25 years after Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte is making a key Jedi criticism an explicit part of the story. For over two decades, viewers had seen the Jedi through the romanticized lens of Luke Skywalker and the sacrificial heroism of Obi-Wan Kenobi. That’s why George Lucas’ portrayal of the Jedi Order in The Phantom Menace took audiences by surprise; suddenly they realized Jedi weren’t gods or supermen. The past glory was an illusion, for the Jedi were flawed.

Speaking exclusively to Screen Rant, Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll, Chicago Fire, Men In Black 3) revealed his Acolyte character Yord Fandar will go through a very similar character arc.

It’s like that moment when you realize that your parents aren’t gods, do you know what I’m saying? That kind of mysticism plays out, and I think Yord is stuck in and committed to being in the ‘Jedi are gods’ statement. He is a Jedi Knight, and he’s fairly new to the position too, so he is very excited to do it right….

Every time I watched Jedi growing up, they were perfect. It was like, ‘These are gods!’ But seeing the raw edges of their humanity, even going back to some of the movies and seeing Anakin struggle with these things, and Obi-wan talking to him and expressing the same kind of feelings? I love those blended, human dynamics. Those are the parts of Yord that I really had fun exploring.

Yord’s Character Arc Gives A Voice To Prequel Trilogy Viewers

Set a century before the Skywalker saga – “Before the Empire, Before the Menace” as Lucasfilm put it – The Acolyte is a first glimpse of the Jedi Order at its prime. The High Republic Era was one in which the light of the Jedi shone brightly across the galaxy, forcing the Sith to hide in the shadows. But Barnett’s comment suggests the flaws of the Jedi were concealed, rather than nonexistent, and that Yord’s experiences will force him to recognize this truth.

The dynamic between Yord and Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon sounds particularly entertaining. In other interviews, Dafne Keen has suggested her character is a much more competent Jedi than Yord, in spite of their age gap; that realization alone should surely leave Yord unsettled, spurring his realization. After all, if he believes “Jedi are gods” and he is himself a Jedi Knight, then he no doubt has something of an ego – and pride is a pathway to the dark side.

Yord’s journey sounds just like the one the Star Wars fandom experienced in 1999, when they saw the prequel era Jedi Order as they were for the first time. There was a massive backlash against Lucas’ vision back then, one that was unjustifiably severe, and it’s possible Yord will follow the same pattern of anger and outrage. The Acolyte may begin with one dark side acolyte, but others may well find themselves falling to the dark side as well.