The Shadow Of Darth Vader Descends In The High Republic Era

The Acolyte season 1’s ending wrapped up lingering mysteries, raised new ones, and left the shadow of Darth Vader and the dark side looming over the High Republic Era. After The Acolyte episode 7’s ending answered exactly what happened on Brendok, eyes immediately turned to the season finale. The show needed to wrap up the destinies of Osha and Mae, explain more about Qimir’s motivations and his ties to the wider Sith organization, conclude the tragic story of Master Sol, and explain Vernestra Rwoh’s connections to the entire ordeal.

As such, The Acolyte‘s main cast of characters was front and center in season 1’s finale. The Acolyte episode 8 saw all parties return to the fateful planet of Brendok once and for all, leading to massive revelations, character changes, and tantalizing teases for potential future seasons of The Acolyte—although they now may never come to be. Through various elements, The Acolyte took one step away from the High Republic to the era of the prequel trilogy as Darth Vader’s foreboding future lingers over proceedings, aided by the shadow of the dark side.

Master Sol’s Example Proves The Senator Right About The Jedi

The Tragedy Of Jedi Master Sol Proves The Jedi Order’s Shortcomings

In earlier episodes of The Acolyte, Vernestra Rwoh was shown keeping a Senator named Rayencourt at bay. Rayencourt wanted to initiate an external review of the Jedi by the Senate, before finally appearing midway through The Acolyte episode 8. Vernestra Rwoh speaks to Rayencourt, with the Senator continuing to call for said external review now that the two organizations are working closer together. Rayencourt tells Vern that he does not trust the Jedi and wants to see what – or who – they fight for, if not solely themselves.

Vernestra insists Rayencourt is incorrect, but The Acolyte episode 8’s ending involving Master Sol proves otherwise. After Sol’s untimely death at the hands of Osha, Vernestra solely blames him for the murders of Indara, Torbin, and Kelnacca rather than bringing Mae to justice. Sol is used as a scapegoat, absolving the wider Jedi Order of their involvement in the events of The Acolyte, with the Senate being told Sol’s own selfish actions caused these problems. Unfortunately, Sol’s example proves Senator Rayencourt may have had a point, in that the Jedi sometimes do not know what is best for the galaxy.

Osha, The Failed Jedi, Becomes A Sith With Darth Vader’s Signature Power

A Common Acolyte Theory Comes True Thanks To Osha’s Dark Turn

Since The Acolyte episode 6, a common theory has been that Osha and Mae would switch places; Mae would come to see the Jedi in a different light, while Osha would turn to the darkness and join Qimir. In The Acolyte episode 8’s finale, this came to pass. Osha and Mae confront one another on Brendok. This allows Mae to tell Osha that Sol killed Aniseya, with Osha’s anger overflowing as a result. Osha attacks Mae and their fight makes its way to the courtyard, where Sol engages Qimir.

Osha squeezes tighter until Sol dies, ending the life of one of
The Acolyte
‘s most compelling characters.

Mae manages to get Sol to confess to killing Aniseya within earshot of Osha. This causes the latter to fully turn against her former training and embrace the anger, fear, and guilt that caused her to fail as a Jedi. In her rage, Osha begins using the Force to choke Sol. The Force choke is a move that has become synonymous with Darth Vader, drawing intentional connections between the iconic Star Wars villain and Osha. Eventually, Osha squeezes tighter until Sol dies, ending the life of one of The Acolyte‘s most compelling characters.

A Jedi Lightsaber Is “Bled” Into A Sith Blade

A Long-Standing Star Wars Question Is Answered

Concerning Star Wars’ lightsabers, a question many have held is how specifically Sith warriors manage to achieve their signature red color for the weapons. In Star Wars, lightsabers are powered by Kyber crystals. Younglings are taken to obtain Kyber crystals on the planet of Ilum, at least when the Order was at its most powerful. There, the aspiring Jedi obtain a crystal that usually turns blue, green, yellow, or one of the other Jedi lightsaber colors of Star Wars once connected with its wielder.

However, one aspect of Kyber crystals that has only been outlined in comics and novels is how they turn red for Sith warriors. Kyber crystals turning red is often described as “bleeding,” with dark-siders pouring all their hatred, anger, and malice into it so that it turns the dark color. In The Acolyte, this takes place. As Osha is Force-choking Sol with one hand, her other holds his lightsaber. When Osha delves deeper into her darkness, the Kyber crystal begins to bleed, turning it red and altering the once-meaningful blue of the Jedi to the dark red of the Sith.

The Stranger’s Surprising Tie To Vernestra Rwoh Revealed

What Connection Does Vernestra Have To Qimir?

One of the other more common theories about The Acolyte has concerned Vernestra and Qimir. Given that Vernestra was on the outside of The Acolyte‘s core story until the finale, many theorized that she has a connection to Qimir. This was supported by Vern’s comments that seemed to hint she knew more about what was happening. In The Acolyte episode 8, this theory was finally confirmed. As soon as Vern steps foot on Brendok, she senses Qimir through the Force, as he does her.

Vernestra’s old Padawan in the High Republic books was called Imri Cantaros, and many theorize Qimir could somehow be this same Jedi.

Vernestra then states “You! You’re alive” before Qimir dons his Cortosis helmet once more, blocking out the Force. This makes it clearer than ever that Vernestra is aware of Qimir in some way, but exactly how the two are linked is not divulged in The Acolyte episode 8. Given that around 100 years separate the events of The Acolyte and Vernestra’s appearances in the High Republic books, their connection could be an original creation for the former.

The Jedi Cover Up The Truth Of What Happened To Master Sol

The Jedi Covered Up Sol’s Death Because Of The Acolyte’s Lingering Mysteries – & Their Own Mistakes

As mentioned, Sol’s death is covered up by Vernestra Rwoh, presumably under the guidance of the Jedi Council. Sol’s death would mean the Jedi would have to accept responsibility for what happened on Brendok, as well as the tragedies that befell Indara, Torbin, and Kelnacca. Similarly, accepting what happened would mean facing the reality that the Sith have tipped the scales in the galaxy toward the dark side. Vern knows this due to her unknown connection to Qimir, leading the Jedi to blame Sol and Sol alone for what transpired in The Acolyte season 1.

The Acolyte Season 2 Would Surely Have Seen Vernestra & Mae Hunt For Osha

The Connections Between Vern, Qimir, Mae, & Osha Would Likely Have Driven Season 2

The Acolyte’s finale perfectly set up a season 2 for the show, but with The Acolyte’s cancelation, it seems that will never come to pass. The Acolyte episode 8 ended with a number of cliffhangers. Not only was Osha now with Qimir on the Unknown Planet, ready to embrace the dark side and train as his apprentice, but also, Mae was now in the custody of the Jedi.

The finale also included a shocking cut to an image of Darth Plagueis, marking the powerful Sith Lord’s very first live-action appearance. Despite these thrilling concepts, it seems The Acolyte’s on-screen story is truly over. While there has been a public push for The Acolyte to be renewed following the news that the show was not being picked up for season 2, Lucasfilm doesn’t seem to be changing its mind any time soon.

This is a shame, as The Acolyte season 2 almost certainly would have seen Mae and Vern on a quest to track down Osha and Qimir. This would have reunited the sisters once again following Mae having her memory wiped, and it would have seen Qimir and Vernestra finally come face-to-face. The latter would have been particularly exciting, as it would likely have meant a massive showdown involving Vern’s incredible lightwhip and Qimir’s dagger lightsaber. Now, those stories will remain in limbo.

The Acolyte’s Two Big Cameos Show Both the Light & The Dark

The Light & Dark Sides Come To Play In The Acolyte’s Surprise Inclusions

Undoubtedly, the biggest talking point of The Acolyte season 1’s finale will be two major Star Wars cameos. Midway through the episode, as Qimir and Osha are leaving the mysterious planet to intercept Mae and Sol, a robed figure is shown watching them. This figure is none other than Star Wars’ Darth Plagueis, the Sith Master of Emperor Palpatine. Plagueis’ bony fingers, long face, and piercing yellow eyes are shown as Osha and Qimir leave, truly reflecting the shadow of the dark side in the show.

On the opposite side of The Acolyte‘s good and evil spectrum is the cameo in the show’s final shot: Master Yoda. After Vernestra Rwoh attempts to cover up the Jedi Order’s misdeeds, she enters a room and apologizes for disturbing Yoda, insisting that they need to talk. The camera pans down to reveal the back of Yoda’s head, looking more akin to puppet Yoda than the CGI version of the prequels. This hints at The Acolyte’s much broader story of light and dark, tying into the future stories of the Skywalker Saga.

This hints at
The Acolyte’s
much broader story of light and dark, tying into the future stories of the Skywalker Saga.

The Acolyte’s True Connection To Darth Plagueis Is Still A Mystery

What Role Does Darth Plagueis Play Going Forward?

With Plagueis officially being shown in Star Wars canon for the first time in The Acolyte, the question of how he ties into the story looms larger than ever. Many assumed that Plagueis would be involved given The Acolyte‘s story about the Sith infiltrating the Jedi and using the Force to create life, but it was always how the mysterious Sith Lord would be used that was the more pressing matter. After The Acolyte episode 8, there are many possibilities. It could be the case that Darth Plagueis has simply been watching this entire time.

The Acolyte is Plagueis’ first appearance in the entirety of Star Wars canon, having only been mentioned in Revenge of the Sith by Palpatine.

Plagueis was obsessed with trying to create life using midi-chlorians. Plagueis could have been aware that the witches of Brendok could achieve this, silently watching from the shadows to learn this power. Another possibility is that Plagueis is connected to Qimir, either as his Master or former Master. Conversely, Qimir may not even know Plagueis exists, and the latter wants the former dead as he is a Sith pretender. All of this is to say that Plagueis’ involvement in The Acolyte raises a host of possibilities that most Star Wars fans cannot wait to see capitalized on.

The Acolyte’s Cancelation Means The Show’s Mysteries Won’t Be Revealed Anytime Soon

Sadly, The Future Of All These Mysteries Hangs In The Balance

There’s no question that The Acolyte was controversial for various reasons, but it was nevertheless surprising how quickly word spread that the show would not be renewed, particularly because of how many story possibilities there were following the season 1 finale. In light of that cancelation, though, the lingering mysteries from The Acolyte remain unanswered, and it isn’t clear when, if ever, answers will come. Star Wars has confirmed that some story spin-offs from the show are coming, but they are unlikely to answer the remaining questions.

There are a number of tie-ins to The Acolyte coming in the Star Wars franchise. Among these spin-offs are Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1, a canon one-shot comic focused on the titular Jedi Master Kelnacca, and Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker, a novel about Vernestra Rwoh set before The Acolyte. There is also an untitled Star Wars young adult novel in the works that will feature The Acolyte’s Yord Fandar and Jecki Lon.

Notably, each of these upcoming tie-ins is set before The Acolyte. While it is exciting to know that these characters’ stories will continue on even following The Acolyte’s cancelation, these spin-offs suggest that answers are not coming any time soon regarding The Acolyte’s many mysteries. Of course, it’s possible that additional books will be announced that could follow The Acolyte, but none have been revealed thus far. It remains disappointing that The Acolyte doesn’t seem to have an on-screen future in Star Wars, although many are holding out hope that this will one day change.