Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 7.

The Acolyte episode 7 includes an intriguing story element that could lead to a shocking revelation about the Force itself. After the many unanswered questions of The Acolyte episode 3, episode 7 returned to Brendok to reveal the events of the former from the perspective of the Jedi. By the time of The Acolyte episode 7’s ending, more puzzle pieces of the tragedy on Brendok were slotted into place, primarily thanks to the reveals of what part the Jedi played on that fateful night.

Thankfully, The Acolyte episode 7 delved much deeper into the lives of Sol, Indara, Kelnacca, and Torbin. From detailing what Sol did that led to his guilt later in life to revealing why Torbin took the Barash Vow, The Acolyte episode 7’s Brendok reveals went a long way to fleshing out many of the show’s more mysterious elements thus far. One such mystery that The Acolyte episode 7 answered is why the Jedi were on Brendok in the first place, with the Force vergence they were sent to find potentially revealing a shocking detail about Star Wars’ mystical energy field.

The Force Vergence Is Clearly Strong In The Dark Side

The Acolyte’s Design Choices Hint The Force Vergence Is Linked To Darkness

One of the more interesting elements of The Acolyte has been its exploration of the dark side. From Qimir being the show’s most interesting character to the dark side aspects of Brendok being intriguing, The Acolyte‘s strength has been the deeper insight into the Sith than the Jedi. Thankfully, The Acolyte episode 7 continued that somewhat by explaining that the Jedi were stationed on Brendok to explore a possible vergence in the Force. The Force vergence in question is shown in The Acolyte episode 7, and seemingly has a strong connection to the dark side.

The Force vergence as it is shown in The Acolyte is almost identical to the one seen on Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The Force vergence in both properties looks like a hole in the ground, covered in vines and other dark plants. In The Last Jedi, it was made explicitly clear that the Force vergence is steeped in the dark side of the Force, with Luke stating so and Rey venturing into the darkness later in the movie. If this vergence is dark side-heavy, it is safe to assume that The Acolyte‘s is too due to their design similarities.

Brendok Is Bursting With Life… In Spite Of A Dark Side Vergence

The Dark Side Vergence Is Not Negatively Impacting Brendok

Concerning how the Force vergence could reveal something interesting about the Force, it links to Brendok’s environment. The Jedi mention that Brendok was rendered lifeless after a hyperspace disaster, which is an Acolyte episode 7 Easter egg to the Great Hyperspace Disaster from Lucasfilm’s High Republic books. However, the Jedi were sent to investigate Brendok as it suddenly began flourishing with life. Despite the previous disaster that caused life to cease, creatures, plants, and even people are shown living on Brendok without any adverse effects.

This is made even more interesting with the knowledge that The Acolyte‘s Force vergence is associated with the dark side. One would think that the dark side, given its depiction in prior Star Wars movies and TV shows, would have negative effects on life. Whether it be the corruption of people living near to a dark side Force vergence or the destruction of plants and animals, the dark side should theoretically impact life on a massive scale given its evil nature. However, Brendok is thriving, raising a potentially shocking revelation about the Force.

Is The Dark Side Really Inimical To Life?

The Dark Side May Be Essential To Balance After All

The revelation is simply that the dark side may not be as detrimental to life as first thought. In many Star Wars projects, the exploration of the Force has often revolved around the concepts of light, darkness, and balance. Storylines that delve into this the most include Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and even plots found in TV shows like The Clone Wars’ arc centering on Star Wars’ Mortis Gods. These stories all center around the concept that light and darkness are needed in equal measure to attain balance within the Force.

Interestingly, no Star Wars property has ever given a definitive answer as to whether this is true. However, many have hinted that darkness is just as important as light to balance, including The Acolyte. With The Acolyte episode 7 centering around a dark side Force vergence that is somehow creating life on Brendok, the show is presenting a strong case for this viewpoint. With dark characters like the witches, Qimir, and Mae being as vital as others like the Jedi and Osha, The Acolyte certainly seems to convey that balance needs just as much darkness as it does light.