The Acolyte Premiere Ending Explained

This article contains spoiler for The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2.

Summary

• The Acolyte premiere sets the scene for a thrilling murder mystery in the heart of the dark side era of Star Wars.
• Mae and Osha’s mysterious bond could hint at a powerful Force Dyad connection in the upcoming episodes.
• Mae’s quest for revenge hides a darker motive as she navigates the brutal traditions of the Sith and the Rule of Two.

The Acolyte premiere sets up a thrilling murder mystery that will dive into the heart of the dark side. Star Wars has always tended to hop around the timeline – even the Skywalker saga was told out of sequence – but there’s never been anything quite like The Acolyte. Leslye Headland’s exciting Disney+ TV show is set a century before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, at the tail-end of the High Republic Era.

There’s a sense in which The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2 are essentially setup. They’re all about setting the scene, introducing the characters and establishing the Jedi murder that serves as the inciting incident for this story. Leslye Headland has compared her storytelling to peeling away the layers of an onion, and there are surely many more surprises to come. Here’s everything The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2 set up for the future.

Mae & Osha Are Twins Separated By Tragedy

Mae and Osha Aniseya are twins from the planet Brendok, a world that’s never been seen before in Star Wars lore. They were separated years ago, when a group of four Jedi arrived on Brendok and clashed with Mother Aniseya’s coven of witches there. The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2 suggest that Mae acted in rage and spite, and that somehow she caused the deaths of their family. The Jedi left with Osha, unaware that Mae was still alive.

There’s something distinctly odd about the relationship between Mae and Osha, though, indicated by a rhyme that says they are “always one, but born as two.” It’s possible they are a Force Dyad, two beings bound together in the Force, and immensely powerful as a result. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine claimed a Force Dyad hadn’t been seen in generations – and that would fit with The Acolyte.

Whatever the truth may be, the lives of Osha and Mae look set to collide again sixteen years after the mysterious tragedy at Brendok. Osha had left the Jedi to become a Meknek, repairing spaceships, but she became the primary suspect after Mae began targeting the four Jedi who had been involved in whatever happened there. Mae seems to be bound to the dark side now, but Osha too is tempted by it, because she’s still angry at Mae for her actions all those years ago.

Mae Has Become A Sith Acolyte

The Acolyte premiere confirms that Mae has indeed become the titular Sith Acolyte. The Acolyte is an important role according to the Rule of Two, which mandates that there can only ever be two Sith at any one time – a Master and an Apprentice, the one to crave power and the other to wield it. When the Apprentice believes they are ready to supplant the Master, they must recruit an Acolyte who proves themselves worthy. The Apprentice then faces the Master, and the Acolyte will become the Apprentice of the victor. It’s a brutal tradition, and it ensures the line of Baneite Sith will be maintained.

Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s Darth Vader (2017) #1 revealed that an Acolyte faces a trial of fire. They must prove themselves by killing a Jedi; they then take the kyber crystal from the fallen Jedi, and bleed it red. Presumably The Acolyte is adding a new wrinkle; that the Acolyte must kill a Jedi without using any weapon other than their own lightsaber. That explains why Mae is attempting to kill Jedi hand-to-hand at first, then attempts to steal the Jedi’s lightsaber.

Mae’s Quest For Revenge Has A Darker Motive

Mae has been encouraged to target the four Jedi who traveled to Brendok all those years ago. This is a perfect misdirect, because the Jedi would initially believe she was simply seeking revenge; in reality, of course, her quest for revenge hides an attempt to prove herself worthy as a Sith. It’s reasonable to assume the Sith have used this same kind of strategy throughout the history of the Jedi, choosing Acolytes who could conceivably have a personal vendetta against the Jedi. That way, the Jedi would not recognize the darker depths behind infrequent attacks.

There’s only one problem with Mae’s role in this story; she doesn’t really fit into what’s known of the Baneite line. The Acolyte is set a century before the prequels, and the only real Sith in play should be Palpatine’s master Darth Plagueis, and Plagueis’ own mentor Darth Tenebrous. It’s unclear how Mae fits into the Sith timeline.

The Jedi Know Mae Has A Master

The Sith plan has gone wrong, though, because of the twins. Osha tricked Mae’s accomplice Qimir into referencing the Master, meaning the Jedi know Mae is reporting into someone. The Sith are closer to being exposed than potentially at any time in the last thousand years – but this fact doesn’t break Star Wars canon. As seen in The Phantom Menace, the Jedi must learn something of the Sith in that millennium, because they know about the Rule of Two. Leslye Headland has hinted The Acolyte will explain this knowledge.

This will surely be the driving mystery of The Acolyte, as the Jedi attempt to learn more about Mae’s Master – a being who has even concealed his own identity from his Acolyte. But Headland’s onion-layer storytelling approach means it’s unlikely to be the only mystery running through the story; the strange connection between Osha and Mae is clearly a factor too. Headland is interested in the duality of the Force, borrowing an approach from Lucas’ Mortis gods, and the twins make for an exciting way to explore that.

Mae is concealing as much from her Master as she can, conspiring with Qimir to hide the poison she used on Jedi Master Torbin. The Sith Lord may not be best pleased when he learns his Acolyte has exposed his existence, even if she hasn’t been able to reveal his identity. The Acolyte is headed into dangerous terrain for the Sith.