Summary
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s appearance inThe Acolytechanged the ageStar WarsLegends gave him, angering several fans, but he was far from the first - or most important - character to have his age changed. The"retcon" of Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age caused a controversyamong some viewers ofThe Acolyte. The nownon-canonStar WarsLegendsestablished that Ki-Adi-Mundi was 60 years old inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which took place in 32 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) intheStar Warstimeline. SinceThe Acolytetakes place around 132 BBY, Ki-Adi-Mundi shouldn’t have been born yet, based on his age in Legends.
Some fans have used the supposed change as a source of outrage, but since Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age was only ever established in Legends, his appearance inThe Acolytewasn’t actually a retcon. In fact, there have been much larger and more important age-related retcons inStar Wars' history. One in particular changed the entire Skywalker saga ofStar Warsmovies, and it came from the original trilogy. It somehow didn’t inspire the same rage that Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age has, though. The similarities between this change and Ki-Adi-Mundi’s appearance inThe Acolyteare quite surprising, even if the rest of the change couldn’t be more different.
Star Wars: Luke & Leia’s 10 Greatest Moments
Some fans are hung up on their kiss, but Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa have one of the most heartwarming friendships in the whole Star Wars universe.
Luke Was Originally Supposed To Be 2 Years Older Than Leia
In the originalStar Wars, later retitledA New Hope, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa weren’t supposed to be related. George Lucas actually intended for them to be love interests, as evidenced by the various romantic kisses Luke and Leia shared in bothA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back. One of the more subtle signs that they weren’t twins came from the officialStar Warstrading cards made by Topps, seen in a post bybigdaddyankee, whichestablished that Luke was two years older than Leia.
The revelation that Luke and Leia were twins, and therefore had to be the same age, inReturn of the Jedishould have “broken canon,” based on these official trading cards. It was an odd twist, based on the previous romantic undercurrent to their relationship, and one that caught many viewers off guard, but any uproar at the time was about their relationship, not their ages. Instead, most fans accepted the change and instead focused on the narrative reason Lucas changed their ages in the first place.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
Leia Organa
The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother’s political skills and her father’s Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan’s destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.
Why George Lucas Changed His Mind About Luke & Leia
The change to Luke and Leia’s ages actually came as a result of the throne room scene, the finale ofReturn of the Jedi.Lucas decided to make Luke and Leia twins becausehe wanted Luke to give into the dark side during his duel with Darth Vader, and he needed something to make him angry enough to do that.Having Vader threaten his sister would be enough to send Luke into a frenzy. Since the first two films hadn’t established any character who could conceivably be Luke’s sister yet, Lucas decided to use Leia for that purpose.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Cast
Return of the Jedi concludes George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy with Luke Skywalker and his allies seeking to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and facing a renewed threat as the Emperor attempts to obliterate the Rebellion through a second Death Star, broadening the epic battle between good and evil.
Return of the Jedi’s change in Luke and Leia has some striking similarities toThe Acolyte’s supposed change to Ki-Adi-Mundi.Like Luke and Leia, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age was only established in supplementary material like a sourcebook forThe Phantom Menaceand two trading cards, not the movies themselves. Also like Luke and Leia,The Acolyteis probably using Ki-Adi-Mundi for a larger narrative purpose. Of all the Jedi that could have appeared in the show, the fact that it was the one who was most openly opposed to the idea of the Sith having returned is probably a hint of things to come inThe Acolyte.
The Acolyte
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.
