No other Star Wars story had the courage to do what “The Acolyte” does

In a tale, everyone enjoys it when the antagonist is correct. This week’s episode, “Night,” offers valuable insight into the Sith during the era when the Jedi are at their strongest. The Acolyte is actively engaged in this endeavor. In addition to being stunning and accompanied by a merciless Jedi bloodbath on his part, the revelation of the Stranger’s identity—Manny Jacinto—also made us consider whether or not we might harbor sympathy for the Sith. So yet, no other Star Wars narrative has dared to ask such a topic, while several have discussed the issues surrounding the Jedi and their perception of the Sith. Does the Stranger’s actions make sense, then?

The viewpoint of the Sith is given by “The Acolyte.”

The idea that everything relies on point of view is a recurring theme in Star Wars narratives. In Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) tells Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that what he told Luke about Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) betraying and killing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) was true from a certain point of view. At times, this seems a little unrealistic. Unlike Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), who portrays the Sith as being wicked for the sake of evil throughout the Skywalker Saga, The Acolyte incorporates the Sith’s point of view into the narrative and lets them speak for themselves.

Since its introduction, the series has been promoted as a tale about the dark side of the Force, but with all of the attention on the Jedi, it’s easy to forget that. But The Acolyte has stuck to this idea from the show’s premiere crawl to this week’s episode. A common portrayal of the Jedi is one of near-imperialism, with them controlling who in the galaxy is able to use the Force. Given that the show takes place in the latter years of the High Republic and that the Jedi experienced severe trauma from dealing with Force-sensitive entities that disobeyed their teachings, there are narrative reasons for this.

Despite their claims to be the protectors of justice and peace in the galaxy, the Jedi are still limiting access to the Force for those who disagree with them, thus it’s still troublesome to carry out what they are doing by the time of The Acolyte. Alternatively phrased, gatekeeping.

Naturally, the Sith are the antagonists in Star Wars by definition. They lie, murder, betray allies, and so forth. When the Stranger confesses to Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that all he wants is to use his power anyway he pleases, it’s still hard not to feel at least a little sympathy for him. to be perpetuated by an adherent. There are many Padawans and young Knights among the Jedi; why shouldn’t other faiths based on the Force be granted the same privilege? The Stranger’s statement to Sol that the Jedi claim he “can’t exist” even serves to justify his carnage; although murdering is morally repugnant and indicative of a villain, for him it’s a necessity of survival. Nobody should find out who he is if the Jedi are still going to pursue him. If someone does, it’s unfortunate for them. He may be the only Sith in the galaxy right now, but there are plenty of other Jedi in the area.