The Acolyte episode 7’s ending provides answers about Brendok, revealing the tragic events that would turn Jedi into liars. After the many unanswered questions of The Acolyte episode 3, episode 7 was a highly anticipated installment of the show. Mae and Osha’s childhood was filled with lingering mysteries, with the show teasing for four episodes that answers about the fateful night on the planet of Brendok will be delivered. The Acolyte episode 6’s ending proved these answers were finally at hand, with episode 7 delivering.
By the time of The Acolyte episode 7’s ending, more was revealed about what really happened to the witches of Brendok. Moving away from The Acolyte’s Sith Lord Qimir for a week, episode 7 detailed what exact role the Jedi had in the destruction of Brendok’s fortress. This links inherently to the fate and origins of Mae and Osha, what became of them, and how a series of tragic misunderstandings could bring the members of the Jedi Order to lie to the Council.
The Acolyte Episode 7 Reveals Why The Jedi Were On Brendok
The Jedi Were Searching For A Force Vergence
One of the many lingering questions after The Acolyte episode 3 was what the Jedi were doing on Brendok in the first place. The Acolyte episode 7’s return to the planet immediately made this clear, with the story being told from the Jedi’s perspective rather than that of Osha or Mae. In The Acolyte, the Jedi were dispatched to Brendok to investigate the planet’s mysterious growth of life. Indara reveals that the planet of Brendok was once rendered lifeless due to a hyperspace disaster, the defining event of Star Wars’ High Republic Era book stories.
The Jedi were sent to Brednok to investigate why, believing that a Force vergence was responsible for Brendok’s enrichment…
However, Brendok was miraculously flourishing with life. The Jedi were sent to Brednok to investigate why, believing that a Force vergence was responsible for Brendok’s enrichment. In Star Wars, Force vergences are concentrated areas of the Force linked to a place, a person, an object, or an entire planet. In Brendok’s case, the vergence was causing life on the planet, hence the Jedi’s investigation.
The Jedi’s Role In The Deaths Of The Brendok Witches Explained
Mae’s Fire Did Not Kill The Witches Of Brendok After All
One of the biggest hints that more mysteries lie at the center of The Acolyte episode 3’s flashbacks was the dead bodies of the Brendok witches. Rather than be burned or charred in any way, the witches were simply dead, seemingly unaffected by the blaze that reportedly killed them. In The Acolyte episode 7, it is revealed what actually happened to the witches, and how the Jedi were involved. After realizing that Osha and Mae’s mysterious origins were a result of Brendok’s Force vergence, Torbin rushed to take the girls back to Coruscant to end the unwanted mission on the planet.
Sol pursues Torbin, with the two being confronted by the witches of Brendok upon reaching their compound. As tensions rise, Mae appears to tell Aniseya that the fire she started is threatening Osha’s life. Aniseya attempts to use a dark side Force power to save Osha, causing Sol to retaliate out of fear. Sol stabs Aniseya with his lightsaber, killing her, and forcing the rest of her coven to attack the Jedi. After Kelnacca arrives to help his comrades, the remaining witches use their powers to enter his mind and coerce him into attacking Sol and Torbin.
Indara arrives and subdues Kelnacca, using the Force to free his mind. Upon doing so, the remaining witches of Brendok fall to the ground, dead. Concerning why, this is likely because of the strain of overpowering Kelnacca and Indara’s push-back. Taking over the mind of a Wookiee is likely no small feat that would only be bolstered by Indara’s Force power. As evident with Luke’s death in The Last Jedi, Force struggles can cause death in extreme cases. Indara’s power proved too much for the witches of Brendok, resulting in their deaths.
Mother Koril Escaped Brendok In The Acolyte Episode 7
Could Koril Play A Bigger Role Going Forward?
One of the bigger reveals in The Acolyte episode 7 surrounds Mother Koril. The Acolyte episode 3 proved that Koril is imbued with more darkness than Aniseya, a darkness that came to the fore in The Acolyte episode 7’s revisit to Brendok. Koril was indirectly responsible for the fire that Mae started, pushing her child to stop Osha from leaving. Later, after the Jedi arrive at the compound, Koril is partly responsible for starting a fight with the warriors by acting antagonistic, combined with Sol’s decision to kill Aniseya.
It could be revealed that Koril survived, and is influencing events in the present-day of The Acolyte ‘s story…
Interestingly, before the fight can culminate, Koril flees. Like Aniseya, Koril possesses the ability to transform into a cloud of dark side energy. Koril uses this power to flee Brendok as Kelnacca arrives, potentially teasing a bigger role for her going forward. While the witches are killed once they are forced from the mind of Kelnacca, Koril’s body is not shown. It could be revealed that Koril survived, and is influencing events in the present-day of The Acolyte’s story.
Why Did Sol & Indara Lie To The Council After The Acolyte Episode 7?
A Mixture Of Guilt & Protection Saw The Jedi Become Liars
In the final scene of The Acolyte episode 7, Indara, Sol, and Torbin are shown weighing up their options. Indara states that they should tell the Council the truth, only with missing parts. Indara’s “truth” is that Mae started the fire that resulted in the deaths of the Brendok witches. As Obi-Wan once said, what Indara told the Council is true, from a certain point of view.
The fire is what caused Aniseya to reveal her true form, Sol to kill her, Koril and the witches to possess Kelnacca, and Indara to free the Wookiee and indirectly kill the witches.
As evidenced in The Acolyte episode 7, Indara is simply omitting large elements of the story. Concerning why Indara and Sol decide to lie to the Council and leave their involvement in the witches’ deaths, it stems from guilt and protection. The latter links to Osha, with Indara rightly stating that the Council would not let her become a Jedi if they found out about her origins. Indara states that this would take away Osha’s dream after having lost everything she has ever known, proving their decision to stem from protecting the child.
Another factor in their secrecy is guilt. From Torbin’s Barash Vow in The Acolyte to Kelnacca’s solitude on Khofar, it is clear that the Jedi felt guilt about their involvement on Brendok. This guilt naturally extends to Sol, who killed Aniseya and allowed Mae to fall to her apparent death in order to save Osha. Indara’s guilt likely comes from not controlling the situation better, with each Jedi blaming themselves for the events. If the Council was told of what happened, the Jedi would have to confront their guilt, turning The Acolyte’s warriors of peace into liars who mean well.