The Acolyte is Bringing Back a Classic Star Wars Trope
Sometimes you just need a little alone time.
There’s no right way to be a Jedi. There’s definitely a wrong way, as Anakin demonstrated, but there’s no one right way. You can focus on meditation, on teaching, or martial arts. You can live in the shadows or out in the open. Naturally, most of the Jedi we’ve seen have been pretty hands-on, getting involved in galaxy-shifting moments like the Clone Wars and the establishment of the New Republic. It’s hard to make a movie about a serene monk living a life of quiet study.
But among all those movers and shakers, some exceptions that prove the rule. In The Acolyte, the next Disney+ Star Wars series, one unusual Jedi will copy a beloved element of the classic trilogy, proving that even during the High Republic there’s still room for a little introversion.
Unlike his coworkers, Jedi Master Kelnacca lives a humble life.
According to official character posters released by StarWars.com, Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca “has sequestered himself in the tangled jungles of Khofar.” Khofar is a brand-new planet in the Star Wars universe, but it seems to be mostly arboreal, much like the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.
A Jedi who is “a loner who lives a solitary life” is unusual, but certainly not unheard of. It’s how Luke finds Yoda living on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back, and how Luke, in turn, lives on Ahch-To before Rey finds him at the end of The Force Awakens. The difference is that Yoda and Luke both existed at times when the Jedi weren’t exactly welcome among polite company, while Kelnacca lived during the High Republic, when the Jedi were at their most powerful and well-respected.
Kelnacca appears to be following in Yoda’s exiled footsteps.
What does this mean for The Acolyte? Well, if Kelnacca has sequestered himself to this strange planet, then he wouldn’t be of note unless he was somehow involved in the Jedi murder mystery the series focuses on. Perhaps he holds some key information for Jedi Master Sol, who’s investigating the murders, or maybe he finds himself not so alone as he’s hunted by the mysterious assassin himself.
Regardless of his role in the series, showing an isolated Jedi Master when the order is at its height proves that Yoda and Luke weren’t just hiding out of necessity or guilt; it’s a long-held tradition that isn’t solely dictated by circumstances. Sometimes, even Jedi need to put themselves first.
