“Are we no longer supposed to root for the Jedi?”: Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte Exploited a Major Mistake Committed by Mark Hamill’s The Last Jedi and Made it Far Worse

The Acolyte is the latest and arguably the most divisive addition to the Star Wars universe since The Last Jedi. As a result, it wouldn’t surprise fans to learn that the two stories explore one common plot point. However, Leslye Headland’s show took things too far when handling the treatment of the Jedi.

Following the show’s conclusion, fans discussed the series, its narrative, and themes on social media. However, after one fan pointed out the similarity between the series and 2017’s The Last Jedi, others quickly chimed in on the exploration of one controversial plot point in the franchise. Here is what fans had to say about The Acolyte‘s worst mistake.

Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte Amplified The Last Jedi‘s Worst Mistake

Created by Leslye Headland, The Acolyte is set almost a hundred years before the fall of the Jedi order depicted in the prequels. However, unlike previous entries, the series explores the flaws of the Jedi Order, hinting at the circumstances that eventually led to their downfall.

On X (formerly Twitter), user @sw_holocron pointed out how the series explores the Jedi and their monopolization of the Force. The user also compared Qimir’s criticism of the Jedi with the views of Mark Hamill‘s Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi.

The Last Jedi served as a deconstruction of the principles of being a Jedi. The film put forth the idea that the Jedi can also be flawed and aren’t the clean-cut heroes as seen in the previous installments. However, The Acolyte took things further by exploiting this controversial plot point and depicting the Jedi in a negative light.

Fans Criticize The Acolyte For Focusing on the Jedi’s Flawed Side

Following the initial tweet, other fans joined the discussion regarding The Acolyte painting the Jedi as the bad guys, essentially expanding on the concept first explored in The Last Jedi. Fans criticized the series for its handling of the Jedi’s characterization.

Here is what fans had to say about The Acolyte focusing on the flaws of the Jedi during a discussion on X.

All roads lead to Order 66 and Luke the Hermit.
What are the implications of the repeated failures of the Jedi?

Are we no longer supposed to root for the Jedi?

— Minimal Mentat (@Minimalmentat) July 5, 2024

Luke went back to learn and guard ancient texts. He was a hermit cause he failed, and he cut himself from the force to not be found by anyone. Suggesting Qimir and him are the same is insane

— FilmBros! Podcast (@Filmbrospodcast) July 5, 2024

*eyeroll. Yes cause using the dark side and being murderous is such a boon.

— Luke De 1st (@Luke_De_1st) July 5, 2024

Lucasfilm needs to communicate their message and terms clearly. The heroes are the jedi. The issue people should have is the jedi order. Jedi Order (religion and dogma) vs Jedi (follower of the light side of the force). What should the new jedi look like post religious order

— David Martinez (@IcemanGames93) July 5, 2024

Well, Lucas says it himself. The light side is the Force in balance. The dark side is the Force out of balance.

The Jedi are just trying to maintain that. Though sometimes their methods are quite questionable.

— CJ Phillips (@phillips_cj) July 5, 2024

As the tweets indicate, fans were clearly unhappy with the portrayal of the Jedi in The Acolyte, especially because the series depicted them as rigid and dogmatic regarding the Force. Thus, fans found it hard to root for the Jedi.

Fans also cited the example of the prequels, which underline the flaws of the Jedi Order since they try to play politics despite being peacekeepers in the galaxy far, far away. Hence, it is safe to say that while fans do not have an issue with exploring the flaws of the Jedi, the idea’s execution in The Acolyte left a bitter effect on most fans.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.