One of the most engaging aspects of Star Wars since the prequel trilogy has been the franchise addressing the misgivings of the Jedi Order. The older Luke Skywalker taught Rey that the Jedi were flawed, arrogant, and didn’t share knowledge of the Force with the cosmos. Season 1 of The Acolyte is doubling down on this by making the Jedi Order very rigid, cold and militant.
This development does track since the story takes place at the end of the High Republic era, which is set 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It’s when Jedi Knights and Masters were at peak numbers. Shockingly, as Episode 4, “Day,” unfolds, The Acolyte teases that its most troubling Jedi is going to cause massive problems, sooner rather than later. In the process, dire repercussions may unfold.
The Acolyte’s Yord Fandar Is the Opposite of Sol
This Jedi who’s bound to cause the most trouble is none other than Charlie Barnett’s Yord Fandar. He is a Jedi Knight tasked with helping solve the case of Mae and Osha Aniseya. He wants Mae brought in for killing a couple of experienced Jedi. In addition, he has to help bring in Kelnecca, the Wookiee Jedi who is being targeted, too. The problem is, Yord isn’t endearing himself well to Osha, who is crucial to capturing her twin sister. In contrast with how altruistic and selfless Lee Jung-jae’s Master Sol is, Yord’s trust issues are bound to get in the way of resolving the conflict with Mae.
Sol cares about Padawans, teaches them about attachment, and why cherishing memories is a good thing. Sol is very much like Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. Both are compassionate and have big hearts, to the point they will bend rules for the greater good. This is why Osha misses Sol, as much as she doesn’t regret leaving the Jedi Order. He was a good Master, but this wasn’t her path. Yord, on the other hand, has a firm, mean outlook on life.
Yord has been conditioned to be a soldier who won’t bend the Jedi way under any circumstances. For example, when Yord and Sol’s Jedi team touch down on Kelnacca’s planet, Khofar, he is adamant that Osha give him her blaster. He doesn’t care if she needs it to protect herself; he doesn’t trust her. He is persistent by telling her it is not hers, but Jedi property, so she will do as he says. This also shows he is dealing in absolutes, a trait the Jedi prescribe to the Sith, which they’ve also used to paint them as evil.
These developments build on Yord’s characterization from the premiere, where he mind-read people forcefully. In stark contrast with Yord, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon embodied kindness and only deployed their abilities when pressed for time, or when things got desperate, or when people weren’t complying during investigations. In many cases, it was a last resort. For Yord, his Jedi abilities are his go-to move. This also makes him the opposite to Sol and other caring Jedi who understand humanity, privacy, and respect.
The Acolyte’s Yord Fandar Could Be Osha’s Breaking Point
The thing about Yord’s disposition is that he won’t change and is set in stone. This could be disastrous when it comes to Osha and Mae. If the Jedi team survives Mae’s Sith Lord on Khofar, Yord will more than likely be aggressive. Kelnacca has been found dead. If more Jedi end up dying, Yord will finger Mae as the culprit or an accomplice, even though she didn’t kill Kelnacca and wants to leave the Dark Side.
Yord won’t believe she has broken ranks, while the rash Mae won’t take nicely to a Jedi accosting her. Seeing as Yord is more experienced, if he harms or kills Mae in a confrontation, that could set Osha off. She likes the Light Side, but she has seen how robotic the Jedi can be. Killing her sister would be cruel, especially if Mae wants to turn over a new leaf. As such, Osha could embrace the Dark Side the way Anakin Skywalker did when his mother, Shmi, and wife, Padme, perished.
Mae is all Osha has left. Knowing Mae wants redemption will convince Osha to forgive her twin. Theorists believe Osha parallels Anakin, especially because both were virgin births. Thus, she might be destined to go down the same path of renouncing the Jedi in a bloody fashion if she incurs this loss. The death of Mother Aniseya and the witch coven on Brendok still haunts Osha, so losing Mae will rekindle that agony, fear and anger. It could even send Osha into the hands of the Sith Lord.
The villain doesn’t opt to kill Osha as the episode ends. They Force-push her away and go after the Jedi. It suggests that this Sith Lord senses Osha’s power and potential. If they see she wants revenge and that the darkness in her is growing, she could become Mae’s replacement. It would fit into the Sith Rule of Two, where Emperor Palpatine had Darth Maul, Count Dooku and Darth Vader as apprentices. He also offered Luke and Rey a spot beside him. The Sith Lord in The Acolyte could tempt Osha with vengeance and show her what was taught to Mae: the Jedi aren’t a force for good.
The Acolyte’s Dynamic Duo Could Help Cover Up the Sith Secret
There is also the chance that Yord alienates the twins to the point they both hate the Jedi. If the Sith Master is able to tempt the twins to follow, that could result in an all-out war on Khofar. The show has, coincidentally, teased that the Jedi had a hand in the coven’s extinction. There has to be a reason Sol and his team were so close to the base when Mae set a fire. Many assume the blaze killed the witches. But the flames took time to spread. The fire wasn’t that big at first, and the witches would have had time to flee. It therefore feels like someone killed the clan.
Speculation is that the tribe and the Jedi came into conflict, as Osha chose to leave with the Jedi. If the Jedi did indeed kill the coven during a disagreement, the truth would push Osha to the Dark Side and tip Mae back to her Master. This trio could end up taking out the Jedi then and there, which would explain why Coruscant didn’t learn about the Sith Lord. As it stands, there is an Acolyte plot hole, as the Jedi should be getting word of this villain. But if nothing comes back, due to Sol’s team dying, it would explain why the likes of Ki-Adi-Mundi back at the temple kept saying the Sith were extinct.
Such a development would tie up continuity and preserve canon from The Phantom Menace. Of course, the fight itself would have to be interesting as the Sith Lord is powerful. But Mae and Osha wouldn’t be as battle-ready as the other Jedi. Ultimately, they may well level up if a civil war breaks out among the Jedi. That’s something The Acolyte will have to deftly execute if it happens. It would add emotional gravitas to the series and show that the Jedi cannot be trusted.
Sol seems to be the exception to the rule, as well as his new Padawan, Jecki Lon. But the others aren’t as kind, which hints at the tipping point for Osha. It would be very heartbreaking, but align with what Lucasfilm has been developing recently with the Order. Even if the only ones left standing when the dust clears are Mae and/or Osha, they would be well within their right to leave everything behind. Little by little, they are seeing that the Jedi and Sith share common toxic traits, and that their destinies may well be to just hide away in solitude.