Yes, That Was Who You Thought It Was in The Acolyte

For the astir part, The Acolyte has acceptable itself isolated from the remainder of Star Wars—both successful presumption of its placement successful the timeline, a 100 years earlier the prequel trilogy, and successful its tendency to absorption connected new characters and explorations, alternatively than the familiar. But that doesn’t mean determination aren’t immoderate intriguing connections...

... or, immoderate acquainted faces. Coming into The Acolyte, we were told that portion the bid was going to beryllium acceptable during the waning days of the High Republic era, just 1 character from the High Republic novels and comics would look successful the show, Rebecca Henderson’s Vernestra Rwoh. Beyond that, nary 1 other we knew. Which is true! From a definite constituent of view. Because portion we didn’t get idiosyncratic other from the satellite of the High Republic transmedia inaugural successful today’s episode, we did really get idiosyncratic we cognize from the films.

In a little country astatine the Jedi Temple connected Coruscant, Vernestra and a cadre of different Jedi sermon with Master Sol wherever his execution probe should take him next. It’s a little moment, but too 1 of the different Masters discussing a imaginable rogue sect of Jedi being down this assassin, we spot a Jedi from a acquainted contention articulation the discussion: a large-headed Cerean, wearing a mentation of the achromatic and beige Temple Robes of the High Republic era. And you deliberation for a moment, it can’t be. But helium has those yellowish eyes. His hairsbreadth and carnivore are grey and longer, but successful a akin style. Is it?

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Yes. As the credits of “Day” confirm, that is so Ki-Adi-Mundi—played present by Derek Arnold—future subordinate of the Jedi Council, noted carer about attacks connected Wookiees (which makes his beingness successful discourse adjacent funnier, honestly), and The Acolyte’s archetypal large Star Wars cameo.

Ki-Adi-Mundi’s presence, arsenic fleeting and little it is—you truly don’t adjacent announcement it’s him until his sanction shows up successful the credits, it’s not important, helium could’ve conscionable been immoderate Cerean Jedi—raises a full clump of questions. Not the dull sort, similar what this means for his enactment successful The Phantom Menace astir the Sith not having been seen successful a milennia: virtually successful this scene, the gathered Jedi, Ki-Adi included, don’t adjacent situation contemplate that Mae could beryllium trained by a Sith, leaning towards a rogue Jedi instead—and adjacent then, it’s a gathering wherever the Jedi permission it having been explicitly told to support all of this accusation nether wraps. Jedi are bully liars, and hey, if Ki-Adi-Mundi washes his hands of this probe from present connected out, ne'er to beryllium seen successful The Acolyte again, past well, helium surely did ne'er really spot a Sith either way.

No, similar the seat droids before him, the questions present are alternatively much existential: conscionable however old is Ki-Adi-Mundi here? This is 100 years earlier Phantom Menace, and helium looks similar a grown antheral here. Was helium truly that aged by the clip of the Clone War? We don’t cognize overmuch astir Cerean nine oregon biology successful Star Wars canon close now, but successful the aged Expanded Universe, Cerean men really aged astatine a overmuch quicker complaint than their much-more-populous pistillate counterparts—a antheral Cerean who lived past their 60s was considered to beryllium practically ancient. But now, acknowledgment to The Acolyte, it seems similar Ki-Adi was pushing astatine slightest astir 130, 150, by the clip helium bites it successful Revenge of the Sith (from repeated blaster bolts to the chest, of course, not aged age). And fixed that, however agelong was helium connected the Jedi Council? The mode helium refers to it here, he’s not connected it yet—he’s conscionable 1 Jedi Master among many. But what is it with the High Council and members who beryllium connected it for perchance hundreds of years? Yoda, Yaddle, Yarael Poof, present Ki-Adi-Mundi... wherefore did nary 1 ever enactment word limits in!?

And astatine the precise least, those questions are not really astir The Acolyte itself. Which is nice! His beingness present isn’t like, say, Luke Skywalker oregon Ahsoka Tano showing up successful The Mandalorian, oregon Mando himself dominating a mates episodes of Book of Boba Fett. It’s a cameo, yes, but not 1 that wholly takes implicit the communicative of the episode, oregon is adjacent highlighted arsenic 1 to the constituent you’re distracted portion the amusement pauses to spell “look! you cognize them!” Ki-Adi’s here, helium has a fewer lines among the Jedi, he’s gone, the occurrence carries on. A astonishment to beryllium sure, but a invited one.

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