Summary
Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi has been established as aHigh Republic eraJedi inThe Acolyte, a controversial move that could reinforce one element of his original incarnation in the modernStar Warscanon. In his original incarnation, Ki-Adi-Mundi was born in 93 BBY, which would not have been compatible with his appearance inThe Acolyte, which takes place in 132 BBY. It is worth noting, however, thatMundi’s original established age was confirmed only in the Legends continuity, which was the officialStar Warscontinuity until 2014when the franchise underwent a partial reboot.
In April 2014, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s history – save for anything established in the original six saga movies andStar Wars: The Clone Wars– was wiped clean.This allowed new properties to reimagine himwithout causing continuity snarls. In their initial depiction, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s species – Cereans – have shorter lifespans than humans. The modernStar Warscanon has now established that its Cereans have far longer lifespans. That said, one notable element of Ki-Adi-Mundi’s Legends-era incarnation could remain in the modern canon – and even tie into High Republic-era Jedi lore.
Ki-Adi-Mundi Age “Retcon” Controversy Explained
The apparent retcon of a Star Wars character’s age, Ki-Adi-Mundi, is causing controversy after his appearance in the latest episode of The Acolyte.
In Star Wars Legends, Ki-Adi-Mundi Broke One Vital Jedi Rule
Fascinatingly, considering his devotion to the highly flawed ways of the prequel-era Jedi Order,Ki-Adi-Mundi was in some ways a highly unorthodox Jedi. Mundi entered the Jedi Order as a young child at a time when most Jedi were raised in the Jedi Temple since infancy. Mundi also first sat on theJedi Councilas aJedi Knightrather than a Jedi Master – having taken the seat of Micah Giiett and eventually permanently occupying his position when Giiett was slain in the Yinchorri Uprising – though Mundi eventually ascended to the rank of Jedi Master by the end of 32 BBY.
Even more unusually,Ki-Adi-Mundi was also a husband and a father. In the Legends continuity, Cereans have an extremely low male birth rate, and thus the Jedi Council allowed Mundi to be in a polygamous marriage to ensure the future of his species. Mundi had four wives and seven daughters, and while he loved all of them, he was careful to avoid becoming too attached to them, choosing his duty as a Jedi over his family on Cerea. Tragically, the Commerce Guild (a Separatist sub-faction) killed Mundi’s entire family in the Battle of Cerea, something even he struggled to accept.
Ki-Adi-Mundi was also the very brief Jedi Master of Anakin Skywalker, following Obi-Wan Kenobi’s presumed death at the Battle of Jabiim. Skywalker notably struggled with attachment, a secret marriage, and later acceptance of being a Jedi Knight on the Jedi Council.
The Jedi Of The High Republic Were Much More Relaxed About Relationships
Romantic relationships are normally forbidden in the old Jedi Order, as shown in the prequel trilogy. In the Legends continuity, this restriction was nonexistent in the Jedi Order’s successor, the New Jedi Order, which was founded by Luke Skywalker after the events ofReturn of the Jedi. In the modern canon, little is known about the Jedi Order’s new customs under Luke Skywalker and Rey’s respective leaderships, yetthe Jedi Order of the High Republic era is depicted as being far more open to allowing romantic relationshipsthan they are in the prequels.
Star Wars: How Old Is Ki-Adi-Mundi?
Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi made his debut in The Phantom Menace, but his age has become surprisingly controversial in the Star Wars fandom.
The Acolyte’s Ki-Adi-Mundi Retcon Means He Could Be A High Republic Jedi
Although none of Ki-Adi-Mundi’s original Legends backstory and lore – including his original age and his species’ lifespan – carried over into the rebootedStar Warscontinuity, a future property could add a reimagined version of Ki-Adi-Mundi’s family to the modern timeline. While the newer timeline’s Cereans can live for centuries,perhaps they share their original Legends incarnation’s low birth rates. This could allow Ki-Adi-Mundi’s exemption from the Jedi Order’s no-marriage rule to still exist in the modern canon, but there is also another potential way it could be reimagined for newerStar Warsproperties.
Ki-Adi-Mundi might simply be a husband because the High Republic era Jedi Order allowed him to at the time. Even though the Jedi Order eventually establishes a rule prohibiting marriages,Mundi perhaps proves that he avoids attachment, demonstrating that his devotion to the Jedi Code is prioritized over everything else, including his marriage.The Acolyteestablishes that Ki-Adi-Mundi was an active Jedi during the High Republic era, and this, in and of itself, might allow parts of his original backstory to become part of his newStar Warshistory.
The Acolyteepisode 5 is now streaming. New episodes release Tuesdays on Disney+.
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.
