“The Acolyte Echoes Star Wars’ Most Controverrsial Film—and They’re Both 100% Right!”

The Acolyte Osha and Star Wars The Last Jedi poster behind

The Acolyte is almost over and fans have begun to see that it isn’t a typical Star Wars story. The Acolyte has been offering some unique and fresh views of the galaxy far, far away. The Jedi have always been the center of Star Wars and the heroes of the universe. They have done some questionable things, like taking children for training, but these actions have always been ignored or glossed over. For better or worse, The Acolyte is shining a light on the dark side of the Jedi, which matches up with the themes of another controversial Star Wars film. While The Acolyte isn’t perfect, it does allow fans to see the galaxy through a different lens for one of the few times in the saga.

The Last Jedi drew the ire of some fans when it was released in 2017. This small, angry section of the fandom was outraged at the direction the story took and how Rian Johnson portrayed Luke Skywalker. In the original trilogy, Luke was a character full of hope and belief that the galaxy had more to offer its people than evil and tyranny. Yet, after fighting against the dark side his whole life, only to see his nephew fall to it, left Luke a broken hero who had lost his faith in the Force and the galaxy. Both Luke and The Stranger see the Jedi for who they are, not the perfect heroes that the galaxy saw.

The Acolyte Reflects on the Villainous Actions of the Jedi

The Stranger wields his red lightsaber on his character poster for Star Wars series, The Acolyte. Vernestra wields her lightwhip in The Acolyte Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) draws his blue lightsaber desperately in The Acolyte Ki-Adi Mundi in the Jedi Temple during the High RepublicThe Stranger wields his red lightsaber on his character poster for Star Wars series, The Acolyte.
Vernestra wields her lightwhip in The Acolyte Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) draws his blue lightsaber desperately in The Acolyte Ki-Adi Mundi in the Jedi Temple during the High RepublicOsha and Mae Star Wars Acolyte

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Qimir’s The Stranger has revealed that he was a former Jedi or at least a Padawan.
The Stranger also revealed that the large scars on his back were given to him by his Jedi Master.
The Acolyte highlights the darkness of taking children from families and expelling Padawans from the Order who have no one else.

Between Season 1, Episode 5 “Night” and Season 1, Episode 6 “Teach/Corrupt,” the Jedi are under intense scrutiny. The Acolyte started to examine the Jedi from a critical perspective when it was looking at the effects of the Jedi taking children from their people to become younglings. These aspects of the Jedi have always existed, but they were often portrayed as if it was the norm, and the galaxy accepted and embraced these more morally grey practices. On the surface, being taken in by the Jedi would seem like a great honor, but The Acolyte shows the darker part of that story. The Witches of Brendok want nothing to do with the Jedi and do not want them to take their daughters to be trained. Yet, the Jedi feel entitled to Mae and Osha’s abilities. This is only a small glimpse of the hubris of the Jedi. The Order believed they were the only ones capable of training someone in the Force.

Another aspect that has always been accepted was the expulsion of Padawans from the Jedi Order. Osha was kicked out of the Jedi Order, and fans initially didn’t think much of this. After all, many people have been removed from the Order, it’s hardly abnormal. Yet, as Season 1, Episode 6 “Teach/Corrupt” points out, this is actually quite a cruel practice. The Jedi are essentially throwing away anyone who they consider not good enough. They have ripped these children away from their families, they know nothing in life except the Order, and then that is ripped away from them as well. This not only would leave people hurt and broken but also even more likely to be susceptible to the dark side.

The Last Jedi Revealed the Flaws in the Jedi Order

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in The Last Jedi holding his blue lightsaber Luke Skywalker next to Jedi texts in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) stands in a cave opening in Star Wars: The Last Jedi Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To in Star Wars The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker and Rey in Star Wars: The Last JediLuke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in The Last Jedi holding his blue lightsaber Luke Skywalker next to Jedi texts in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) stands in a cave opening in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To in Star Wars The Last Jedi.
Luke Skywalker and Rey in Star Wars: The Last JediStar Wars' Finn

Of all the misunderstood moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Canto Bight sequence with Finn, Rose and that turncoat DJ may be the most maligned.

During his three lessons with Rey, Luke talks about the hubris and the hypocrisy of the Jedi Order.
Luke became disenfranchised by the legacy of the Jedi when he saw how it failed him and his apprentices.
This may lead to Rey following a different path as she begins her Jedi Order.

The Last Jedi has come under fire for years because of people who wanted Luke to be a perfect, unblemished hero who could pull down an entire Star Fleet with the Force. This was an unrealistic expectation, and Luke’s portrayal in The Last Jedi was much more interesting and nuanced. During his second lesson with Rey, Luke teaches her that the history of the Jedi is failure. The Jedi fail because they become too obsessed with their own power and legacy. The Jedi became so arrogant and convinced of their own power, that they failed to see Palpatine for who he was and were wiped out. Obi-Wan failed to recognize what Anakin was becoming because he was blinded by his love for Anakin and faith in the methods of the Jedi and thus Darth Vader was created.

Luke even includes himself in this history of failure and hubris. He talks about how the galaxy viewed him as a legend and he began to believe it himself. He believed that Ben Solo would be powerful, and Luke wanted that power. He wanted to train Ben and use that power for good, but because of his “Skywalker blood,” he was blinded to the dangers of power and Ben’s role in the rising darkness. In this one scene, Luke accurately dismantles the legacy of the Jedi. He distills them down to their failures and strips away the romanticism that the Jedi are often viewed with. While The Last Jedi doesn’t make the Jedi out to be villains like The Acolyte, it is just as critical of them and their legacy.

The Acolyte and The Last Jedi Understood the Errors of the Jedi Order

Ahsoka Leaving the Jedi Order behind Anakin Skywalker and clone troopers Order 66 Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
Obi-Wan in the archives of the Jedi Temple following Order 66 in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Darth Vader kills younglings in Revenge of the SithAhsoka Leaving the Jedi Order behind Anakin Skywalker and clone troopers Order 66 Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Obi-Wan in the archives of the Jedi Temple following Order 66 in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithDarth Vader kills younglings in Revenge of the Sith

The Jedi Order has often been portrayed as wholly good, but the Prequels were often critical of the Jedi Order.
The Jedi became blinded by their hubris, thinking of themselves as the only ones with the power of the Force.
The Force was unbalanced and the slaughter of the Order helped to begin the dark path to a balance in the Force.

In the battle of good vs evil, the Jedi are still on the side of the good. For every failure of the Jedi, they also did a significant amount of good. Obi-Wan may have helped create Darth Vader, but he also spent his entire life fighting to embrace the best concepts of the Jedi and fighting for light and life in the galaxy. The Acolyte and The Last Jedi both understand that the Jedi aren’t perfect though. The Jedi Order is thousands of years old and in that time, the lines between good and evil have become blurred. While it can be hard for fans to see the Jedi as evil and may go against their love of the Jedi Order, it does make them more interesting as characters. Exploring the nuances of the Order and offering different perspectives on them help to create a more diverse range of stories surrounding the Jedi. The Acolyte and The Last Jedi are critical of the Jedi because it is necessary to shine a light on the corruption that ate away at the Order.

It can be hard for fans to hear the downside of the Jedi, especially when the Jedi have been the heroes of the franchise for so long. Yet, it’s undeniable that The Acolyte and The Last Jedi were right about the darkness within the Jedi. Characters like Stellan Gios, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and others may have tried to fight against the darkness and the Order’s corruption, but ultimately they failed. The Acolyte and The Last Jedi both teach essential lessons about the Jedi and offer further insight into their legacy and how the galaxy truly saw the Jedi.

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