Unfortunately, Osha arrives just at the right time to overhear that Sol is responsible for his mother’s death. Giving in to the dark side of the Force, there’s a parallel with Sheev Palpatine telling Anakin to kill Dooku at the start of Revenge of the Sith. Using some Vader-esque Force choking, Osha kills Sol without a weapon, inadvertently doing what Mae couldn’t for Qimir and becoming the show’s titular Acolyte. As Osha breaks bad, we get another live-action first via kyber bleeding when Sol’s former lightsaber goes from ‘good’ blue to an ‘evil’ Sith red.
Sol Takes the Fall for the Jedi Order
The Jedi Order, led by Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson), aren’t far behind, but by the time they get to Brendok, Sol is already dead. With the Jedi soon descending on the planet, Osha agrees to go with Qimir and become his dark side padawan, while Mae will be left behind and have her memory wiped. The Jedi arrest Mae and Rwoh questions her back on Coruscant. With Mae seemingly having no recollection of even having a sister (for now), we guess she’ll be trained by the Jedi as an anti-Acolyte if we get a second season.
The Jedi have problems of their own, with Senator Rayencourt (David Harewood) calling for an external review of the Jedi Order. Rayencourt is worried that the Jedi have too much power and what could happen when one of them snaps. This is its own foreboding message about Anakin’s eventual fall to the dark side and the devastating events of Order 66. For the time being, Rwoh sweeps it under the rug and tarnishes Sol’s legacy by claiming he was a rogue Jedi responsible for all the murders. Given how Sol was a beloved part of the series, it’s a shame he’ll go down in history as a villain.
Was That Darth Plagueis the Wise?
Eagle-eyed fans will notice that before Osha and Qimir leave his cortosis cave in search of Mae, a yellow-eyed Sith is lurking in the shadows. After Headland promised at least two Sith would appear in the series, it seems we were on the money that this is the live-action debut of Darth Plagueis.
The famed master of Emperor Palpatine survived until at least 32 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), and with the Sith Rule of Two in effect here, it’s not looking good for Qimir and Osha. Although Oshamir is going strong right now, the fact neither of them has appeared outside of The Acolyte suggests that whatever Plagueis is cooking up could be bad news for this power couple.
Among the big reveals, the twins learn that they aren’t sisters but two halves of the same person. This was foreshadowed in the show’s logo, and with it also tying into the Force dyad connection, it all presumably leads to Plagueis’ quest to find a Force dyad of his own and the ability to create life. It’s this that will get him killed by his own apprentice, as Palpatine famously told Anakin the tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise in Episode III.