Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 7.

Summary

The Acolyteepisode 7’s ending provides answers about Brendok, revealing the tragic events that would turn Jedi into liars. After the manyunanswered questions ofThe Acolyteepisode 3, episode 7 was a highly anticipated installment of the show. Mae and Osha’s childhood was filled with lingering mysteries, with the show teasing for four episodes that answers about the fateful night on the planet of Brendok will be delivered.The Acolyteepisode 6’s endingproved these answers were finally at hand, with episode 7 delivering.

By the time ofThe Acolyteepisode 7’s ending, more was revealed about what really happened to the witches of Brendok. Moving away fromThe Acolyte’s Sith Lord Qimirfor a week, episode 7 detailed what exact role the Jedi had in the destruction of Brendok’s fortress. This links inherently to the fate and origins of Mae and Osha, what became of them, and howa series of tragic misunderstandings could bring the members of the Jedi Order to lie to the Council.

Manny Jacinto as Qimir looking out from a doorway to the left and Amandla Stenberg as Osha to the right looking serious in a combined image from The Acolyte

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The Acolyte Episode 7 Reveals Why The Jedi Were On Brendok

The Jedi Were Searching For A Force Vergence

One of the many lingering questions afterThe Acolyteepisode 3 was what the Jedi were doing on Brendok in the first place.The Acolyteepisode 7’s return to the planet immediately made this clear, with the story being told from the Jedi’s perspective rather than that of Osha or Mae. InThe Acolyte, the Jedi were dispatched to Brendok to investigate the planet’s mysterious growth of life. Indara reveals that the planet of Brendok was once rendered lifeless due to a hyperspace disaster, the defining event ofStar Wars’High Republic Erabook stories.

The Jedi were sent to Brednok to investigate why, believing that a Force vergence was responsible for Brendok’s enrichment…

Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as an adult similing at Osha and as a young man comforting Osha in The Acolyte

However, Brendok was miraculously flourishing with life. The Jedi were sent to Brednok to investigate why, believing that a Force vergence was responsible for Brendok’s enrichment. InStar Wars,Force vergences are concentrated areas of the Force linked to a place, a person, an object, or an entire planet. In Brendok’s case, the vergence was causing life on the planet, hence the Jedi’s investigation.

The Jedi’s Role In The Deaths Of The Brendok Witches Explained

Mae’s Fire Did Not Kill The Witches Of Brendok After All

One of the biggest hints that more mysteries lie at the center ofThe Acolyteepisode 3’s flashbacks was the dead bodies of the Brendok witches. Rather than be burned or charred in any way, the witches were simply dead, seemingly unaffected by the blaze that reportedly killed them. InThe Acolyteepisode 7, it is revealed what actually happened to the witches, and how the Jedi were involved. After realizing thatOsha and Mae’s mysterious originswere a result of Brendok’s Force vergence, Torbin rushed to take the girls back to Coruscant to end the unwanted mission on the planet.

Sol pursues Torbin, with the two being confronted by the witches of Brendok upon reaching their compound. As tensions rise, Mae appears to tell Aniseya that the fire she started is threatening Osha’s life. Aniseya attempts to use a dark side Force power to save Osha, causing Sol to retaliate out of fear.Sol stabs Aniseya with his lightsaber, killing her,and forcing the rest of her coven to attack the Jedi. After Kelnacca arrives to help his comrades, the remaining witches use their powers to enter his mind and coerce him into attacking Sol and Torbin.

Luke Skywalker death in The Last Jedi with Luke looking out and a bright sunset behind him

Indara arrives and subdues Kelnacca, using the Force to free his mind. Upon doing so, the remaining witches of Brendok fall to the ground, dead. Concerning why, this is likely because of the strain of overpowering Kelnacca and Indara’s push-back. Taking over the mind of a Wookiee is likely no small feat that would only be bolstered by Indara’s Force power. As evident with Luke’s death inThe Last Jedi, Force struggles can cause death in extreme cases. Indara’s power proved too much for the witches of Brendok, resulting in their deaths.

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Mother Koril Escaped Brendok In The Acolyte Episode 7

Could Koril Play A Bigger Role Going Forward?

One of the bigger reveals inThe Acolyteepisode 7 surrounds Mother Koril.The Acolyteepisode 3 proved that Koril is imbued with more darkness than Aniseya, a darkness that came to the fore inThe Acolyteepisode 7’s revisit to Brendok. Koril was indirectly responsible for the fire that Mae started, pushing her child to stop Osha from leaving. Later, after the Jedi arrive at the compound,Koril is partly responsible for starting a fight with the warriors by acting antagonistic, combined with Sol’s decision to kill Aniseya.

It could be revealed that Koril survived, and is influencing events in the present-day ofThe Acolyte’s story…

Moral Koril voices concern about the Jedi testing the girls in The Acolyte

Interestingly, before the fight can culminate, Koril flees. Like Aniseya, Koril possesses the ability to transform into a cloud of dark side energy. Koril uses this power to flee Brendok as Kelnacca arrives, potentially teasing a bigger role for her going forward. While the witches are killed once they are forced from the mind of Kelnacca, Koril’s body is not shown. It could be revealed that Koril survived, and is influencing events in the present-day ofThe Acolyte’s story.

Why Did Sol & Indara Lie To The Council After The Acolyte Episode 7?

A Mixture Of Guilt & Protection Saw The Jedi Become Liars

In the final scene ofThe Acolyteepisode 7, Indara, Sol, and Torbin are shown weighing up their options. Indara states that they should tell the Council the truth, only with missing parts. Indara’s “truth” is that Mae started the fire that resulted in the deaths of the Brendok witches. As Obi-Wan once said, what Indara told the Council is true, from a certain point of view. The fire is what caused Aniseya to reveal her true form, Sol to kill her, Koril and the witches to possess Kelnacca, and Indara to free the Wookiee and indirectly kill the witches.

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Lee Jung-jae as a young Jedi Master Sol and Carrie-Anne Moss as Master Indara in Star Wars: The Acolyte

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The Acolyte Poster Showing Jedi Order, Mae, and a Sith Lord Holding Lightsabers

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Episode 8

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As evidenced inThe Acolyteepisode 7, Indara is simply omitting large elements of the story. Concerning why Indara and Sol decide to lie to the Council and leave their involvement in the witches' deaths, it stems from guilt and protection. The latter links to Osha, with Indara rightly stating that the Council would not let her become a Jedi if they found out about her origins. Indara states that this would take away Osha’s dream after having lost everything she has ever known, proving their decision to stem from protecting the child.

Another factor in their secrecy is guilt. From Torbin’sBarash Vow inThe Acolyteto Kelnacca’s solitude on Khofar, it is clear that the Jedi felt guilt about their involvement on Brendok. This guilt naturally extends to Sol, who killed Aniseya and allowed Mae to fall to her apparent death to save Osha. Indara’s guilt likely comes from not controlling the situation better, with each Jedi blaming themselves for the events. If the Council was told of what happened, the Jedi would have to confront their guilt, turningThe Acolyte’s warriors of peace into liars who mean well.

The Acolyte

Cast

The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.