Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5.
The Sith Lord of The Acolyte decimated the Jedi in episode 5, but they may have damaged themselves more than the Stranger did. The Acolyte episode 5 saw the Stranger, also known as Qimir, wipe out seven of the eight Jedi sent to Khofar, leaving only Master Sol alive. It was the biggest Jedi massacre since Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but it still may not have been the thing that damaged the Jedi most that night. The Stranger told Mae that he wanted her to “kill the dream” of the Jedi, and he took a big step in accomplishing that.
The High Republic era, when The Acolyte takes place, was a time when the Jedi Order was at its absolute best. The prequel trilogy of Star Wars movies, however, saw the total annihilation of the Order and the fall of the Jedi. The Acolyte has promised to bridge this gap and give more context into how the Jedi fell so far, and episode 5 got that ball rolling more than anything else in the show so far. It did so by exposing an ugly truth about the Jedi, and one they brought about themselves.
Related
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide – Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
The Jedi Do Exactly What They’d Criticize Qimir For
Aside from killing seven Jedi in The Acolyte episode 5, the Stranger also did quite a few things the Jedi would criticize. He practiced the deceptive Trakata lightsaber combat form, the Sith Lord had a new trick lightsaber, he used cortosis in his helmet and gauntlet to shut down his opponents’ lightsabers, and he killed Yord Fandar while he was unarmed. Those tactics gave the Stranger an “unfair” advantage, and any one of them would easily earn the Jedi’s scorn and be considered a dishonorable way to fight. Even if he hadn’t killed seven Jedi, they would have condemned Qimir outright.
The Acolyte, however, seemingly asserted that the Jedi were no better. Throughout the fight on Khofar, many of the Jedi practiced the very tactics and tricks they would have criticized the Stranger for using. Both Sol and Yord attacked Qimir while his back was turned. Jecki Lon used two lightsabers, which gave her an advantage many of the other Jedi didn’t enjoy. Sol likely tapped into his rage and the dark side and nearly killed Qimir when he was unarmed. The Jedi would condemn everything the Stranger did on Khofar, but they had no problem with using the same tactics themselves.
Qimir Implies The Jedi Are The True Aggressors Here
The Stranger’s decision to expose himself to the Jedi on Khofar didn’t make much sense when he first engaged them. It seemed like the only thing he could really accomplish was letting the Jedi know that the Sith weren’t actually extinct, which would have been detrimental to their plans. By forcing the Jedi to fight dirty and then pointing out their hypocrisy, however, the Stranger seems to have made major progress in his goal to “kill the dream” of the Jedi. After Khofar, the Jedi seem much less like perfect, peace-keeping servants of the light. Qimir has exposed them as hypocrites and aggressors.
Related
Why The Jedi Think The Sith Are Extinct In The Acolyte & The Phantom Menace
Before Darth Maul emerged from the shadows in The Phantom Menace, the Jedi believed the Sith to be extinct. Why did they make this mistake?
There’s also a sense that none of the Jedi would have died, and none of their hypocrisy would have been exposed, if they simply granted the Stranger the freedom he desired. If the Order wasn’t so intent on battling any sign of the dark side they saw, Qimir never would have sent Mae after them, or attacked them himself. The Stranger’s sentiments match the downfall of the Jedi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy: they brought their destruction upon themselves. With the Stranger and the Jedi’s hypocrisy both fully exposed, The Acolyte‘s critiques of the Jedi Order may become even more extreme.
The Acolyte
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes – all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
- Cast
-
Amandla Stenberg
, Lee Jung-jae
, Joonas Suotamo
, Charlie Barnett
, Dafne Keen
, Leah Brady
, Manny Jacinto
, Rebecca Henderson
, Carrie-Anne Moss
, Jodie Turner-Smith
, Dean-Charles Chapman
, Lauren Brady
, Anthony J. Abraham
, Thara Shöön
, Danielle Xin Yao Waterman
, Sienna Khiroya
, Jeramiah Evans
, Dan Milne
, Thomas Coombes
, Archie Singh Swali
, Nick Court
, Ed Kear
, Jumayn Hunter
, Scroobius Pip
, Abigail Thorn
, Margarita Levieva
, Amy Tsang
, Saskia Allen
, Deborah Rosan
, Tabitha Alege
, Paul Bullion
, Indra Ové
, Derek Arnold
, Lewis Young - Character(s)
-
Mae
, Master Sol
, Kelnacca
, Yord Fandar
, Jecki Lon
, Little Mae
, Qimir
, Master Vernestra Rwoh
, Master Indara
, Mother Aniseya
, Master Torbin
, Padawan Torbin
, Little Osha
, Fillik
, Tasi Lowa
, Youngling
, Restrained Convict
, Convict
, Olega Urchin
, Olega Master
, Olega Padawan
, Scavenger
, Ensign Eurus
, Mother Koril
, Ensign Rane
, Scout Sarria
, Ensign Shima
, Elder Jaalyn
, Master Lakshay
, Master Holden
, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi
, Jedi Knight - Showrunner
-
Leslye Headland
