In the Wake of That Explosive Finale, The Acolyte Should Be the Future of Star Wars

With The Acolyte finale now upon us at last, the truth’s come out in more ways than one.

Plenty of secrets are revealed in the narrative, of course, especially following last week’s flashback to Brendok. Sol was the one who killed the twins’ Mother, Aniseya, and his meddling was responsible for the rest of the coven’s demise as well. 

But what’s become most apparent now is just how much a second season of The Acolyte is needed, and not just because we’re thirsty for Qimir, aka The Handsome Menace. It’s also not because of all the dangling plot threads this final episode sets up, including a deep-cut cameo followed by a not-so deep-cut cameo at the very end. A shallow cut, if you will. 

No, the reason why The Acolyte’s future existence is so vital to our own is because this is exactly the kind of show Star Wars needs to make more of moving forward. Not since The Mandalorian has there been an original story based on (mostly) original characters in this galaxy far, far away. Even Andor, as brilliant as it is, connects directly with stories we’ve heard before, obliged to fill in certain gaps. 

Now, that’s not a bad thing per se, not when the writing is that strong. But what’s special about The Acolyte is that it isn’t beholden to lore in that same way. Yes, there are important connections to be made, especially some set up in this final episode, but by starting the story 100 years before Skywalker’s endlessly hashed-out saga, showrunner Leslye Headland and her team are finally (Force) pushing the franchise into new realms of storytelling.  

In doing so, The Acolyte has reminded us that there’s a whole world of possibility to mine beyond Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and everyone else who Disney recycles to cash in on nostalgia. Yoda’s big reveal aside, The Acolyte is much more focused on establishing new characters for us to fall in love with, including Yord (hello, Yord Horde!) and Qimir, the internet’s favorite new boyfriend. Both Jedi are diametrically opposed, morally speaking—although they’re united by pecs and abs, not to mention the fandom’s lust. 

There’s never been anyone in Star Wars quite like the fastidious Yord or the seductive Qimir either, just as no other show or film has challenged what it means to be a Jedi and whether or not their so-called righteous cause is even righteous at all. 

It’s in this grey area that Episode 8 begins, with Osha trying Qimir’s Dark Side helmet on for size. It fits real nice—that is, until she starts gasping for air. When Qimir tries to free Osha, his eyes turn black just like those who the Brendok witches controlled in last week’s flashback episode. Osha reveals a vision then of her twin sister, Mae, killing Master Sol with her hand outstretched. The pair race off on Qimir’s ship to find Mae and reckon with what’s supposedly going to happen. 

Meanwhile, Mae escapes Sol’s clutches with help from Bazil, the little beaver freak with a sensitive nose and an eye for fashion. Eventually, the four end up back on Brendok where Qimir and Sol face off with typically brilliant fight choreography, the kind that puts most other Star Wars fights to shame. Mae reunites with Osha and reveals that Sol was the one who killed their mother all those years ago—and he’s been lying about it ever since. The Light Side is looking a bit darker, suddenly.  

Sol overpowers Qimir, despite those giant arms of his, but before he can stop the Sith for good, Mae shows up and disarms him. As Sol confesses to their mother’s murder, he also reveals that Osha and Mae aren’t really twins. They are in fact the same person, created by Mother Aniseya using a vergence in the Force. For those unfamiliar with Star Wars geekery, that’s when the Force naturally concentrates in a specific area, enabling the most powerful users to accomplish extraordinary feats, like creating life. 

Osha overhears Sol and in a gag-worthy moment, it turns out she is the one who Force Chokes him to death, not Mae. Literally gaggy, in fact. And honestly, fair play to Osha. But by doing this, she tips ever closer to the Dark Side, as we can see when Osha’s lightsaber’s kyber crystal turns from blue to red.