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Warning! This post contains spoilers for The Acolyte.

The Acolyte’s Dafne Keen explained in a recent interview that her character, Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon, really died as a Jedi Knight in The Acolyte episode 5. The Acolyte is the newest addition to Star Wars movies and TV shows, and, so far, it’s managed to stand out among the rest by having no hesitation when it comes to (brutally) killing its main characters. One of the biggest victims of this approach to main characters’ deaths was Jecki Lon, who was viciously cut down by Star Wars’ newest Sith, Qimir/the Stranger.

In an interview with Vulture, Jecki Lon actress Dafne Keen shed light upon how Jecki died not as a Jedi Padawan but rather as a Jedi Knight based on all she had been through on that mission. Keen explained:

And in a really beautiful way, Jecki dies as a Jedi knight. She made it to knight. She was on a mission; she died fighting a noble cause, fighting a Sith. She was doing really well, he cheated, and she took the death with no anger and with grace. As she says herself, it’s always a beautiful thing to watch anything or anyone become one with the Force. She had that happen to her.

Although this makes Jecki’s death all the more tragic in some ways, as she was just approaching this massive shift in her Jedi journey, it also brings a bit of comfort about her brutal and shocking death.

The Acolyte Episode 5’s Jedi Deaths, Ranked By Impact

The Acolyte episode 5 brutally killed off several of the Jedi sent to Khofar, but not all of their deaths had the same element of surprise or impact.

This Mission Would Have Been Jecki’s Trial Had She Survived

Dafne Keen’s description of Jecki Lon’s death is absolutely lovely and perfectly honors her character and, really, the way of the Jedi. Her specific reference to her character’s own position on death—that seeing someone become one with the Force is beautiful—is an incredible way to bring a bit of comfort to Star Wars audiences who were shocked and saddened by the character’s very sudden and violent death. And, as Keen mentions, Jecki seems to have believed this to the end; she didn’t seem outraged or even devastated by her own demise.

However, Keen is equally correct about how heroically Jecki died. It was amazing to watch Jecki truly hold her own against Qimir/the Stranger, who is presumed to be The Acolyte’s Sith. While there are clues Qimir isn’t a Sith, it’s clear regardless that Qimir is a very powerful dark side Force-user, as he was able to cut down multiple Jedi with ease. Jecki’s ability to battle so successfully against someone like that as a Padawan is truly admirable.

In truth, this makes it easy to believe that this confrontation would have constituted Jecki’s Jedi Trial, meaning she would move on from being a Padawan and become an official Jedi Knight. Even in spite of Master Sol referring to her as “a child” after her death, Jecki was certainly old enough to make this transition, based on other Jedi Knights before her, and such a daunting mission would have more than proven her readiness. Sadly, this never came to be.

While Dafne Keen’s insights do ring true and bring some level of comfort, it nevertheless remains surprising how willingly The Acolyte kills its characters off—including the fan favorites. After all, Yord Fandar had his own unique fanbase, the “Yord Horde,” and he too fell in episode 5. With only a few episodes left, The Acolyte surely has even more shocking twists and deaths in store.

Source: Vulture

The Acolyte

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Fantasy

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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
Seasons: 1
Streaming Service(s): Disney+
Franchise(s): Star Wars
Writers: Leslye Headland
, Charmaine De Grate
, Kor Adana
Directors: Leslye Headland
, Alex Garcia Lopez
Showrunner: Leslye Headland