'The Acolyte' Episode 3: From Kelnacca's death to masked figure's identity, 5 Easter eggs you may have missed
Contains spoilers and speculation for 'The Acolyte'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Acolyte' Episode 3 premiered on June 11, 2024 on Disney+. The episode looked at the tragic backstory of Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and her twin sister Osha. The episode is a compelling exploration into the interpretation of the Force and also connects the show to Anakin Skywalker.
'The Acolyte', created by Leslye Headland is based about a century before 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' and is about a Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) trying to stop Mae who is trying to kill Jedi masters.
While Episodes 1 & 2 were about the mystery and investigation into the crimes, Episode 3 delved deep into the backstory of Mae and Osha and why Mae wanted to kill Jedi.
Episode 3 also had a few easter eggs about the 'Star Wars' universe and foreshadowed a death in the coming episodes. Here's a look at a few easter eggs that you might have missed in 'The Acolyte' Episode 3.
Thread vs Force
In the third episode, Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) talks about the Thread as an interpretation of the Force. We see Aniseya and the other witches wary of the Jedi when they come to test Mae and Osha.
This could foreshadow that the origin of the dark side could be about the interpretation of the force as the witches interpret it as Thread hinting at a war of cults between the Witches and Jedi.
Kelnacca's death foreshadowed
Mae sees Osha and Kelnacca talk when the test is going on and we see Kelnacca appear very different at the end of Episode 2 than what he did in Episode 3.
It is evident that Kelnacca is in some sort of self-imposed exile and Mae is on the lookout for him. The fact that Mae saw Osha and Kelnacca talk would add to Mae's motivation for killing Kelnacca.
So, it could be possible that in the coming episodes, we see Kelnacca struggling to survive the wrath of Mae.
Mae and Osha's birth
A big revelation in the third episode was the birth of Mae and Osha and the fact that they never had a father. We get to know that Mother Aniseya created Mae and Osha.
The witches are trying to keep Mae and Osha away from the Jedi so perhaps it is the witches trying to hide the way that they were created using a dark force of some sort that could put the Witches in trouble with the Jedi.
Parallels to Anakin Skywalker
Mae and Osha's story had startling parallels to Anakin Skywalkers' story in Episode 3. When Osha wants to leave the coven and be with the Jedi, she has a dialogue that is similar to Anakin Skywalkers' dialogue from 'The Phantom Menace' where they talk about letting go of attachments.
Another eerie similarity between the twins and Anakin was the creation and the fact that they had no father. Apart from this, the scene where Osha is blood-tested by Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) also bears a resemblance to the time when Anakin was blood-tested while being recruited.
Is Mother Aniseya the masked figure?
While we see a fire break out in the coven, we never really see the death of Mother Aniseya. Whenever a mask is used by filmmakers, it usually is done to hide injuries or burn marks.
It could be possible that Mother Aniseya survived the fire with burns and is leading the war against the Jedi who took her daughter Osha and disrupted their coven. We have seen the Witches being antagonists in 'Star Wars' films and this could be the perfect origin story for them.
Maybe the Witches just wanted to be left alone to practice their way of life and the Jedi interruptions forced them to embrace the dark side.
'The Acolyte' trailer
Episode 1-3 of 'The Acolyte' are streaming on Disney+.