Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte!
Summary
Star Wars: The Acolytehas recognized one incredibly obvious aspect of Jedi relationships thatStar Wars—the prequel trilogy especially—was sorely missing.The Acolytedebuted with a two-episode premiere on Disney+ on June 4th, and it’s already bringing major updates toStar Warsmovies and TV shows. From chunkier lightsaber designs to Force-Fu,The Acolyteclearly doesn’t mind breaking with tradition, which makes sense given its place intheStar Warstimeline.
As a prequel to the prequel trilogy,The Acolytehas a lot more flexibility than otherStar Warsprojects have to change the rules of the game; after all,the High Republic Era, considered the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic, has yet to be shown on screen, meaning possibilities are wide open. However, while some changes are truly inventive, others are downright obvious. One such change is all about the Jedi dynamics, and, despite its obviousness, it wasn’t evident in the prequels.
10 Ways The Acolyte’s Jedi Order Is Totally Different To The Prequels
The Jedi Order is back and in full swing in The Acolyte, but 100 years prior to the Star Wars prequels, this show’s Jedi Order is very different.
The Acolyte Remembers That Jedi Won’t Always Get Along
The Acolytehas drawn much more attention to the fact that,just because the Jedi share a philosophy and a way of life, it doesn’t mean they will work well together or even like each other. Yes, the Jedi had tense moments in the prequels (mostly to do with Anakin Skywalker) and Anakin was clearly ostracized, but there was a general sense of camaraderie that buried plenty of issues beneath the surface. Outside of Anakin, who was certainly an anomaly in almost every way, the closest the prequels get to actual conflict between the Jedi was Qui-Gon Jinn’s defiance.
There was a general sense of camaraderie that buried plenty of issues beneath the surface.
The Acolytehas already proven it won’t be following the prequel trilogy’s pattern of harmonious decision-making and friendly relationships. In fact, although Master Sol expressed sadness that Master Indara—whom he described as his friend—had died, he remained emotionally distant while discussing her passing. Moreover, Master Sol already hasn’t hesitated to critique the Jedi’s need to meet and come to an agreement over issues rather than take action when a problem arises. So far, dynamics inThe Acolytehave been more reminiscent of the tense conversations among the New Republic senators inAhsoka.
Sol
Master Sol is a wise, highly respected, powerful Jedi Master, strong in the ways of the Force, who is going through emotional conflict.
Star Wars Has Forgotten That Some People Will Always Clash
Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon and Jedi Knight Yord also make clear that not all Jedi are going to get along. While, yes, Anakin and Obi-Wan had plenty of banter with one another, Jecki and Yord are much more genuinely antagonistic to one another. In fact, Jecki clearly undermines Yord’s plan at one point, and when Master Sol sides with Jecki, Yord is visibly annoyed. Ultimately,this is a much more realistic representation of how things really would have operated in the Jedi Order.
Jecki Lon
Jecki is the Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Although she is young, she projects calm and conducts herself with maturity.
Yord Fandar
Yord, a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple, is an overachiever and a rule follower. His need to be a by-the-book Jedi can cloud his mind.
In truth, the Jedi of the prequel trilogy era weren’t really getting along so perfectly either. That’s abundantly clear given the Jedi who left the Order, from Count Dooku to Ahsoka Tano. There was plenty of tension, disillusionment, and even resentment within the Order that was going unaddressed.
There was plenty of tension, disillusionment, and even resentment within the Order that was going unaddressed.
After all, pretending to be Ahsoka’s friend while really despising what the Jedi had become was how Barriss Offee initially successfully framed Ahsoka for murder. Perhaps this very light being shed upon the Jedi not always working well together inThe Acolytewill elucidate why the prequel trilogy Jedi, the Jedi Council in particular, were so focused on being unanimously unified. For now, though, it’s clear thatStar Wars: The Acolytewon’t shy away from the truth about the Jedi dynamics inStar Wars.
The Acolyte
Cast
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.
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