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The Acolyte
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The Acolyte Explained | Highlights from “Lost / Found” and “Revenge / Justice”

The Acolyte Explained | Highlights from “Lost / Found” and “Revenge / Justice”

With the two-episode premiere of The Acolyte, meet the assassin personally taking out members of the Jedi Order.

Kristin Baver
Kristin Baver
June 10, 2024

In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. With all episodes now streaming on Disney+, join us as StarWars.com meditates on favorite moments and fascinating connections from the Star Wars series.

Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details and plot points from the two-episode premiere of  The Acolyte, “Lost / Found” and “Revenge / Justice.”

To quote Nute Gunray: “Now there are two of them!”

In the two-episode premiere of The Acolyte, we meet two sisters with two very different lives. Mae (Amandla Stenberg) is a hot-tempered warrior and stone-cold killer, a trained assassin hunting some of the galaxy’s most dangerous prey: Jedi Masters. Meanwhile, her twin, Osha (also played by Amandla Stenberg), is traveling across the stars working odd jobs as a meknek, a mechanic taking on dangerous and complex repairs with the help of her droid, Pip.

Separated by tragedy 16 years in the past, Mae and Osha have followed their own paths believing the other to be dead. Until now…

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Episode 1: “Lost / Found”

We’ve glimpsed the bold opening in the official trailers and at theaters after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, a fight sequence between Mae and Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) that serves as an intense introduction to the series. In classic Star Wars fashion, we’re thrust into the action with immediacy, landing in a different kind of cantina — a noodle shop on the far-off world of Ueda. Considering the opening crawl just mentioned this is a time of peace, the fatal fight is a swift reminder that the galaxy is a dangerous place, even for a Jedi. But it’s also a stunning primer of things to come, with stunts choreographed to pull us into the intensity of the one-on-one combat, stylized after the Kung Fu films that inspired show creator Leslye Headland.

In contrast, Osha is a woman haunted by her past yet living a relatively peaceful existence. Living aboard a Neimoidian freighter, she and her droid, Pip, are currently working to keep the ship up and running. As a prequel to The Phantom Menace, the series set roughly 100 years before the events of the Skywalker saga is distinct from the look and feel of the films, with key points of connectivity like the Neimoidians — still dodging Republic laws, I see — and the Jedi Order.

And speaking of the Jedi, these guardians of peace and justice are distinct from their prequel brethren. In this age of tranquility, the Order of peacekeepers is still in its prime with members like Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) serving as a shining example of all the Jedi stand for. On Coruscant, we also meet Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), a wise teacher, and Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). Readers may recognize the Mirialan from the pages of the Star Wars: The High Republic books and comics. Older, wiser, and with a fresh cut that shows off an array of head tattoos, Vernestra delivers the troubling news that Osha, Sol’s former Padawan, has been named as the suspect in Indara’s murder. Sol’s personal attachment to his pupil and the precarious political climate already looming over the Jedi Order makes the news especially jarring for the seasoned Jedi Master.

Meanwhile, Osha is dealing with more pressing problems when the other prisoners on the droid-run ship escorting her to Coruscant decide to mount an escape. Pip to the rescue! It’s just like General Leia Organa said: Never underestimate a droid. After crash-landing on the snowy world of Carlac, a rock as desolate as Hoth itself, Osha must contend with the elements and visions of her sister to survive.

Luckily, the Jedi are on their way. And after one very awkward exchange between Sol’s current Padawan, Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Yord — caught half-dressed while fastidiously steaming his Jedi robes — the trio tracks Osha to the literal edge.

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Episode 2: “Revenge / Justice”

The last episode ended with a mysterious helmeted figure with a modulated voice introducing the intentions of Mae’s quest: “An Acolyte kills without a weapon. An Acolyte kills the dream.” And so, as this episode begins, we meet Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman), the first live-action practitioner of the storied Barash Vow, a sacred oath taken by those who must step away from the Jedi Order to commune purely with the Force. How strong is his connection? Well, a very perturbed Mae can’t penetrate whatever invisible energy envelopes him.

That next stop on Mae’s crime spree — including a break-in that alerts the temple guardians — is good news for her sister who, to quote Vernestra Rwoh “could hardly be in [Jedi] custody and committing another crime at the same time.” A solid alibi. And one that diverts Sol, Osha, Yord, and Jecki to track down the assassin in hiding.

Tucked away on the bustling streets, the episode introduces a vibrant apothecary currently run by Qimir (Manny Jacinto), a lovable misfit who helpfully mixes up a glowing green elixir with poisonous bunta leaves. In a surprising turn of events, Mae’s return to Torbin’s quarters is met with resignation. It’s a stark contrast to Indara’s resolve seen in the previous episode. Although they arrive too late to save poor tortured Torbin, the Jedi mission crew quickly hatch a plan to track down the culprit using Osha as bait. It’s a conversational exchange that highlights the different perspectives and temperaments among the crew, pitting Yord’s by-the-book ethos against the Padawan Jecki’s more logical but unconventional approach to trap Qimir and get a lead on Mae.

Both Sol and Osha are keen to face the masked assassin. Osha is still battling anger and grief over all that she lost as a child, a dangerous cocktail of roiling emotions. However, Sol wins out. And on a desolate side street on the dusty world of Olega, the Jedi Master faces the young woman responsible for killing two of his friends. Unlike her other two targets, Sol is more prone to dodging Mae’s melee fighting style, allowing his assailant to tire herself out before using the Force to see inside her mind. And this time, Mae has not cornered a Jedi alone. With help from Yord and Jecki, Mae is vastly outnumbered, but still finds a moment of distraction that she needs to break free.

The last person to confront her is Osha, but she balks, firing the Jedi stun blaster and missing, ultimately allowing Mae to escape. Mae’s next stop: Khofar, where the Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) is still on her list.

Trivia Gallery | "Lost / Found"

The Lomi Usqi Noodle Shop pays homage to the inn seen in the Shaw Brothers' Hong Kong classic Come Drink with Me.

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Mae's assassin costume incorporates elements inspired by samurai and Byzantine warriors, including a section over the ribcage molded from real bamboo shoots.

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The world of Carlac was originally envisioned as a desert planet. In its earliest incarnations, the world was known as Boz Pity, but when filmmakers opted for more frigid climates, Carlac — from The Clone Wars season 4 — was used instead.

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On Coruscant, the Jedi Temple looks slightly different from the prequel films as the skyline is shifting. For the series, set 100 years before The Phantom Menace, elements are notably still under construction.

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Fillik mentions Nar Shaddaa, a moon well featured in Star Wars Legends storytelling since its introduction in the Dark Empire comics series (1991-1992).

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Vernestra Rwoh first appeared in Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage.

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In her script for the pivotal cold open, showrunner Leslye Headland describes Master Indara's demeanor as relaxed and controlled, a mix of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kill Bill's O-Ren Ishii.

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The cold open also pays homage to another classic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with high-flying martial arts choreography.

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Yord Fandar's Padawan Tasi Loa is a Zygerrian, a species first introduced in publishing in the late 1980s and brought to screen in animation in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

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Trivia Gallery | "Revenge / Justice"

The world of Olega was inspired by the vibrant colors of Marrakesh and Morocco.

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The Barash Vow, first mentioned in Marvel's Darth Vader (2017), is seen here for the first time in live action.

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The viewscreen in Yord's binocs was created to resemble Luke Skywalker's macrobinoculars used in the original trilogy.

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Kelnacca the Wookiee is played by Joonas Suotamo, the 6'11" actor who also played Chewbacca in the most recent Star Wars films.

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A sign on Kelnacca's shelter says "Keep Out" in Shyriiwook.

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For more on the making of The Acolyte, discover StarWars.com's full coverage, including:

Lightsabers & Magic: Visual Effects Supervisor Julian Foddy on The Acolyte's Creatures and Weapons of the Jedi 

Visual Effects Supervisor Julian Foddy Talks World-Building The Acolyte

The Acolyte’s Amandla Stenberg on Playing Twins, the Sith, and Star Wars

How The Acolyte Challenges How We See Some Members of the Jedi

The Acolyte’s Manny Jacinto Unmasked

Fight Like a Jedi: Inside The Acolyte’s Stunt Sequences and Martial Arts Action

Dressing The Acolyte

Inside The Acolyte Creature Shop: Meet Bazil, the Tynnan Tracker

Scoring The Acolyte: Composing for the Jedi, the Witches, and the Many Moods of the Stranger

In The Acolyte, Jodie Turner-Smith’s Mother Aniseya is Mothering

For the Love of The Acolyte’s Jecki Lon and Yord Fandar

The Acolyte’s Charlie Barnett is Here for the Yord Horde

“Whatever You Think The Acolyte Is, It’s Not”: Creator Leslye Headland On Her New Star Wars Series

  • Disney+ | A galaxy of stories awaits

Kristin Baver is the editor-in-chief of StarWars.com and the author of Star Wars: 100 Objects and other books. You may know her as the host of This Week! In Star Wars. A Sy Snootles stan and all-around sci-fi nerd, Kristin always has just one more question in an inexhaustible list of curiosities. Follow her on Instagram @KristinBaver.

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