‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Writer Confirms Dave Filoni Approved All Scripts for the Show, Including Ki-Adi-Mundi

We’re halfway through the first season of ‘The Acolyte’ and opinions are divided as the show continues to evolve—some find it better, others find it weirder or worse. Since the release of Episode 3, controversies have stirred within the fandom.

In this episode, ‘The Acolyte’ introduced the Witches of Brendok, Force users akin to the Witches of Dathomir. These witches were depicted creating the twins Osha & Mae using the Force, without a male parent.

Fans perceived this as breaking canon because Anakin Skywalker is the only other known individual created by the Force and was deemed “The Chosen One” as a result. However, there’s a distinction to be made: Anakin was created directly by the Force, whereas Osha & Mae were brought into existence through manipulation of the Force. Therefore, this distinction makes it a non-issue.

Interestingly, it’s reported that Filoni inspired Headland to introduce the Witches of Brendok.

Then, in Episode 4, something occurred that even I find difficult to justify. They included Ki-Adi-Mundi from ‘The Phantom Menace.’ Ki-Adi-Mundi shouldn’t be alive during the events of ‘The Acolyte’ because the show is set 100 years before ‘The Phantom Menace,’ and Ki-Adi-Mundi was at most in his 60s during that time.

Then, the most glaring instance of ignoring canon occurred in the closing moments of episode 4, as the Jedi search party comes face-to-face with what seems to be a Sith Lord—levitating, clad in all black, and wielding a red lightsaber. There’s no mistaking this Force user for anything other than a Sith.

This would be less problematic if Ki-Adi-Mundi himself hadn’t uttered this line in ‘The Phantom Menace:’

Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millenium.

Source

This suggests either the Force user isn’t a Sith (though highly improbable) or that perhaps half of ‘The Acolyte’s’ team may not have thoroughly watched the movies (a possibility given their past remarks, like attributing the Death Star’s destruction to Anakin).

Fans have been questioning who authorized these decisions and why they were included, and unfortunately, it was Filoni.

Claire Kiechel, a writer on episode 4, clarified that every script must ultimately receive Dave Filoni’s approval:

[He] has to ultimately approve them along with the rest of the Lucasfilm team

Fans reacted to this accordingly:

Once again, it’s prudent to reserve judgment until all episodes have aired to reach a definitive conclusion. The Master in the show could potentially be a different type of Force user, and prematurely assuming otherwise might lead to embarrassment. However, current indications strongly suggest a Sith affiliation.

What are your thoughts? Share them with us in the comments below!