Star Wars: The Acolyte has something important to say about good versus evil, and right and wrong. It’s a common beat in Star Wars storytelling. Ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi said the words, “Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view,” in Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars has spent a lot of time testing this idea with villains demanding you try seeing the world through their eyes. We all generally want freedom, including some very dangerous people.
Watch the full video analysis from Stephen Kent of Geeky Stoics on YouTube
At issue in Star Wars: The Acolyte is….acceptance. The Jedi run the galaxy, and they don’t allow the Sith, Dark Side acolytes, and cultists, to operate in the open. They suppress these activities. Their view of the Force is that the Dark Side is not part of balance, but an unbalancing force in the galaxy.
In The Acolyte, a character known as Qimir, has strong words for the Jedi. He says “The Jedi say I can’t exist” and when asked what he wants, “Freedom…to wield my power the way I like.”
Freedom is an ideal or outcome. Not a virtue.
It’s a fruit that grows in certain conditions. The tree or soil hold the virtues (Courage, Wisdom, Justice, Discipline), and that will depend on whether the fruit, freedom, is rotten or ripe.
This is relevant stuff Star Wars is speaking to in this new series. In the video above, I’ll break it down for you in full.
Share this post