The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland discuses the mysterious planet from the sixth episode and its connection to the Jedi Order.

The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller series set during the High Republic era of the Star Wars franchise. Created by Leslye Headland, the series presents an interesting take on the concepts of Jedi and Sith, with shifting perspectives and different characters such as Osha, Mae, and Qimir.

The Acolyte episode 6 features a mystery planet resembling Ahch-To (Credit: Lucasfilm).

After the show’s most recent episode, fans theorized that the planet where Qimir takes Osha is actually the birthplace of the Jedi Order. However, Headland debunked the theory during an interview, but admitted that the similarities were intentional. Here is what Headland had to say about the new planet introduced in The Acolyte episode 6.

The Acolyte Showrunner Leslye Headland Debunks Jedi Order Birthplace Fan Theory

The sixth episode of The Acolyte sees Qimir tending to a recovering Osha on a distant planet, which resembles the general appearance and environment of Ahch-To. In the sequel trilogy, the planet was revealed to house the first Jedi temple and became the place of Luke Skywalker’s exile.

Ahch-To is believed to be the birthplace of the Jedi Order (Credit: The Last Jedi | Lucasfilm).

Given the similarities, fans theorized that the planet in episode 6 was Ahch-To, which is presumed to be the birthplace of the Jedi. Since the Sith were an offshoot of the Jedi Order, it would make sense for a character like Qimir, a former Jedi turned to the dark side, to know the planet.

However, during an interview with Collider, showrunner Leslye Headland debunked the fan theory by stating the planet wasn’t Ahch-To. She said:

It’s not Ahch-To. I know it’s similar, and it was intentionally supposed to be similar in terms of terrain and feeling isolated and surrounded by water and less lush green and more rocky.

From Headland’s words, it is evident that the planet appearing in the sixth episode wasn’t Ahch-To. Therefore, it could not have been the birthplace of the Jedi Order. Furthermore, Headland added that the planet remains unnamed since the Jedi were yet to discover it.

Leslye Headland Explains Why the Planet in The Acolyte Isn’t Ahch-To

Leslye Headland did not use Ahch-To in The Acolyte for a key reason (Credit: Star Wars | YouTube).

During the same interview, Headland explained the reasoning behind not using Ahch-To for the episode and opting for an identical-looking planet. Aside from the fact that the planet was yet to be on the Jedi Order’s radar, it also houses an important resource that can beat the Jedi.

The idea is that Cortosis is mined on this planet, so I don’t think that’s the case with Ahch-To. Part of the reason this is his home base is that Cortosis is a very rare metal. I don’t think we say it explicitly in the show, but that’s a reason it’s not Ahch-To.

Headland made the above statement, explaining why Qimir chose this particular planet as his home base. According to Star Wars lore, Cortosis is a rare metal that can be used to destabilize a lightsaber, the primary weapon of the Jedi Order.

In the previous episode, we have seen Qimir use a Cortosis helmet and other items to systematically defeat a group of Jedi. Hence, Headland’s reasoning behind not using Ahch-To makes sense. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if the mystery planet has any further ties to the Sith order.

The Acolyte and other Star Wars projects are streaming on Disney+.