The Acolyte continues to receive hate from the OG Star Wars fandom, who has a major problem with the latest episode. The third episode of the new Disney+ show delves into the origin story of the main characters, Osha & Mae, both played by Amandla Stenberg. Some argue that their birth made Anakin Skywalker’s ‘The Chosen One’ status less special in the Star Wars lore.
The episode features a new Force cult, consisting of a coven of witches who live on the planet of Brendok. The lore-heavy episode is hated as much as the earlier two episodes, and there’s a rampant review bombing of the series on sites like Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans Are Upset Over The Acolyte Ruining Anakin Skywalker’s ‘The Chosen One’ Status
The Acolyte Episode 3 introduced viewers to the planet Brendok 16 years before the show’s events. The planet is inhabited by a coven of witches, and the main characters, Osha & Mae, are shown as the only children in Brendok. The witches have built a secretive place where they could hide from the Jedi and the Republic.
It is revealed that this cult group has some unique Force powers, making them very different from the Jedi or the Sith. In the episode, it was implied that Osha and Mae were conceived using the power of the Force. Mother Aniseya, played by Jodie Turner-Smith, shares the story of their unusual conception, commenting that, “There is no father.”
Fans were riled up by this comment as it was the exact thing that was spoken in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace about the birth of Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen. It essentially made him The Chosen One according to the prophecy. However, fans accuse the Disney-led Star Wars show of ruining Anakin’s character arc by introducing two new “Chosen Ones” a century before his birth.
One furious fan bashed Disney and the series since they ruined Anakin’s birth, making him no longer a special Force conception. Another fan shared that Disney was promoting the propaganda of making female characters its leads. One fan bashed the female writers, accusing them of trying to break into the “boy’s fort” of Star Wars. Some fans also wanted to de-canonize the Disney+ version of Star Wars. The fan reactions read:
Not only did they ruin Anakin's redemption, but they also ruined his birth. He is no longer special because he wasn't the first to be conceived through the Force.
Fuck Disney Star Wars, for destroying my favorite character. pic.twitter.com/3pT5rNallh
— Lily* (@300mirrors) June 12, 2024
Disney Star Wars isnt Star Wars, its propaganda. Anakin is fine, still a great charcter! Just ignore anything Disney has put out, is putting out and will put out. Stick to the Comic books, The novels and the Prequels and OT. You will be good.
— Brimstone (@Brimstone1117) June 12, 2024
Remember that these writers never grew up, they are locked in a state of arrested development where they are still the little girls who were denied entry to a boy's fort.
This is all a big tantrum, wrecking everything they perceive as a "boy's fort" even when it isn't.
— Odra (@Odra_MH) June 12, 2024
There are only 6 Star Wars movies, that’s all you need to know
— dmr87 (@dmr_87) June 12, 2024
Being "the one to bring balance to the force" is now tarnished and meaningless.
— 🌮 Juan De Sand Tits 🌮 (@DeSandTits) June 12, 2024
However, several fans have also come up with counter-arguments that The Acolyte did not ruin Anakin Skywalker’s special status. They argued that there was a stark difference between the births of Osha & Mae and that of Anakin Skywalker. While the coven of witches used the Force to create the twins, Anakin was conceived by the Force.
The Concern Of The Fans About The Acolyte Might Be Unfounded
It can be argued that fans could be reading too much into the ‘There is no father’ correlation between The Acolyte and The Phantom Menace. In the prequel movies, Palpatine shared with Anakin that the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Plagueis, used the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. It is possible that Darth Plagueis discovered his power from the coven.
However, Anakin’s birth is still special because he was a male child born with a Y chromosome even without a father’s involvement (via ScreenRant). It could mean that he was created by the will of the Force, rather than just the use of the dark powers. It should also be noted that the current version of the origin story is from Osho.
Fans are yet to see things from Mae’s point of view and, most importantly, the identity of the Sith Lord whom she’s serving still remains a mystery. The first three episodes of The Acolyte are now available for streaming on Disney+.
