Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 of the Acolyte.
One of the coolest thingsThe Acolyteis doing is bringing to live-action a beloved character from theStar Warsbooks and comics, Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). She has seen a lot of action through the High Republic era, and, by the time of the new Disney+ show, is a highly respected member of the Jedi Order. She does, however, display some of the typical flaws and problems of the Jedi that we are used to, showing thatthese issues have been rooted within the Order for centuries— and we’ve already seen some of them in the first two episodes.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
The High Republic Jedi Were Once Different From the Ones in the Skywalker Saga
The novels and comics set inthe High Republic eraof galactic history are among the best things Star Warshas ever put out. Focused mostly on the Jedi of that time — between three and one century before the events ofStar Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace- those stories show the Order at the height of their power and influence, andalso somewhat different from the Jedi we are used to seeingin the movies and other television series. While the Jedi we know are usually more stern and serious, in the High Republic things were lighter, and they were allowed to be more passionate and compassionate.
Vernestra Rwoh became a beloved character from those stories because she is introduced as a young prodigy in the Jedi Order. The youngest Jedi ever to make it to the rank of Knight, she always felt she had to make up for her lack of experience by dedicating herself to studying and training even harder, soshe grew into a very “by the book” kind of Jedi. She takes a Padawan early on and helps in the effort against the Nihil pirates during the most serious crisis the Republic had ever faced until then. And the Nihil are precisely the problem in this context, because, in many ways, they have managed to shake the faith the galaxy had in the Jedi, and that the Jedi had in themselves, too.
During the Nihil crisis, the Jedi became extremely important from a political standpoint, leading the fight against the enemy and acting in partnership with Chancellor Lina Soh and the Galactic Senate in every matter.They had to deal with many secrets about them coming to light, especially that they weren’t invincible or infallible. For example, the leader of the Nihil, Marchion Ro, descends from an anti-Jedi cult called thePath of the Open Hand, and uses a living weapon against them called the Nameless, which feeds on the Force and reduces Force users to literal ashes. This is the kind of threat that could spread panic inside the Order itself, so, when the Nameless were first revealed, Master Yoda himself chose to keep them secret from the other Jedi and the galaxy. That was the first time in recordedStar Warshistory that the Jedi took such a decision, but it wouldn’t be the last.
‘The Acolyte’s Jedi Are Already More Concerned About Political Capital Than Doing the Right Thing
In Episode 1 ofThe Acolyte, Vernestra is the one to tell Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that his former Padawan, Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg), is the prime suspect in the murder of Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss). The two have a brief discussion about who should lead the investigation, but the main concern iskeeping the whole thing secretive to avoid political complications. The Jedi are worried more about how the case may affect their political position instead of actually solving it. Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) has already started looking into the murder, but the fewer people know about it, the better.
Over the millennia, the Jedi Order has cultivated an image of being the keepers of peace and justice in the galaxy. That’s how everybody thinks of them, and that’s a huge compliance effort. It’s highly likely, for example, that Master Indara’s assassination is still secret from most of the Order, and even when it becomes known, it will probably be said she died under different circumstances than killed by a Dark Side acolyte. InThe Phantom Menace, for example, the Jedi Council talks about how the Sith have been extinct for millennia, butThe Acolyteis now not only proving otherwise but also that at least some Jedi were aware of it. Like what happened to the Nameless,the return of the Sith is probably going to be covered upby the Council.
This unfortunate tradition of subterfuge probably originated during the Nihil crisis, with the Jedi gaining more and more political capital as the enemy started losing (TheHigh Republicnovels and comics still haven’t gotten to this point yet, but we look forward to it!). The problem with politics is that it isn’t a game that one can quit, especially not a huge institution like the Jedi Order. And, just like any political faction, the Jedi surely have opposition in the Senate, so looking good is important. Knowledge of threats like the Nameless and enemies like the Sith among the members of the Order could have made many things easier, butthe need for secrecy in the political arena is an obstacle— one that will eventually contribute to their downfall.
‘The Acolyte’s Jedi Are Hampered by Their Inability to Delegate
Another thing that will ultimately end up facilitating the downfall of the Jedi isthe Order’s inability to compartmentalize and delegate. InEpisode 2, Master Sol and his team head up to the planet Olega after someone who looks exactly like Osha attempts to kill Jedi Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) in the local Jedi Temple. As they talk via holo, Vernestra straight up forbids Sol from going to Olega, arguing that they need to regroup and deliberate their next steps, but Sol refuses and travels to Olega anyway.
Vernestra acts as the voice of the Council in this context, so what she is saying has the full weight of all the Masters in it. Not so long after the Nihil crisis, it’s natural that the Council prefers the Jedi to run everything by them before proceeding.The problem is that this will only intensify over time, to the point where even the recruitment of potential younglings will become a Council matter, like youngAnakin Skywalker(Jake Lloyd) inThe Phantom Menace. This intense hold over everything every Jedi does inhibits some members of the Order from taking decisive action in some contexts, while, in others, creating unnecessary friction with other Jedi who may have different views on how to proceed, but who are just as wise.
The best example isObi-Wan Kenobi(Ewan McGregor) begging his master, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) not to go against the Council in the matter of training Anakin, again inThe Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan eventually becomes famous by being a rule-follower and even becomes a member of the Council, while Qui-Gon is often regarded as a maverick Jedi. For someone who was older than usual to be accepted into the Order and is rebellious and argumentative by nature,Anakin would have certainly benefited more from training under Qui-Gon, and perhaps he wouldn’t have gone on to become a Sith Lord. But who knows?
The first two episodes ofThe Acolyteare available on Disney+. New episodes air weekly on Wednesdays.
