‘The Acolyte’ Writer Explains Why They Wasted a Perfectly Good Wookiee Jedi: “Not Everything Gets To Be Included”

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Episode 4 premiered yesterday, and it proved to be even more controversial than Episode 3. Several instances of breaking canon were notable, including a Sith Lord revealing himself to the Jedi near the episode’s end and the presence of Ki-Adi-Mundi, who shouldn’t have been alive during this period of Star Wars history.

The episode’s biggest disappointment was undoubtedly the death of Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca, who appeared on screen for only a few seconds. This was a tough blow for fans who had been longing to see a Wookiee Jedi for decades.

Kelnacca’s story unfolds as follows: He was among the Jedi stationed at Brendok when Osha’s and Mae’s family perished in a tragic accident, supposedly caused by Mae herself. Now, 16 years later, Mae is on a mission to hunt down all the Jedi present that fateful night, part of a dark initiation for her Sith Master.

Kelnacca is stationed on the jungle planet Khofar. Mae is tasked with killing him without a weapon, a task she deems impossible. Along the way, Mae decides against attempting it and instead traps Qimir, rushing towards Kelnacca not to end his life but to turn herself over to the Jedi, offering information on the Dark Force user in exchange for leniency.

However, upon reaching Kelnacca’s cabin, Mae discovers the Jedi already dead, presumably killed by her master. As the Jedi search party arrives, they confront Mae’s Sith Master face to face.

It was a disappointing loss of a valuable Jedi character. Despite the teased buildup across multiple episodes, Kelnacca’s on-screen death occurred without the anticipated fight.

According to Claire Kiechel, the writer of the fourth episode, Kelnacca’s demise was a result of budget and storyline limitations. Originally planned with a death scene and a fight sequence, the decision was made to omit it due to concerns about narrative consistency.

Unfortunately, not everything gets to be included for budget and story reasons, we had an early draft that showed his fight and death scene but it ultimately broke the POV of the episode in a way that I think wouldn’t have worked as well.

Fans noted that the show’s budget is $180 million for 8 episodes, yet halfway through the series, nothing seems to justify such high costs. Episode 4, for instance, largely consisted of characters wandering around in the jungle, a premise that doesn’t appear to warrant such a budget.

For more on Kelnacca, fans can explore his backstory through a special one-shot comic released by Marvel Comics. Titled “Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1,” this comic, written by Cavan Scott and illustrated by Marika Cresta, will explore Kelnacca’s origins and serve as a bridge between The High Republic novels and comics and the upcoming Disney+ series “The Acolyte,” set for release on September 4.

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