the upper hand. Even with so many opportunities to put an end to the fight, Indara takes the high road and simply acts in defensive manuevers – unless she’s given no other choice.
At the coven, Indara proves her strength and her skill with the Force, even if the outcome is quite devastating. She uses the Force to sever the connection between the coven and Kelnacca’s mind, though her inexperience with the type of magic the witches use causes her to accidentally kill them all once that connection is severed. While tragic, this is also evidence of how strong Indara really is in the Force; she alone could force an entire coven of witches out of Kelnacca’s mind.
We Deserved To See More From Indara In Star Wars
I Really Wish Her Story Wasn’t Ending Here
Now that we know Indara’s fate, it’s a shame we won’t be seeing more of her in Star Wars. Her wisdom and her strength prove how great of a Jedi Master she really is, even if she was one of the four Jedi who all made grave mistakes during that fateful night on Brendok. Indara certainly did all she could to limit the amount of damage done that night, and her instruction to tell a partial truth in the end was out of a desire to protect Osha after all they had already done to that poor girl in the process.
Moss is also such a wondrous talent in her own right, and to have her in the Star Wars franchise has been such a thrill.
I really want more Jedi Masters like Indara in Star Wars, and I’m disappointed we won’t be seeing more of her. Moss is also such a wondrous talent in her own right, and to have her in the Star Wars franchise has been such a thrill. Even if Indara’s time in The Acolyte is now over, there’s no saying that she won’t ever return to the galaxy. The supplemental material of Star Wars, from books and comics to video games, could potentially explore her life more in the future, even if The Acolyte cannot.
The Acolyte episode 7 is now streaming. The final episode premieres Tuesday at 9 PM ET on Disney+.