Be it the superhero universe of the X-Men or the grim realm of Jedis and Sith Lords, Dafne Keen was born to own whatever genre she stepped into. However, her latest foray into the Star Wars universe in the Disney+ series, The Acolyte, has been the topic of much talk over the past few weeks – not because she was lacking in any capacity but because the show wasted her potential by undermining what she was capable of.
![The Acolyte [Credit: Disney+]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/28133039/The-Acolyte-Credit-Disney-1024x597.jpg "The Acolyte [Credit: Disney+]")
Weeks after its release, The Acolyte continues to hold its status as one of the more divisive shows released via the Disney+ slate as unforgivable loopholes in its storyline continue to baffle and haunt Star Wars fans. But despite the lack of cohesive continuity between the series and the larger universe at play, one thing is for sure – The Acolyte pays more attention to the moody aesthetics and atmospheric ambiance of its locations than it does to the characters comprising the storyline.
Dafne Keen Bears the Cross for the Sins of The Acolyte
The universal influence of Star Wars and its modern 21st-century renaissance via Disney+ has elevated the franchise to a pedestal. Every new show that adds to its comprehensive history and lore immediately becomes part of the iconic IP that will continue to hold the honorary title of the best sci-fi cultural phenomenon that has ever happened in cinematic history.
![Star Wars: The Acolyte – A still from Episode 4 [Credit: Disney+]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/28133040/Star-Wars-The-Acolyte-%E2%80%93-Still-from-Episode-4-Credit-Disney.jpg "Star Wars: The Acolyte – A still from Episode 4 [Credit: Disney+]")
As such, it is only fair to want Dafne Keen‘s role, however small, in The Acolyte to reflect the series’ potential and elevate the overall IP by using her potential and playing to her strength. But the series not only underplays her role but also vastly misuses Keen’s captivating screen presence with a poorly developed script that uses her death as an emotional catalyst without an actual purpose behind it.
Action choreography and aesthetic cinematography can only take a project so far without the necessary supporting elements of a rich plot and fleshed-out character arcs. Dafne Keen is a talent who can deliver on both fronts – action as well as plot – and yet, the fans have yet to witness how the premature death of her character does justice to the unfolding sequence of unfortunate events.
Jecki Lon and Her Fated Arc in The Acolyte
![Dafne Keen in The Acolyte Episode 5 [Credit: Disney+]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/28133046/Dafne-Keen-in-The-Acolyte-Episode-5-Credit-Disney-1024x683.jpg "Dafne Keen in The Acolyte Episode 5 [Credit: Disney+]")
Born as a Theelin-human hybrid, Dafne Keen’s character, Jecki Lon, stands out in The Acolyte for bearing a formidable character as a young Jedi Padawan with a unique and unusual combat technique known as the Jar’Kai. However, that is where her characterization begins and ends with the series failing to flesh out the potential of what Jecki Lon could have been capable of if allowed to live beyond her limited arc.
As fans have noted on social media, Dafne Keen’s stunning action choreography as Jecki lives up to the standards of the Star Wars franchise. And yet, her character evolution and story arc in The Acolyte fall short of audience expectations. As important as an emotional catalyst might be to the unfolding of a story, one should also know which characters to retain for the long haul and which ones to use as expendable pawns in the story.
Inspired by the character of Rystáll Stant from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland created the Theelin character of Dafne Keen as a continuation of the lore of the doomed species in the Star Wars universe. As such, it is universally believed that dooming her character to such an early grave was a mistake on the part of The Acolyte.
The Acolyte is now available for streaming on Disney+
