Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2.
Summary
An early twist inThe Acolytereveals Osha, a former Padawan of the Jedi Order finding her way through the galaxy. WithThe Acolytecoming from showrunner Leslye Headland, it was expected that the show would have several major reveals across its eight episodes. These reveals were expected to further flesh out the show’s central mystery, all while giving more information aboutThe Acolyte’s cast of characters.
Set in the dying days ofStar Wars’High Republic Era,The Acolytefocuses on a string of Jedi murders that tie into a conspiracy centered around emerging dark forces. As of the end of episode 2, the identity ofThe Acolyte’s mysterious Sith villainremains a mystery. That said, several other reveals were provided. One such revelation comes in the form of Osha, the twin of Amandla Stenberg’s Mae.AcrossThe Acolyteepisodes 1 and 2, a lot of Osha’s history is revealed, from her childhood and backstory to her connection to the Jedi Order.
Star Wars: Every Major Event Of The High Republic Era
The High Republic Era is full of significant events, both for the Jedi Order and the Republic it sought to protect long before the prequels.
Osha & Her Sister Mae Are Survivors Of A Tragedy
Mae & Osha Have A Heartbreaking Backstory
Early inThe Acolyteepisode 1, the show makes a concerted effort to show the difference between Mae and Osha. The former is the character showcased in the majority ofThe Acolyte’s marketing who has a vendetta against the Jedi, while the latter is a simple worker trying to make her way through the galaxy. Interestingly,The Acolytealso provides hints about their tragic past, as early as Osha’s first scene when she is noticeably shaken by a ship fire before hearing the strained cries of people from her past.
Sol insists that it was Mae who started the fire, which resulted in the deaths of her and Osha’s family.
Later in the show’s two-episode premiere, it is revealed that Osha and Mae are survivors of a tragedy on their home planet. When the two were children, a fire broke out in their home. Sol insists that it was Mae who started the fire, which resulted in the deaths of her and Osha’s family.Mae was believed dead, and Osha was found by the Jedistationed on her planet at that time: Master Indara, Master Sol, Master Kelnacca, and Master Torbin. This tragedy is what shaped both Mae and Osha, leading to their emergence duringThe Acolyte’s story.
Osha Became Master Sol’s Padawan In Spite Of Her Age & Griief
Osha Became A Jedi After The Deaths Of Her Family
While there is likely more to be revealed about the tragedy that lies at the center of Osha and Mae’s backstory, one of the outcomes is clear. Given that Mae was presumed dead, Osha was taken off-world by the Jedi and inducted into the Order. Osha eventually became Sol’s Padawan, though showed some notable traits that led many on the Jedi Council to believe she should not be trained. One aspect was her age, as Osha joined the Jedi when she was eight years old. As notable in the prequel trilogy,Star Wars' Jedi take children as infants.
Anakin Skywalker’s older age was raised as a reason not to train him in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Another element that saw the Jedi hesitant to train Osha was her grief. Due to being inducted into the Jedi shortly after her family were all killed, Osha was in a heightened state of mourning. The Jedi are somewhat fearful of these types of emotions as they can lead to fear, anger, hate, and the dark side. Nonetheless, Osha trained with Sol for a while before making a change in her life, as teased inThe Acolyte’s marketing.
Osha Left The Jedi Order & Became A Mek Nek
Osha’s Choice To Leave The Jedi Saw Her Become A Ship-Worker
At the onset ofThe Acolyte, it is revealed by Osha that she left the Jedi six years ago. Osha presumably trained under Sol for around a decade before deciding to leave the Order, which led her to become a Mek Nek. Mek Nek’s are a new addition toStar Warscanon forThe Acolyte.GivenThe Acolyte’s placement on theStar Warstimeline, this makes sense and is even addressed by Jecki Lon. Mek Neks work as mechanics on ships such as those owned by the Trade Federation. These employees conduct dangerous space walks whenever an issue presents itself.
InThe Acolyteepisode 2, Jecki asks Osha why Mek Neks are employed when astromech droids tend to fix issues on the outside of a ship. This raises the question of why Mek Neks are not around later in theStar Warstimeline. The job was likely outlawed due to dangers to human or alien life, thus causing astromechs to be commonplace thereafter. Osha’s job as a Mek Nek is highlighted inThe Acolyteepisode 1 before she is found by Yord Fandar and his apprentice.
Osha Doesn’t Appear To Have Cultivated Her Force Gifts
Osha Struggles To Use The Force Willingly
InThe Acolyteepisode 1, Osha is framed for Mae’s murder of the Jedi. As a result, she is placed on a prisoner transport ship and taken to Coruscant. However, the transport ship is hijacked by the other prisoners, and Osha is left for dead. In an attempt to escape, Osha tries to reach for her handheld pip-droid. After realizing the droid is too far away, Osha visibly centers herself and tries to reach out using the Force. However, Osha cannot levitate the pip-droid toward her, meaning she has trouble calling on the Force despite being trained as a Jedi.
Osha blames Mae for the deaths of their family and seeks revenge, an emotion that clouds the judgment of the Jedi.
This likely ties to her dropping out of the Jedi Order. It is made clear via Osha’s conversations with Sol that she still has trouble letting go of her grief. Osha blames Mae for the deaths of their family and seeks revenge, an emotion that clouds the judgment of the Jedi. This, combined with her being in a perpetual state of mourning, has likely cut Osha off from the Force. This was further supported by her work as a Mek Nek, with Osha being shown to freeze at the sight of fire, taking her back to her tragic childhood memories.
ThroughoutThe Acolyteseason 1, Osha will likely reignite her connection with the Force. While there will undoubtedly be twists and turns,The Acolytehas laid the groundwork for Osha’s character arc. Through being reunited with the Jedi and directly confronting her tragic past, Osha will likely learn to overcome her grief and connect to the Force once more.
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Are Osha & Mae Part Of A Force Dyad?
A Major Sequel Trilogy Element May Be Part Of The Acolyte
Finally, the last - and arguably most intriguing - potentiality of Osha’s character links to the sequel trilogy. TheStar Warssequel movies introduced the concept of a Force Dyad, two people born separately but that count as one in the eyes of the Force. These two people - Rey Skywalker and Ben Solo in the sequels' case - had an unbreakable bond through the Force, allowing them to be connected across time and space. InThe Acolyte, some hints are provided that Osha and Mae form a Force Dyad.
Rey and Kylo were said to be the first Force Dyad in generations, meaning one being included in The High Republic timeline makes perfect sense.
In the final act ofThe Acolyteepisode 1, Osha’s transport ship crashes on an icy planet. On this planet, Osha experiences Force visions of Mae, hinting that the two are connected as Rey and Kylo Ren will be centuries later in thechronologicalStar Warstimeline. One line in this sequence hints at the possibility of a Force Dyad, with Mae stating she and Osha are"Always one, born as two.“This, combined with their ability to speak to each other through Force visions, hints thatThe Acolytewill delve even further into the concept of a Force Dyad.
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.
