Warning: The following review contains spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 1, “Lost / Found,” and Episode 2, “Revenge / Justice.”
Dark assassin Mae Aniseya has her sights set on a quartet of Jedi Masters in the new Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte. So, who are the four Jedi on Mae’s kill list, and why is she out to get them?
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The Four Jedi on Mae’s Kill List in The Acolyte, Explained
The four Jedi Masters Mae is hunting in The Acolyte Season 1 are Indara, Torbin, Kelnacca, and Sol.
And by the time the show’s two-episode premiere is over, she’s already crossed two of these names off her list. Indara is the first to go, winding up on the wrong end of Mae’s dagger early in Episode 1, “Lost / Found.” Torbin follows soon after, in Episode 2 “Revenge / Justice” – although his demise is decidedly less straightforward than Indara’s.
Unable to directly attack Torbin (who’s shielded by the Force while meditating), Mae instead convinces the Jedi Master to take his own life. Correctly surmising that Torbin harbors intense remorse over a dark incident from their past, she offers him poison to drink. He gulps it down, and Mae’s claimed another victim.
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This just leaves Kelnacca and Sol, and Mae’s gonna have her hands full with both. Heck, she’s already taken a shot at Sol and come off second-best. The pair trade Force-fueled blows late in Episode 2, and Mae winds up on her back, held in stasis. Indeed, The Acolyte‘s main antagonist is lucky to escape the encounter.
By the episode’s end, she’s headed Kelnacca’s way, which seems like an even worse play than attacking Sol. After all, Kelnacca’s not just a Jedi Master – he’s a Wookiee Jedi Master. As if that’s not enough, Mae’s Sith master has challenged her to take down one of her targets without using a weapon. Our advice? Don’t try scoring that achievement against the seven-and-half-foot-tall walking carpet capable of snapping blasters in two with his bare hands!
Why Is Mae Killing Jedi in The Acolyte?
Ostensibly, Mae’s Jedi-killing spree is simply part of her trials as a Dark Side acolyte. Yet Mae’s interactions with Indara and Torbin before their deaths suggest a more personal motivation. It’s unclear at this stage exactly why Mae is out for revenge, although it’s tied to the four Jedi Masters’ apparent role in the death of her family 16 years earlier.
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That said, the real-world reason why Mae is killing Jedi is that The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland was partly inspired by the Kill Bill movies while developing the show. Headland revealed the pop culture influences for The Acolyte at Star Wars Celebration 2023 (per Entertainment Weekly), describing the show as “Frozen meets Kill Bill.”
The Acolyte Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Tuesdays.
Published: Jun 6, 2024 11:19 am