The Acolyte has concluded its first season on Disney+, weaving a unique story set during the storied High Republic Era of Star Wars. The series is set in 132 BBY, one hundred years before the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, during which the Sith reveal themselves for the first time in millennia, shaking the entire galaxy and setting in motion a plot that will lead to the destruction of the Jedi. The Acolyte, however, shows a previously unknown conflict between a small group of Jedi and a newly arisen Sith Lord known as The Stranger. This new Sith is in search of a pupil, eventually settling on the former Jedi Padawan Osha Aniseya.

It is no secret that The Acolyte has drawn heavy backlash from Star Wars fans, for some reasons more valid than others. A major issue that viewers have taken with the series is how it seems to overwrite franchise lore regarding the Sith. The series claims to introduce a new Sith Lord whom the Jedi confront, seemingly overwriting the Order’s mistaken belief that the Sith had been extinct for over one thousand years by the events of The Phantom Menace. However, there remains a simple explanation for this apparent plot hole, which may involve the surprise cameo at the end of the season.

The Jedi May Have Covered Up The Sith’s Existence

The Acolyte Cast & Character Guide

Character
Actor

Osha Aniseya

Mae-ho Aniseya

Qimir/The Stranger
Manny Jacinto

Master Sol
Lee Jung-jae

Master Indara
Carrie Anne-Moss

Master Kelnacca
Joonas Suotamo

Master Torbin
Dean-Charles Chapman

Mother Aniseya
Jodie Turner-Smith

Master Vernestra Rwoh
Rebecca Henderson

Jecki Lon
Dafne Keen

Yord Fandar
Charlie Barnett

While fans of The Acolyte still have huge questions about the Jedi and how much they knew about the Sith before The Phantom Menace, the series may be planting the seeds for an easy explanation of this lingering plot hole. The season finale ends with Master Vernestra Rwoh entering a chamber in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where she speaks with a superior who turns out to be none other than Master Yoda. While the rest of their conversation is not shown, it is implied that Rwoh came clean to Yoda about everything that happened. Vernestra is one of the few living Jedi who still knows about the Stranger’s existence, having covered up the entire ordeal earlier in the episode. However, it appears that she confides in Yoda, a leading member of the High Jedi Council, presumably telling him everything.

If this is the case, then Yoda was well aware that the Sith still existed during the events of The Phantom Menace. It may be that, while most Jedi didn’t know the truth about the Sith, certain key members of the Order, like Vernestra Rwoh and Yoda, did. These particular Jedi may have opted to cover the situation up, keeping the Sith’s return a secret for whatever reason they deemed necessary. Keeping this information from the other Jedi would also keep it from the general public, stopping a widespread panic and even potentially preventing another war. During the events of The Acolyte, the galaxy has been at peace for hundreds of years. It would make sense for Yoda and Rwoh to take drastic actions to keep war from breaking out. If they could deal with the Stranger’s return on their own, they could justify not notifying the other Jedi of this minor inconvenience.

The Acolyte May Actually Be Fixing A Plot Hole From The Phantom Menace

Upcoming Star Wars Series

Name
Creator
Release Date

Skeleton Crew
Jon Watts Christopher Ford
2024

Andor Season 2
Tony Gilroy
2025

Ahsoka Season 2
Dave Filoni
TBA

This revelation could also mend a little-recognized plot hole from The Phantom Menace. At the end of the film, Yoda and the other members of the Jedi Council attend the funeral of Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who was killed in battle with the Sith apprentice Darth Maul. During the ceremony, Yoda and Mace Windu discuss the events that have transpired, with the older master referencing the Sith Rule of Two, which maintains that only two Sith, a master and an apprentice, can exist at any one time. This conversation has become iconic in the Star Wars fandom, dropping a piece of lore that would prove important to the history of the Sith. However, fans have never really questioned how Yoda came by that piece of information.

If Darth Maul was truly the first Sith seen in 1,000 years, then Yoda should have no knowledge of the Rule of Two. It was Bane himself who instituted the rule after the fall of the Sith Empire, the event during which the Jedi mistakenly came to believe that they had wiped their enemy out entirely. The Rule of Two was functional entirely during the hidden era of the Sith when they remained hidden from the Jedi. There should be no reason for Yoda to know about this stipulation unless he had had dealings with the Sith at some point in the last millennium. The Acolyte may be the answer to this previously unrecognized plot hole, revealing that Yoda discovered Sith at some point between the fall of the Sith Empire and the appearance of Darth Maul.

The Acolyte Is Preparing To Show The Hypocrisy Of The Jedi

Upcoming Star Wars Films

Name
Director
Release Date

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Rey’s New Jedi Order
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
TBA

Heir to the Empire
Dave Filoni
TBA

Dawn of the Jedi
James Mangold
TBA

Rogue Squadron
Patty Jenkins
TBA

The Acolyte has made it a point to muddy the waters when it comes to morality in the Star Wars universe. While the Jedi have always been hailed as heroes, certain movies and shows reveal that they were not all they seemed or even believed themselves to be. The Star Wars prequel trilogy showed a new side of the Jedi, depicting the Order at the height of its power–and the height of its hubris. The Jedi had become haughty in their high temple, growing hypocritical in their mastery over the Force. This eventually leads to Count Dooku walking away from the Order to become a Sith. Dooku famously blamed Yoda for the Jedi’s decline, claiming that the old Jedi Master had become sloppy and content with himself. The Acolyte may be prepared to prove this statement correct.

If Vernestra Rwoh and Yoda indeed cover up the return of the Sith in The Acolyte, it would prove once and for all that the Jedi truly had lost their way before their fall. Not only did they believe that they had sole possession of the Force, but also that they could decide who got what information and when. Although the Jedi were still always guardians of peace and ultimately fought for the side of good, they had become corrupted in their way, making their extinction inevitable. While the fall of the Jedi would not come for another century, the seeds of their destruction were present even in the days of The Acolyte.

While many fans have strong feelings about The Acolyte, the series needs to be given the chance to explain the plot holes that it seems to have created. The Star Wars series has already laid the groundwork for a compelling explanation for its lingering questions, which could tie into the fall of the Jedi and the hypocrisy of their highest-ranking masters.