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Full spoilers follow for The Acolyte episode 8.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 8 is finally here on Disney Plus. While the latest series set in Lucasfilm’s iconic galaxy far, far away isn’t always great, the final chapter of season 1 gave fans plenty to think about.
So what happened in The Acolyte‘s latest entry? And how does it not only set up a potential second season, but also change some key Star Wars lore? Below, we dive into those two big questions and more, including whether there’s a mid- or post-credits scene to stick around for, plus the unexpected appearances of two major characters who could potentially play a role in the show’s future.
This is your final warning: full spoilers follow for The Acolyte‘s latest episode. Watch it now if you haven’t watched it yet.
Who died in the final episode of Star Wars: The Acolyte season 1?
There was only one major character who died in the season finale: Jedi Master Sol, who was assassinated on Brendok by none other than his former Padawan Osha.
Osha’s turn to the Dark Side had been tentatively announced ever since The Acolyte‘s gut-punching fifth episode, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to see her take the life of her former teacher. What is interesting, however, is how she does it. Osha does indeed kill Sol by violently choking him to death—an ability we’ve only seen one other Force user use in the entire history of Star Wars: Darth Vader, one of the most famous villains of all time. It’s clear that The Acolyte wants the audience to know how powerful Osha is as a Force user.
But why does Osha kill Sol? She learns the truth about what happened on Brendok when she and her twin sister Mae were only eight years old. Thanks to The Acolyte‘s flashback-centric seventh episode, we learn that Mae was not responsible for the downfall of the twins’ witch family coven, including the duo’s mother. In fact, it was Sol and his fellow Jedi who were to blame. This revelation, combined with the fact that Osha was never taught by Sol how to deal with her grief and other Dark Side-manifesting emotions, leads her to execute her former master through the Force.
Who is the mysterious man from The Acolyte in the cave? Is it Darth Plagueis?
That’s likely the case, but without official confirmation from Disney and/or Lucasfilm we can’t say for sure. If you missed this potentially big character cameo – and I don’t know how you did – you can see them half-emerge from the cave on Bal’demnic where Qimir/The Stranger lives when Qimir and Osha leave for Brendok on Qimir’s ship.
It’s hard to get a good look at the character in question, but fans are convinced that Episode 8 will mark the debut of the incredibly important Sith Lord in a live-action Star Wars project. Numerous wires on Reddit And ResetEra are filled with fans commenting on Plagueis’ cameo, even though it’s far too brief.
That’s all well and good, but why is Plagueis’ appearance such a significant addition to the public eye? Without delving too deeply into Star Wars lore, the Sith Lord worked with his apprentice Darth Sidious (aka Senator Sheev Palpatine/Emperor Palpatine, the big bad of the Star Wars franchise) to discover the secret of immortality. Plagueis is also known for experimenting with midi-chlorians, the microscopic life forms that allow individuals to wield the Force, in an attempt to create life – much like Brendok’s coven successfully did with Osha and Mae.
Are Osha and Mae the inspiration for Plagueis’ own bio-engineering tests? Or did he play a secret but active role in their conception via the Force? And if Qimir is Plagueis’ apprentice, does that mean he’s a young Palpatine? Or did the Force-wielding Muun, known in some circles as Plagueis the Wise, have another understudy for Palpatine/Sidious? Perhaps we’ll learn the answers to these questions in Season 2 (more on that soon).
Why does Yoda appear in episode 8 of The Acolyte?
For The Acolyte ends, there is still a surprise in store for the viewers. Vernestra Rwoh, who has just been covered another huge Jedi faux pas on Brendok (i.e. Sol’s death) during a meeting with Coruscant’s Senate, visits her Jedi Master in the planet’s Jedi Temple. As she tells her superior that “they need to talk”, the camera pans down from Vernestra to reveal she is speaking with Yoda, one of the most iconic and powerful Jedi who ever lived.
So, why does Yoda appear in episode 8? I think the answer is twofold. First, Yoda is an instantly recognizable Star Wars character, so his cameo will undoubtedly excite sections of the fanbase ahead of a potential second season (we haven’t gotten to that yet, don’t worry). We know he’s alive during the events of The AcolyteAlso. One of the new Star Wars shows and movies of 2024 will be set about 100 years earlier The Ghost Threat during the High Republic era of Star Wars, so it makes sense that he would be one of the highest-ranking Light Side wielders at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
Of course, Yoda’s cameo raises more questions than it answers. Will Vernestra tell him the truth about Brendok? If she does, won’t Yoda be complicit in covering up two major Jedi crimes, both of which took place on the aforementioned planet? If Vernestra chooses to keep him out of the loop, what does this say about Yoda’s ability to not only guide a prominent and wise Jedi leader, but also his ability to foresee, sense, or predict the truth and/or the future? We already know that he was unaware that Sidious was operating under the noses of the Jedi throughout the prequel trilogy, so if Vernestra decides to keep quiet about what happened to Brendok, Yoda’s fallibility will be further called into question by fans if he figures heavily into a potential Season 2.
What is Qimir’s connection to Vernestra in The Acolyte? And what is The Stranger’s real name?
The Acolyte Episode 6 had already convinced viewers that Qimir and Vernestra had a shared history, and episode 8 confirmed that theory, especially among fans, was true.
When he stepped onto Brendok and used the Force to sense where Sol was, Vernestra recognized Qimir—who was not wearing his Force-blocking Cortosis helmet at the time—as another individual present on the planet. Vernestra later also confirms to an arrested and amnesic Mae (Qimir, also known as The Stranger, wiped Mae’s memory, with her blessing, so she would not reveal Qimir and Osha’s hiding place to the Jedi) that Qimir had been her Padawan.
The big question on everyone’s mind is: what happened between them that caused Qimir to turn to the Dark Side? We know something happened between the two, as evidenced by the scar on Qimir’s back (seen in episode 6) that suggests he was attacked by Vernestra and her whip-modified lightsaber. Let’s hope we get an answer to that question, and questions about Qimir’s true identity, at some point.
Who plays David Harewood in The Acolyte?
That will be Senator Rayencourt, a ranking member of the Coruscant Senate and one of the few members who wants a full investigation/evaluation into the way the Jedi operate as the galaxy’s so-called peacekeepers.
Harewood, who some viewers will recognize from shows like Native country And The night managerplus video games like Alan Awake 2was reportedly set to appear in The Acolyte before it debuted on Disney Plus, also known as one of the world’s best streaming services. However, he was noticeably absent until episode 8, where he stole the show during his two brief scenes as Rayencourt.
Does The Acolyte have a mid- or post-credits scene?
No. Aside from Vernestra visiting Yoda, which takes place before the credits, there is no mid- or post-credits scene that you should stick around for.
Is The Acolyte Getting a Second Season on Disney Plus?
We don’t know. There was no stinger at the end of episode 8, which would have revealed that Disney and Lucasfilm had renewed their contract. The Acolyte for another eight episodes, so we don’t yet know if the series might return.
Based on the meager 15% audience score on Rotten tomatoesThe early signs don’t look particularly promising. That hasn’t stopped showrunner Leslye Headland from discussing the possibility of a second season, however, telling Nerdish: “I would say there are discussions. And I don’t know when that will happen. I don’t know when that decision will be made.”
Considering how many storylines are left at the end of Season 1 of one of the best Disney Plus series, there’s plenty of ground to cover for the series if Disney and Lucasfilm decide to greenlight another entry. Once we know if The Acolyte If we come back, we will let you know.
