Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 8.
Summary
The Acolytehas always had to make sure that the Sith remained hidden untilStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and the show’s finale has finally explained exactly how it managed that.The Acolytetakes place inthe High Republic era, about 100 years prior toThe Phantom Menace. It also focuses on the Stranger and the inner workings of the Sith, though, and sincethe Jedi believed the Sith were extinct,The Acolytehad to be very careful with what it revealed about the Sith. WhileThe Acolytealways needed to be careful with that secret, it had some bumps along the way.
At several points inThe Acolyte, it seemed like there was no way the Sith could have remained hidden untilThe Phantom Menace.Ki-Adi Mundi’s cameo inThe Acolyteseemed like a nail in the coffin, since he was a member of the Jedi Council in the prequels. Additionally, the Stranger’s massacre inThe Acolyteepisode 5seemed to be conclusive proof of the Sith’s return.The Acolyte, however, clearly planned for those road bumps, and knew from the start exactly how the Sith would remain hidden. All the pieces came together in the finale ofThe Acolyte, and the Sith’s secret was protected.
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A Jedi Conspiracy Kept The Sith’s Existence A Secret
The Acolyteepisode 8 revealed that one Jedi in particular had overwhelming evidence of the Sith’s return: Vernestra Rwoh.After Osha killed Sol, she had far more knowledge about Osha, Mae, Brendok, and the Stranger than any other living Jedi. Vernestra also seemed to have a history with the Stranger, as she recognized him through the Force when she arrived on Brendok, and she may have even knownthe Stranger’s true identity. By all accounts, she should have pieced together that the Sith had returned, or at the very least that somebody very strong in the dark side was active in the galaxy.
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Though Vernestra knew of the Sith’s return, that fact doesn’t actually retconThe Phantom Menacebecause of what she did with that information. Vern’s scenes inThe Acolyteestablished that the Jedi were being pressured by the Galactic Senate to be more transparent. Unfortunately, Vern had already decided to keep the investigation into Mae’s killings secret, so she had to double down in the finale.The Acolyteepisode 8 showed that instead of reporting the Sith’s return to the Council, Vernestra framed Sol for Mae’s killings and covered up the return of the Sith.
Vernestra Rwoh
A prodigy among the Jedi of the High Republic, Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh was one of the youngest Jedi ever to achieve the rank of Knight. She served at a time of crisis for the Republic, battling on the front lines against the Nihil, the Nameless, and the Drengir, and proving herself wise beyond her years. Vern will appear in live-action in The Acolyte, set over a hundred years after she became a Master, at the tail end of the High Republic Era.
In essence, Vern framed Sol and hid evidence of the Sith because she didn’t want the Jedi to look bad in front of the Senate. This was likely more than just a matter of ego.Senator Rayencourt seemed to have a vendetta against the Jedi, and all the evidence Vern hid, from the tragedy on Brendok to the return of the Sith, would have given him ample ammunition to attack the Order with. In any case, though, Verenstra Rwoh’s actions kept the Jedi from being aware of the Sith’s full return, and set the stage for Darth Sidious to surprise the entire Order.
Yoda Was Aware Of The Conspiracy… But Were Other Councillors?
The end ofThe Acolyteepisode 8 included a cameo from Yoda, and it seems that Vernestra told him about her conspiracy to hide the Sith’s return. Again, however, Yoda’s knowledge of the Sith’s return doesn’t necessarily retconThe Phantom Menace. Yoda has hidden information from the Jedi in the past, such as when he kept the Nameless out of the Jedi Archives, and he very well could have done so again with the Stranger. Yoda also seemed much more open to the idea of the Sith’s return inThe Phantom Menace, which now seems like evidence that he knew more than the other council members.
Yoda
The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.
The Acolyteepisode 8 proved that Yoda was aware of the return of the Sith. He may not have been the only member of the Jedi Council who was aware though. When Qui-Gon Jinn first told the Council that he believed the Sith had returned, many of its members immediately dismissed his idea. In their next meeting, however, the Council was much more willing to believe him, with Mace Windu even referring to Qui-Gon’s idea as the “mystery of the Sith.“Now thatThe Acolyteproved Yoda knew the Sith had returned, he may have told the rest of the Council about Vernestra’s conspiracy without letting Qui-Gon hear.
IfStar Warsdoes decide to make the Council aware of the Sith’s return inThe Phantom Menace, it could play into some of the prequel trilogy’s interesting themes.The franchise has already established that the Jedi Order’s fall was a product of their own mistakes, but Yoda’s knowledge of the Sith inThe Acolytewould make that even more prevalent. If Vernestra or Yoda had told the rest of the Jedi about the Sith’s return, they may have been able to prepare, and Palpatine would have had a much harder time infiltrating the Galactic Senate.
The Acolyte Hasn’t Finished Explaining This
While it already seems that Vernestra’s conspiracy explains why the Jedi still believed the Sith to be extinct inThe Phantom Menace, there’s also clearly more story left to tell. Vernestra now knows that the Stranger was her former Padawan, and she’s enlisted Mae’s help to track him down.Though it hasn’t yet been confirmed,The Acolyteseason 2 will almost certainly follow Vern and Mae in their search for the Stranger and Osha. That investigation will likely give Vern, and therefore the Jedi, even more information about the Sith, and it could explain how the Jedi forgot about the Sith even more explicitly.
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There are still a few questions about the Jedi’s knowledge of the Sith that the finale ofThe Acolyteseason 1 didn’t answer. For instance, nothing Vernestra knew about the Stranger would explain why the Jedi knew aboutthe Sith Rule of Two, which Yoda referenced at the end ofThe Phantom Menace. The finale also didn’t reveal the Stranger’s fate, and with theDarth Plagueis cameo inThe Acolyteepisode 8, there’s still a very high risk of the Jedi discovering the true power of the Sith.
If it gets renewed,The Acolyteseason 2 will have a chance to tie up those loose ends and provide a seamless transition between the High Republic and the prequel trilogy. It seems likely thatThe Acolyteseason 2 could happen, based onhow many viewers watchedThe Acolyteand showrunner Leslye Headland’s hints aboutThe Acolyteseason 2. Even if it doesn’t get renewed,The Acolytehas already provided a fairly clear explanation of how the Sith remained hidden, and it set up the tragedy of theStar Warsprequel trilogy rather well.
The Acolyte
Cast
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.
