WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5.
The Acolyte episode 5 saw one of the biggest Jedi massacres ever, and it didn’t stop the mysterious Sith Lord Qimir (Manny Jacinto) from calling out the entire Jedi Order. While even casual viewers know the Sith and Jedi are enemies, it’s rare in Star Wars canon that the Jedi get called out for some of their more controversial practices. The Jedi justify these controversial aspects because they wield the confines of the light side of the Force. This has already been seen in The Acolyte, with characters like Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and Qimir casually commenting on the Jedi’s hypocrisy.
In The Acolyte episode 2, Qimir tells Mae, “The Jedi justify their galactic dominance in the name of peace.” Throughout the pair’s multiple conversations, it’s clear that both Mae and Qimir hold the Jedi in low regard and think that their being the keepers of the galactic peace doesn’t let the ends justify the means. While it’s still not entirely clear what happened the night Mae and Osha’s family, the witches of Brendok, died, it does seem that there was some kind of Jedi foul play, which further proves that the Jedi aren’t wholly benevolent.
There is, however, one notable Jedi flaw that Qimir points out in The Acolyte episode 5. Following Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen)’s tragic death at the hands of Qimir, Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) grieves by insisting that Jecki was just a child. Qimir, however, shrugs and responds “You brought her here,” instead placing the blame on Jecki’s master. Unfortunately for Sol and the rest of the Jedi Order, Qimir isn’t wrong.
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Qimir Spoke The Truth About Jecki
Qimir Didn’t Put Her in a Position to be Killed
The Acolyte episode 5 saw the tragic deaths of several fan-favorite characters, including Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett), but Jecki’s death in particular hit audiences hard because of the Padawan’s young age, and because she was the one who actually unmasked Qimir as the Sith Lord. After Jecki’s body falls to the ground and Master Sol calls out to his dead Padawan, Qimir coldly responds, asking if that’s what “it” was called. Qimir going as far as to call Jecki “it” shows his sheer indifference to the Jedi; they are all merely obstacles to his ultimate goal.
While Jecki’s death is tragic, Qimir is right. If the Jedi didn’t want children dying, they shouldn’t have been brought along. In fact, it was Master Sol who brought his Padawan to Khofar, thus putting her in a situation that could (and ultimately did) end in her demise. All the Jedi who went on the mission to Khofar ended up dying, except for Master Sol – but he was the only Jedi to bring their Padawan along.
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The Jedi Have Always Been Criticized For Training Child Soldiers
Just Look at The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the most beloved titles in all of Star Wars because of its amazing storytelling and the arcs that characters go through over the show’s seven seasons. However, one of the biggest criticisms of the show was Ahsoka Tano being a teenager who leads troops into war. The Ahsoka show also highlighted this when Anakin Skywalker told his Padawan that he couldn’t just train her to be a keeper of the peace, but that she also had to learn to be a soldier in order to survive.
While the skills Ahsoka Tano learned in battle during the Clone Wars ultimately led to her survival of Order 66, that doesn’t take away from the fact that she shouldn’t have been put in the throes of war as a child. Considering that The Acolyte takes place during the High Republic Era, which was a relatively peaceful time in the galaxy, it’s no wonder that many of the Jedi in The Acolyte episode 5 were not prepared for battle. While Jecki held her own against Qimir, she wasn’t equipped to be in that situation.
Ahsoka Tano
The apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was an accomplished Padawan who served during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka left the Jedi after she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council, but returned to serve in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66, becoming a Rebel agent during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, and her adventures continue in the New Republic era. Ahsoka was last seen stranded in a distant galaxy, having failed to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return.
- Created By
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George Lucas
, Dave Filoni - Cast
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Ashley Eckstein
, Rosario Dawson - First Appearance
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
- Race
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Togruta
- TV Shows
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
, Star Wars Rebels
, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
, The Mandalorian
, Ahsoka
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Qimir May Have Dealt The Final Blow, But Jecki’s Death Is On The Jedi
And They Didn’t Learn From Their Mistakes
It’s worth noting that Jecki’s death doesn’t rest solely on the Jedi, as it was ultimately Qimir who dealt the three lightsaber blows that ended her life. However, the practice of indoctrinating children into combat as the Jedi do ultimately led to Jecki’s demise. Despite Sol’s obvious heartbreak over the loss of his Padawan, it’s obvious that Jecki’s death does nothing to change the Jedi’s stance on training child soldiers.
Because The Acolyte takes place before everything audiences have seen on screen before, it’s known that the Jedi continue to take children from their parents at a young age and train them their whole lives. In the case of the Clone Wars, the militarization of the galaxy led to more young Padawans being more like child soldiers than anything else. Star Wars audiences have always criticized this practice, and it’s unfortunate that Jecki Lon’s death in The Acolyte doesn’t turn into a lesson for the Jedi.
The Acolyte episode 5 is now streaming. New episodes premiere Tuesdays at 9 PM ET on Disney+.
The Acolyte
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
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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
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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)
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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
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1
- Streaming Service(s)
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Disney+
- Franchise(s)
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Star Wars
- Writers
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Leslye Headland
, Charmaine De Grate
, Kor Adana - Directors
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Leslye Headland
, Alex Garcia Lopez - Showrunner
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Leslye Headland