The sheer expanse of the Star Wars universe and the number of projects that fall under the umbrella means that all new offerings are always put under severe scrutiny by its global fanbase. The Acolyte, set towards the end of the High Republic era and a century before the events of The Phantom Menace, has recently received criticism for an unfair reason.
Episode 5 of its premiere season gave fans the first look at Qimir, a Sith master who has disguised himself as a smuggler. As Sol, a Jedi master, comes in contact with Qimir and reveals his identity, some fans were surprised because they assumed the Sith had been extinct for a millennium during this period.
However, it has been met by a quick rebuke by the franchise’s more informed fans, who exposed the precise reason why the latest criticism becomes completely baseless due to one simple reason.
Criticism directed at The Acolyte is baseless due to this simple reason
The outcry with respect to the episode itself emerged due to a post by Nerdrotic, which questioned how Sol came in contact with a Sith master when they were assumed to be made extinct by the Jedi order. However, rather than complete annihilation, the community itself had orchestrated a strategic retreat that allowed them to remain hidden from their enemies.
The tweet itself claimed the following, setting up a range of fans who rushed to react:
I guess The Sith haven’t been extinct for a millennium.
At its core, it was Darth Bane who instituted the Rule of Two, a deliberate engineering that allowed Sith presence to be concealed from the public. Planned over generations, it led to the Jedi Order eventually believing that Sith masters had been annihilated and the threat had completely vanished.
Are people THIS DUMB????????? THE SITH WERE NEVER EXTINCT! THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE PREQUELS?! https://t.co/WVQu7OG051
— Evan (@HarrisHarrisev9) June 26, 2024
That’s IF Sol and Vernestra reveal it to him and the High Council. And even then they have nothing to go off of. Sol might not even believe him. We’ll have to wait and see.
— Evan (@HarrisHarrisev9) June 26, 2024
You mean the Jedi were wrong and cocky and cause their own Doom? No way, i thought the prequels were about cool lightsaber fights
— ~Nick | #TheOnesWhoLiveSweep (@_steamspidey) June 26, 2024
They want you to quote tweet them. They made bait so you raise their engagement. They are using your reaction for profit 🙁
— CombatMuffin (@combat_muffin) June 26, 2024
and they very intentionally took everyone out of the picture except for the two sisters who have their own problems and one jedi master who is exceptionally conflicted and seems unlikely to blab about this guy
— Dirk the Sandman 🇵🇸 goin to AC – AF@SEAFOAM (@TheRealDSandman) June 26, 2024
As is evident from the reactions above, a range of users were quick to point out the mistake of this criticism and defended The Acolyte from further trolling.
Darth Bane engineered the Sith’s disappearance to fool the Jedi Order
Darth Bane, who was seen in The Clone Wars, orchestrated a disappearance via the Rule of Two, which mandated the existence of only two Sith lords at any given time. Over time, combined with the insistence of the Jedi Order to focus on The Light Side teachings, the Siths were completely forgotten and thought to be extinct for a millennium.
The narrative has been delved into in detail via Legends, which remain non-canonical but give fans a range of information about how the Sith survived during this period without being identified by the Jedi Order. Hence, in itself, rather than The Acolyte Season 1 featuring a huge continuity error, the series has delved into a deeper narrative that sees the rise of the Sith despite the Jedi Order’ assumption that they have long been extinct.
The latest development falls well in line with the overall narrative in The Acolyte, as Jedi Masters such as Sol and Mae Aniseya exist at a time when the Sith have made a steady return to the gold, without making their presence apparent.That, of course, is now set to change.
The Acolyte is available to be watched on Disney+.
