The Acolyte Brings Back Star Wars Prequels Character, Sparking a Debate Among Fans Staff, 6/19/2024 Star Wars fans are divided over the appearance of Ki-Adi-Mundi in Episode 4 of The Acolyte, set 100 years before The Phantom Menace. Some question the continuity and timeline, while others argue that his age and the existence of the Sith aren't firmly established. The debate adds an extra layer of intrigue to the series. Warning: Spoilers follow for Episode 4 of The Acolyte.
The fourth episode of The Acolyte featured an unexpected Star Wars prequel trilogy cameo and some fans have a problem with it.
The Acolyte takes place roughly 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, so viewers were surprised to see Ki-Adi-Mundi, who was a member of the Jedi Council in the prequel films, present at a meeting about Mae in this week's episode. His name is listed in the end credits as confirmation.
Derek Arnold takes over from prequel actor Silas Carson to portray the younger version of Ki-Adi-Mundi in The Acolyte. Both a puppeteer and actor, Arnold has played several other alien roles in Star Wars already, including in The Force Awakens and Rogue One, but his most recent appearance caught fans off guard.
Viewers took to social media shortly after watching the episode to question how Ki-Adi-Mundi could show up 40 years before his birth (according to Legends) and why he declares that the Sith have been extinct for a millennium in The Phantom Menace when he was part of the task force going after Mae's presumed Sith Master.
Others, however, argued that Ki-Adi-Mundi's age was never officially known in canon and that it also might be incorrect to assume that the "Master" is a Sith, so Ki-Adi-Mundi may have been telling the truth when he speaks out on the Jedi Council, as they may be dealing with another villainous faction in The Acolyte.
This isn't the first time Star Wars fans have debated Ki-Adi-Mundi's line of dialogue regarding the Sith in The Phantom Menace and the inclusion of Dark Side users during the galaxy's High Republic era.
"I've always taken it to mean that the Jedi have believed the Sith to be extinct, but they've been in the shadows. (As we know they have been)," one Redditor suggested years ago. "Or the Jedi council might keep it a secret. As not to scare the order. And this is want leads to their incompetence during the Clone Wars," another added.
A third person said: "A millennium is 1000 years. The Sith are definitely around but definitely in hiding. Maybe towards the end of The High Republic era Lucasfilm will pull back the veil on what they've been doing."
With four episodes of The Acolyte remaining, there are still plenty of jigsaw pieces to slot into place, which became even more apparent this week. IGN's review of Episode 4 noted that the pace has started to pick up now we're at the midway point, "thanks to more Jedi, more creatures, and most of the main characters colliding."
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.
