Full spoilers follow for The Acolyte episode 8.
Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 8 has finally landed on Disney Plus – and, while the latest series set in Lucasfilm’s iconic galaxy far, far away hasn’t been consistently great, season 1’s final chapter has given fans plenty to mull over.
So, what happened in The Acolyte‘s latest entry? And how does it not only set up a potential second season, but also reshape some major Star Wars lore? Below, we’ll dig into those two big questions and so much more, including whether there’s a mid- or post-credits scene to stick around for, plus the unexpected appearances of two big characters who may have a part to play in the show’s future.
This is your final warning: full spoilers follow for The Acolyte‘s latest installment. Turn back now if you haven’t watched it yet.
Who died in Star Wars: The Acolyte season 1’s final episode?
There was only one major character death in the season finale: Jedi Master Sol, who was killed on Brendok by none other than his former Padawan Osha.
Osha’s turn to the Dark Side had been tentatively teased ever since The Acolyte‘s gut-punching fifth episode, so it wasn’t a major surprise to see her take the life of her former teacher. What is interesting, however, is how she does so. Indeed, Osha kills Sol by force-choking him to death – an ability we’ve only seen one other Force wielder use in Star Wars’ entire history: Darth Vader, one of the most famous villains of all-time. Clearly, The Acolyte wants audiences to know just how powerful Osha is as a Force wielder.
Why does Osha murder Sol, though? She learns the truth about what happened on Brendok when she and twin sister Mae were only eight years old. Thanks to The Acolyte‘s flashback-centric seventh episode, we learn Mae wasn’t responsible for the demise of the twins’ witch coven family, including the duo’s mother. In fact, it was Sol and his fellow Jedi who were to blame. This revelation, coupled with the fact that Osha was never taught how to deal with her grief and other Dark Side-manifesting emotions by Sol, leads to her Force-executing her former master.
Who is The Acolyte’s mysterious man in the cave? Is it Darth Plagueis?
It probably is but, without official confirmation from Disney and/or Lucasfilm, we can’t say for certain. If you missed this potentially big character cameo – and I don’t know how you would – they can be glimpsed semi-emerging from the cave on Bal’demnic, which Qimir/The Stranger inhabits, when Qimir and Osha depart for Brendok on Qimir’s ship.
It’s hard to get a good look at the individual in question, but fans are convinced that episode 8 marks the debut of the incredibly important Sith Lord in a live-action Star Wars project. Numerous threads on Reddit and ResetEra are full of fans commenting on Plagueis’ cameo, even if it’s an all-too-brief one.
That’s all well and good but, for general viewers, why is Plagueis’ appearance such a major inclusion? Without digging too far into Star Wars lore, the Sith Lord worked alongside his apprentice Darth Sidious (aka Senator Sheev Palpatine/Emperor Palpatine, the Star Wars franchise’s big bad) to unlock the secret of immortality. Plagueis is also renowned for his experiments with midi-chlorians, the microscopic life form that allow individuals to wield the Force, in an attempt to create life – just like Brendok’s witch coven successfully did with Osha and Mae.
Are Osha and Mae the inspiration for Plagueis’ own bioengineering tests? Or did he play a secret but active role in their conception via the Force? And, if Qimir is Plagueis’ apprentice, does this mean he’s a young Palpatine? Or did the Force-wielding Muun, who’s known in some circles as Plagueis the Wise, have another understudy before Palpatine/Sidious? Maybe we’ll find out the answers to these queries in season 2 (more on this shortly).
Why does Yoda appear in The Acolyte episode 8?
Before The Acolyte ends, there’s one more surprise in store for viewers. Vernestra Rwoh, who’s just covered up another massive Jedi faux pas on Brendok (i.e. Sol’s death) during a meeting with Coruscant’s Senate, visits her Jedi Master at the planet’s Jedi Temple. Telling her superior that “they need to talk”, the camera pans down from Vernestra to reveal she’s speaking to Yoda, one of the most iconic and powerful Jedi to ever live.
So, why does Yoda appear in episode 8? In my mind, the answer is two-fold. Firstly, Yoda is an immediately recognizable Star Wars character, so his cameo will no doubt excite sections of the fanbase ahead of a possible second season (we’re getting to whether it’ll happen, don’t worry). We know he’s alive during the events of The Acolyte, too. One of 2024’s new Star Wars shows and movies is set around 100 years before The Phantom Menace during Star Wars’ High Republic era, so it makes sense of him to be one of the highest-ranking Light Side wielders in Coruscant’s Jedi Temple.
Of course, Yoda’s cameo raises more questions than it answers. Will Vernestra tell him the truth about Brendok? If she does, is Yoda not complicit in covering up two major wrongdoings by the Jedi, both of which happened on the aforementioned planet? If Vernestra chooses to keep him out of the loop, what does this say about Yoda’s capability to not only be lead a prominent and wise Jedi leader, but also his ability to foresee, sense, or predict the truth and/or future? We already know that he failed to see that Sidious was operating under the Jedis’ noses throughout the prequel movie trilogy so, if Vernestra decides not to tell what happened on Brendok, Yoda’s fallibility will be further called into question by fans if he features heavily in a possible 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 this particularly fan theory was true.
Stepping onto Brendok and using the Force to sense where Sol was, Vernestra recognized Qimir – who wasn’t wearing his Force-blocking Cortosis helmet at the time – as another individual present on the planet. Later on, Vernestra also confirms to an apprehended and amnesiac Mae (Qimir, who’s also known as The Stranger, wiped Mae’s memory, with her blessing, so she wouldn’t reveal Qimir and Osha’s hideout to the Jedi) that Qimir had been her Padawan.
The big question on everyone’s minds is: what happened between them that led Qimir to turn to the Dark Side? We know something went down between the pair, 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. Here’s hoping we get an answer to that and questions surrounding Qimir’s real identity at some point.
Who does David Harewood play in The Acolyte?
That’ll be Senator Rayencourt, a prominent member of Coruscant’s Senate and one of its few members who wants a full investigation/review into how the Jedi operate as the galaxy’s so-called peacekeepers.
Harewood, who some viewers will recognize from shows including Homeland and The Night Manager, plus video games like Alan Wake 2, was rumored to appear in The Acolyte before it debuted on Disney Plus, aka one of the world’s best streaming services. He was, however, conspicuous by his absence until episode 8, where he arguably stole the show during his two brief scenes as Rayencourt.
Does The Acolyte have a mid-credits or post-credits scene?
No. Apart from Vernestra visiting Yoda, which takes place before the end credits roll, there isn’t a mid- or post-credits scene to stick around for.
Will The Acolyte get a second season on Disney Plus?
We don’t know. There wasn’t a stinger at the end of episode 8, which might have revealed that Disney and Lucasfilm had renewed The Acolyte for another eight-episode run, so we’re none the wiser about its possible return.
Based on its abject 15% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the initial signs don’t look particularly promising. That hasn’t stopped showrunner Leslye Headland from talking up the possibility of a sophomore season, though, telling Nerdist: “I would say there are conversations. And I don’t know when that will happen. I don’t know when that decision will be made.”
Considering how many plot threads are left dangling at the end of season one of one of the best Disney Plus shows, there’s plenty of ground for the show to cover if Disney and Lucasfilm decide to greenlight another entry. Once we know if The Acolyte will return, we’ll let you know.