One aspect that has cemented ‘The Acolyte’ in Star Wars history is the frequent accusations of canon violations. It all began with Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age and the notion that the presence of Sith in ‘The Acolyte’ contradicts his claim in ‘The Phantom Menace’ that Sith haven’t been seen for millennia.
Although the show attempted to address this by eliminating the Jedi who heard Qimir identify himself as a Sith, the final episode introduced another controversy: Kyber crystal bleeding.
The controversy centers around the claim that Anakin’s lightsaber should have turned red either during his battle with Obi-Wan on Mustafar or while he was killing the younglings. While it might have been possible, there is a solid reason why it did not occur.
I guess when Anakin slaughtered the younglings and fought Obi-Wan he simply wasn’t evil enough to bleed his saber unlike this random teenage girl
It’s almost like it doesn’t work like that but oh well https://t.co/aV1bnVXCUq pic.twitter.com/03uyANAUbU
— Johann (@LookAtMyMeat1) July 17, 2024
Which breaks canon even more…. Because Anakin’s crystal should have bled when Vader was on Mustafar…. Vader had Sith yellow eyes, and Mae did not.
The Acolyte breaks so much canon every episode. Disney should scrap it, fire Leslye Headland and Kathleen Kennedy, proclaim it…
— 𝘼𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙥 𝘼𝙞𝙧 🛫 (@AncapAir) July 17, 2024
To bleed a Kyber crystal, one must channel all their hatred and malice into it, destabilizing the crystal and turning it red, which is why Sith lightsabers are traditionally red compared to the variety of colors used by Jedi.
Although Anakin harbored significant anger and hatred, he did not possess a Kyber crystal taken from a fallen Jedi, which is a crucial step in the bleeding process.
For more details, check out this Wookieepedia entry:
Since kyber crystals are naturally attuned to the light side of the Force, those who serve the dark side must follow a different path. First, they must seize a pure crystal from the lightsaber of a Jedi they have vanquished in combat—for the saber of a Sith is not given. It is taken. Then, they must infuse that crystal with their pain, anger, and hatred, bending it to their will. This corrupts the crystal, aligning it with the dark side and making it bleed with unbridled crimson power.
The information comes from Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith, a canon reference book by Marc Sumerak, which explains why Anakin couldn’t have bled his lightsaber immediately.
He did eventually bleed his crystal when he returned to Mustafar with a Kyber crystal he had taken from Jedi Master Kirak Infil’a on the river moon Al’doleem, as detailed in Star Wars: Darth Vader #5.
Osha could quickly turn her crystal from blue to red because it was taken from Master Sol, whom she defeated in combat. This detail likely explains why Mae did not have a lightsaber and why she was so determined to seize her opponents’ lightsabers during their battles—she wanted to claim one and bleed it.
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