Summary
Star Wars: The Acolyte,Star Wars’next Disney+ TV show, may bring back the best concept fromStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and I couldn’t be more excited. The sequel trilogy has remained controversial in the franchise, with many still consideringThe Rise of Skywalkerone ofStar Wars’worst movies, if not the single worst. While the movie suffered from the sequel trilogy changing hands multiple times, some decisions made inThe Rise of Skywalkersealed the movie’s fate in terms of audience reception.
One of the biggest issues withThe Rise of Skywalkerwas the return of Emperor Palpatine, which was infamously only explained by Poe Dameron saying,“Somehow, Palpatine returned.“In addition to this seeming loosely thought-out at best, it reinforced the notion that the sequel trilogy had a bit of a copycat problem, given its many similarities to the original trilogy. However,one of the most inventive concepts inThe Rise of Skywalker, the likes of which had never been seen inStar Warsmovies and TV shows, may be returning inThe Acolyte, which I sincerely hope is the case.
Everything We Just Learned About The Acolyte, Star Wars' Phantom Menace Prequel
Here’s everything ScreenRant has learned about The Acolyte, Star Wars' upcoming prequel series set 100 years before The Phantom Menace.
The Acolyte’s Twins Set Up A Potential Force Dyad
Mae
The former Padawan of Jedi Master Sol, Mae gets swept up into a sinister mystery—one that puts her into the center of a conflict in unexpected ways.
While I happen to agree with much of the criticism aboutThe Rise of Skywalker—namely, the issues with Palpatine’s sudden return and how disappointing Ben Solo’s death was—I lovedthe Force Dyad, which was brand-new to the franchise. This was one of the most creative ideas in the sequel trilogy, and it worked well to make Ben Solo/Kylo Ren and Rey’s connection more interesting (and make more sense). Through the Dyad, or Force bond, Rey and Kylo Ren were able to defy the laws of space and time because their connection in the Force was so strong.
Through the Dyad, or Force bond, Rey and Kylo Ren were able to defy the laws of space and time because their connection in the Force was so strong.
This also explained the moments throughoutStar Wars: The Last Jedi, when Kylo Ren and Rey were suddenly able to see and hear each other while on completely different planets. It also built upon what had already been established about the Force since the very beginning ofStar Wars. After all, Leia uses ‘a feeling’ to find Luke inThe Empire Strikes Back, and Luke hears the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi after his death. While neither is quite the same as Rey and Kylo Ren’s incredible bond, it’s clear thatconnections in the Force have long been canon.
However, the Force Dyad was only named inThe Rise of Skywalkerand was under-explored. As Ben Solo died inThe Rise of Skywalkerending, it also seems unlikely that this concept will be further developed, even inRey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie. Now,The Acolytecould bring the Force Dyad back, establishing its history long before the sequel trilogy and exploring it in much greater detail.
The Acolytecould bring the Force Dyad back, establishing its history long before the sequel trilogy and exploring it in much greater detail.
In an interview withGood Morning America,The Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland explained:
“So ‘the power of one, the power of two, the power of many’ is a little bit about what [Mother Aniseya’s] hope for the legacy is. The Jedi are a power of many, that’s what they are. [Mother Aniseya] is the power of one, the twins are a power of two.”
In this quote, Headland was referencing Mae and Osha, who were only recently confirmed to be twins in the upcoming show. This was a surprise, as marketing forThe Acolytehadn’t indicated that Mae was a twin, only that she was a dark side Force-user potentially affiliated with the Sith. Now, this may perfectly set up the next generation (albeit in the past) of the Force Dyad.
One of the most shocking reveals in marketing forThe Acolytehas been the confirmation that the Sith are returning toStar Wars.The Acolyteis set 100 years beforeStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, when the Sith were believed to be extinct. Whilethat was already proven false in the prequel trilogy, given that Palpatine, Count Dooku, and Darth Maul were all working in the shadows at various points, it was surprising to see that the Jedi would encounter the Sith in the show.
It remains to be seen howThe Acolytewill explain the Jedi inThe Phantom Menacebelieving the Sith had been extinct for hundreds of years in light of this Sith encounter. Nevertheless, the Sith are confirmed to be playing a role in the show, which raises a much more pressing question. Given how hard the Sith worked to hide themselves from the Jedi, why would they suddenly emerge?
Given how hard the Sith worked to hide themselves from the Jedi, why would they suddenly emerge?
The answer could be a brand-new Force Dyad between twins Mae and Osha. This would make sense, as such a strong Force bond between twins seems more than plausible. Moreover, the twins were evidently separated from one another while they were young. Such a separation could more than warrant the Force wanting to connect them in that way.
If that were the case, it would be plenty of motivation for the Sith to emerge. As made clear inThe Rise of Skywalker, the Sith were obsessed with the Force Dyad. In fact,the Sith Rule of Twowas directly shaped by the Force Dyad, although they were never able to successfully replicate it. If they discovered that a Dyad in the Force had been created, they undoubtedly would have wanted access to the two.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Although the Force Dyad was one of my favorite concepts from theStar Warssequel trilogy, it was unfortunately wasted. As Ben Solo died inThe Rise of Skywalker, that Dyad has almost undoubtedly come to an end. WhileThe Last Jedidid offer some very cool moments with the Dyad, for most of them, Kylo Ren and Rey were enemies, so they were less focused on testing the bounds of their connection and more focused on arguing with one another.
It wasn’t untilThe Rise of Skywalkerwhen they passed a lightsaber to one another through the Force bond that they really began exploring their power, and Ben died soon after. However,The Acolytecould bring the Force Dyad back in a compelling way and explore it in much greater detail thanThe Rise of Skywalkerdid. This would be especially exciting because it wasn’t clear whether the franchise would bring that concept back in another project.
While it isn’t confirmed that a Force Dyad will be included inThe Acolyte, both Headland’s commentary and the inclusion of twins make it quite possible. Moreover, it would be one excellent explanation for the emergence of the Sith and could even explain what they were doing while they were in the shadows for hundreds of years. AlthoughStar Wars: The Acolyteis sure to be innovative in a number of ways, I would be thrilled to see the show pull fromStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerby implementing a Force Dyad.
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.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Skywalker saga with Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron leading the Resistance against the First Order. As the final battle unfolds, they draw upon the wisdom and strength of previous generations to confront their adversaries. Released in 2019, the film concludes the sequel trilogy.
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