7 burning questions we have for ‘The Acolyte’ finale

Happy Acolyte finale day, everyone! While this hopefully isn’t the last we’ll see of Star Wars’ latest show — seriously, I need Season 2 more than Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) needed to go back to Coruscant — we’ve got several questions we hope the series wraps up by the end of its first season.

Episode 7, “Choice,” already gave us some clarity about what happened on Brendok on the night that twins Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) were separated. But in the present, there are several tasty story threads still left dangling.

Remember, when we last saw Mae, Jedi Master Sol had restrained her and was preparing to tell her about his side of the Brendok story. Meanwhile, Osha was experiencing the seductive pull to the Dark Side, all thanks to the absolute charisma bomb who is the Stranger (Manny Jacinto). But what in the world will happen when the twins’ paths cross again?

With the finale fast-approaching, here are seven questions we’d love The Acolyte to answer.

1. How did Mae survive her fall on Brendok?

Leah Brady in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

While “Choice” was an illuminating episode, we’re still missing a key perspective from that fateful night: Mae’s. We know Sol let her fall into oblivion in order to save Osha, but how did she make it out alive? And how did she join up with the Stranger in the years to come? Did he find and save her, or was theirs a chance meeting?

2. Are there any Brendok witches left?

Margarita Levieva and Leah Brady in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Another question that lingers from “Choice” is the fate of the Brendok witches — or one in particular. While Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) killed the coven by severing their joint possession of Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), one coven member is conspicuously absent from their ranks: Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva). Where did she head off to when she vanished in a cloud of smoke? And could she have any links to the Stranger and the Sith?

3. Will the Oshamir ship set sail in earnest?

Amandla Stenberg and Manny Jacinto in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

The enemies-to-lovers vibes are strong with The Acolyte, all thanks to the staggering amount of chemistry between Osha and the Stranger (formerly known by his alias, Qimir). In episode 6 alone, he strips naked in front of her, gently caresses her wrist while she holds a lightsaber to his throat, and talks about the power of “desire.” If that’s not seduction mode, I don’t know what is.

The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland confirmed in an interview with Collider that the Oshamir dynamic is “so clear,” so the question is less “if” the romance will truly kick off, and more “when.” As of now, the Oshamir ship is fully ready to leave the harbor, the Stranger is calling Osha aboard, and all she and The Acolyte need to do is push off. Speaking of…

4. Will Osha embrace the Dark Side in The Acolyte finale?

Amandla Stenberg in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Before The Acolyte whisked us back to flashback town, Osha tried on the Stranger’s cortosis helmet, marking a huge step down the path to the Dark Side. But will she follow through in the finale? Or will Sol draw her back to the Light?

The determining factor here will likely be Osha’s reaction to the truth about what Sol did on Brendok — if she finds out. Could her grief and anger lead her to complete the mission Mae could not and kill a Jedi Master without a weapon?

5. Who was the Stranger’s Jedi Master?

Rebecca Henderson in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

One of the few tidbits we know about the Stranger’s past is that he was once a Jedi, before his Master cast him out (and gave him some gnarly back scars in the process). The most likely candidate for his former Jedi Master is Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson), since her lightwhip matches up with his scars, and since she’s been acting awfully cagey about the investigation into the bloodbath on Khofar.

(Sidebar: The Stranger told Osha he was a Jedi a long time ago. Since Vernestra is about 116 years old by the time of The Acolyte, and she was likely his Master, how old is Qimir really?)

6. What is the Stranger’s link to Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren?

Manny Jacinto in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

The Acolyte has paid tribute to the Star Wars sequel trilogy — especially The Last Jedi — throughout. But perhaps the most interesting reference is the recurring use of Kylo Ren’s musical theme, including in the moment when the Stranger Force healed Osha.

So what could the Stranger’s connection to Kylo Ren possibly be? Speculation suggests that he could be the original leader of the Knights of Ren, who we see in the sequel trilogy. Headland herself said in an interview with Nerdist that this was “a really good theory,” so take that as you will.

7. Will any other Sith Lords be making appearances?

Manny Jacinto in “The Acolyte.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

It’s hard to think about the rise of the Dark Side in Star Wars without thinking of Darth Sidious (aka Emperor Palpatine) and the Sith Lord who trained him, Darth Plagueis (and even the Sith who trained him, Darth Tenebrous). Given that The Acolyte examines rising darkness during the High Republic Era, could that mean we get a surprise appearance from Tenebrous, or maybe even Plagueis? Personally, I’d love it if a Star Wars show didn’t tie itself in knots in order to link to already existing characters, but if the execution is good, I won’t be totally peeved.

Headland told Nerdist that she does have an idea of how The Acolyte would eventually connect to Plagueis and Palpatine. Of course, she’d need a second season (and maybe even beyond) to get there. Here’s hoping that Season 2 renewal is just around the corner.

The Acolyte finale premieres July 16 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.