The Acolyte introduces viewers to a whole new era in Star Wars history – and features Carrie-Anne Moss as Jedi Master Indara. Set a century before the events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The Acolyte is at the tail-end of the High Republic Era – the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic. Its place in the Star Wars timeline means the Disney+ TV show features a lot of original characters.

There’s a sense in which The Acolyte is a mystery story, although not quite the mystery it was originally billed as. Someone is killing Jedi, but the real question isn’t who; it’s why, and why these specific Jedi. The death of Master Indara is the beginning of this mystery, triggering an investigation that has started to unearth the secrets of a Jedi expedition to the Outer Rim planet Brendok 16 years ago.

Jedi Master Indara Led A Mission To Brendok 16 Years Ago

Her Efforts To Keep This Mission On Task Failed

As revealed in The Acolyte episode 3, the show’s story really begins sixteen years before the show’s main events. Master Indara was one of a small group who traveled to the Outer Rim planet Brendok, and at first, it seemed that they were investigating rumors of a forbidden Force cult. There, they discovered the witches of Brendok, a small community who had settled on the planet because it was outside Republic space. But the Jedi insisted on enforcing the rules of the Republic regardless, insisting they had a right to test the two twins the witches were harboring.

The Acolyte episode 7 shares the Jedi’s perspective, revealing that their insistence upon testing the girls was solely an excuse to investigate and see if the girls were in danger. In reality, the Jedi were stationed on Brendok to search for a Force vergence. Indara was insistent upon leaving the girls alone, especially once she reached out to the Jedi Council and received the same sentiment from them, but she was caught in a hard place when the Jedi Knight Sol and her Padawan Torbin both stormed to the witches’ coven to take the twins themselves.

Sixteen years later, this decision caught up with them, beginning with Indara.

It all ended in tragedy, with the entire coven ultimately dying after Indara attempted to sever the connection the witches had made to her fellow Jedi, Kelnacca’s, mind. One child, Osha, was inducted into the Jedi; her twin sister Mae was believed to have been killed. Ultimately, the Jedi decided to conceal the truth of what had happened, using the fire Mae had accidentally started as a cover for why the witches died. Sixteen years later, this decision caught up with them, beginning with Indara.

Master Indara Was Mae’s First Kill

The Events Of Brendok Caught Up To Her

Mae returned 16 years later, now a Sith Acolyte tasked with killing Jedi to prove her worth. Indara was her first target, although Mae was forced to resort to using weapons – and treachery. Their fight was impressive, and Indara surely would have won if Mae had not targeted a nearby civilian to purposely draw the Jedi’s focus away. Indara’s death is the inciting incident for the entire Disney+ TV show, with Master Sol leading the investigation into her assassination.

Has Jedi Master Indara Appeared Before In Star Wars Canon?

Indara Was Created Specifically For The Acolyte

image via Disney+

Master Indara was created for The Acolyte TV show, which means that she had never been seen before in Star Wars canon. This is true for most of The Acolyte‘s cast and characters. This makes sense, given that The Acolyte is essentially meant to be a prequel to the prequels, providing context for the Jedi Order depicted in the prequel trilogy.

The Acolyte is essentially meant to be a prequel to the prequels.

While there have been cameos in The Acolyte from Jedi who would have been part of the Order at that time, such as Ki-Adi-Mundi, the key players are figures who offer new insights into the Jedi’s history. This is particularly exciting because it represents a clean slate for Star Wars, going far back enough to introduce novel characters, stories, and ideas without being as beholden to the franchise’s three trilogies. However, this doesn’t mean that Master Indara’s story won’t be fleshed out to connect to those trilogies, as retconning is what Star Wars does best.

Carrie-Anne Moss Plays Master Indara

She Is Perfect For This Action Role

Carrie-Anne Moss has already made a massive name for herself in other franchises, perhaps most notably with her appearances in The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections. In the Matrix franchise, Moss played Trinity, a rebel who has escaped the Matrix and who becomes main character Neo’s love interest throughout the movies. Moss has also had a long run as Jeri Hogarth in Marvel’s Netflix shows, including Daredevil, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and Jessica Jones.

Moss is therefore no newcomer to major franchises, making her well-suited to join Star Wars. Particularly as so much of her background includes action movies and TV shows, Moss is an excellent fit for The Acolyte, which is packed full of action sequences. Moss’ character gets to kick off all this action, and despite her death, she does so in an extremely exciting and skilled way. While little is still known about Indara herself even at the end of the show’s run, it’s clear that Carrie-Anne Moss is an exciting addition to Star Wars: The Acolyte.