Katelyn Mathis 
In her exploration of The Acolyte, Katelyn delves into the characters of Osha and Mae, the concept of the Force and the Thread, and the intricate balance of power within the Force.
Episode 3 of The Acolyte gave us the background on Osha and Mae and hints as to their origin. I won’t bother with an extensive review of the episode as, if you’re reading this, I hope you’ve already seen it. So, in we go.
First, Brendok could be a theoretical parallel to Tython. In the awesome history Disney erased Legends, Tython was the original homeword of the Je’daii. We’re talking roughly 37,000 years BBY. Lightsabers were still thousands of years off. Force users wielded force-imbued katanas. Created with durasteel or Madog steel, the Force would be channeled into the steel and the crystal placed at the hilt to form a lattice structure with the steel, creating an impenetrable weapon that glowed from the Force running from the crystal to the blade. (And you thought lightsabers were the end all be all of the fantasy weapons.)
LEGENDS OF TYTHON
Anyway, Tython was vital to our current interpretation of the Force. Ashla and Bogan should be names we recognize by now. These moons circling Tython represented the dark (Bogan) and light (Ashla) sides, which look very much like the moons we see on Brendok.
Ashla and Bogan were seen to exist in balance. One does not exist without the other, much like the relationship between Osha and Mae. The two were created by extraordinary means. The mothers say as much. As soon as Osha wants to leave, Mae snaps, starting a fire that kills the coven. Osha and Mae represent the two moons, Ashla and Bogan. They are the light and the dark. We can guess Anakin is the subsequent creation of life using the Force. I am more sure that the man teaching Mae is Darth Plagueis. So, while Mae might be getting training from him, he could be using her very existence as an experiment to determine whether or not he could create something even better.
ECHOES OF MORTIS
Hopefully, you’ve also watched The Clone Wars. The Mortis arc is a storyline that has puzzled lore and legends familiar fans for a few years now. The implications included in the arc have significantly impacted the Star Wars universe. Rebels returned the Force family as the keepers to The World Between Worlds. The Daughter has a personal connection to Ahsoka ever since she saved her life on Mortis after the Son stabbed her. Do these girls represent the Daughter and the Son in physical form? Were they the first attempt at creating “a chosen one”?
The witches refer to what we know as the Force as The Thread. I don’t think what you call it matters. It doesn’t change how it works. I also believe the witches slightly misunderstand how the Jedi view the Force. Mother Aniseya states, “your fate is not decided by some anonymous Force…” The Jedi don’t believe that either. The Force is neither good nor bad, light or dark. It just is. It’s how you use it that matters.
THE THREAD
Aniseya also states that The Thread is not to be used or wielded, yet she wields it daily. She even used it to create the girls. So, I find her philosophy somewhat hypocritical. The Jedi are by no means perfect. They fed into the rhetoric that helped bring about their downfall. However, I believe the coven on Brendok is an example of how individuals and organizations misunderstand and misquote the Jedi. Despite what Aniseya believes, Jedi could reconnect with their families and homeworlds if they wanted to. Between being a youngling and the Padawan trials, a child could return for a time and partake in the cultural traditions of their homeworld.
It would have been during this time Ahsoka got her Akul tooth headband, as was traditional on Shili. After a few months, the youngling would choose to leave the Order, return to be picked as an apprentice, or join the Jedi Core.
OSHA AND MAE
One reaching implication of Osha and Mae’s story could be the changing of the rules for testing the age of a Jedi. We know Anakin was 8, which is exceptionally late. Sol states he was 4. We know most Jedi were toddlers at the most. If you’re a lore person, you know why the Jedi wanted their member recruited so young. Familial attachments can be complex to let go of, which we now see with Anakin and Osha.
Secondly, the Jedi explained to parents how difficult it can be to raise a Force-sensitive child. In the original extended universe, Luke allowed families to join the Order and stood by his decision. However, he later stated that he understood why the Order during the Republic did not, as it complicated missions and could undermine commitment. In any case, I wonder if this incident convinced the Jedi to only recruit at a very young age.
THE BIRTH OF THE CHOSEN ONE
No matter where we fall on the vast spectrum of pro or anti-Jedi recruitment tactics, we cannot deny Osha and Mae’s importance for the galaxy. Their creation is likely what will lead us to Anakin. We can only sit and hope that Disney does the story justice.
STAR WARS: THE ACOLYE continues on June 25th only on Disney Plus.
Did you enjoy the opening four episodes? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Katelyn Mathis is a Senior Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. She is a passionate Star Wars fan and is the go-to source for Force Knowledge. Follow her on Twitter where she uses the force frequently!
