Dafne Keen has revealed a key subtext in The Acolyte episode 4, one that suggests her character Jecki Lon is close to breaking one major George Lucas Jedi rule. The Acolyte episode 4 opened on the city-planet Coruscant, with the Jedi regrouping after their first clash with the Sith assassin Mae Aniseya. Amandla Stenberg’s Osha initially looked set to leave the Order once again, much to the disappointment of Dafne Keen’s Padawan Jecki Lon. The two seemed to have established a surprisingly deep rapport.

Speaking to Decider, Keen revealed there was a dynamic to this that only some viewers understood; Jecki is a young eighteen-year-old who hasn’t had much social interaction, and she’s actually attracted to Osha. “I think, for Jecki, it’s very confusing because as a Jedi you’re not allowed to have feelings for other people,” she explained. According to Keen, it’s not a simple feeling for Jecki.

“Jecki’s such a young character. She’s an 18-year-old, but she’s not a normal 18-year-old. Like she hasn’t gone to school and she hasn’t had interactions with other like people. So it’s her first real experience, I think, of those kinds of feelings and almost the guilt and confusion that comes with it.

“She’s such a controlled, like self-judging, like perfect student, that I think it’s also almost self-hatred that comes from having those feelings and the kind of constriction, but also the inevitable magnetism that she has towards Osha because of that.”

Attachments are, of course, forbidden for the Jedi – which makes this a very difficult thing for the perfectionist Jecki to deal with, especially given she can’t help but also feel a sense of competition with Master Sol’s old Padawan.

Every Padawan Struggles With Attachments, But This Is New For Jecki

In truth, every Jedi must struggle with the temptation of attachment – and, crucially, must learn how to differentiate between selfish attachment and selfless love. That balance has been a major theme in Star Wars stories set during the High Republic Era, with recent novels even discussing romances between two accomplished Jedi Masters. In general, though, it is during the teenage Padawan years that most Jedi wrestle with this.

It’s interesting to note how inexperienced Jecki is in terms of dealing with these feelings. Most Padawans find themselves dealing with them when they’re interacting with fellow Jedi of their own age and rank, and there have even been hints there are many Youngling and Padawan romances as they do so. Jecki, however, feels relatively isolated and aloof even for a Jedi. She’s a perfectionist by nature, explaining her clashes with Yord Fandar, who is higher in rank but less competent in skill. It’s possible she simply never spent time with her peers.

Keen refused to confirm whether this would remain subtext, or whether it will be explicitly explored as The Acolyte continues. The Jedi are about to face a terrifying threat, with a mysterious Sith Lord emerging from the jungle canopy to attack them. If Jecki wishes time to process her feelings for Osha, she will first need to survive.