Summary

• The Acolyte, a new Star Wars show, may reveal that the Sith infiltrated the Jedi Order, manipulating someone from within.
• The Jedi's confidence in the Sith's extinction could be due to their inability to see the change in their own .
• The Acolyte series could shed light on the Sith's methods, potentially involving the recruitment of Jedi to the dark side.

A sinister Sith Lord. As Master Ki-Adi-Mundi says, “The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.”

Mace Windu, too, was convinced that the Sith no longer existed, saying, “I do not believe the Sith could have returned without our knowing.” And yet, the Star Wars prequel trilogy’s entire narrative definitively proves them wrong. Not only did Darth Sidious train Darth Maul as his apprentice, but he convinced a fully-trained Jedi Master to the dark side as well. Perhaps the reason the Jedi had such a hard time detecting the Sith’s presence wasn’t just because they bided their time, waiting for the right moment to strike, but because they were hiding much closer to home, too – and one Star Wars show may prove this theory to be true.

The Acolyte Is About The Sith "Infiltration" Of The Jedi – Is That Literal?

the High Republic era, roughly 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. It will also be the first live-action Star Wars project to include the Sith’s perspective. This isn’t just a story about the Jedi overcoming darkness, it is a story about darkness overcoming the Jedi. The official synopsis for The Acolyte, which reads, “A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated,” implies that this new duo will be uncovering the Sith’s presence in the galaxy. But what if the truth is even more disturbing?

Reportedly, The Acolyte is about the Sith “infiltrating” the Jedi, which could be interpreted in two ways. First, it could simply mean that the Sith are once again trying to destabilize the Jedi through external violence and manipulation, as they often have done. However, it could also be taken literally: what if the Sith truly did infiltrate the Jedi Order? What if there was an agent of the Sith on the inside, hidden in plain sight, patiently steering the Jedi in a direction that would one day ensure their destruction? Given The Acolyte’s placement on the Star Wars timeline, it’s possible that Darth Plagueis, Darth Sidious’ Master, will be involved in the story. What if this is where the unraveling of the Jedi Order begins?

The Acolyte is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2024.

Did The Sith Actually Recruit From Within The Jedi?

Perhaps infiltrating the Jedi goes a step further – it may not just be about planting someone within the Jedi Order. It may be about manipulating someone who has already devoted themselves to the light to serve the dark instead – the ultimate Sith victory. Recruiting from within the Jedi would explain why the Jedi were so convinced that the Sith had been extinct for so long. Why would they ever suspect one of their of having turned to the dark side so long as they do nothing to make that change in allegiance obvious? The Sith are cunning. They could have easily hidden themselves in plain sight.

The Jedi Order has been blinded by their hubris before, unable to see the change in one of their own until it was too late. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for instance, Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee becomes disillusioned with the Jedi Order’s role in the Clone Wars, orchestrating a bombing on the Jedi Temple, successfully framing Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan Ahsoka Tano for the deaths of several people. More famous, of course, is Count Dooku’s betrayal, who, as proven in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, had dealings with Darth Sidious long before he officially left the Jedi Order.

Dooku & Anakin May Have Been The Norms – Not The Exceptions

Dooku and Anakin falling to the dark side shocked everyone. The Jedi had a hard time accepting that kind of pain and anger had festered under their watchful eyes. It’s possible, however, that Dooku and Anakin’s turns to the dark side had become the norm, and the Jedi had just never realized it before. What if the “former Padawan” in The Acolyte is actually a Sith using their connections with the Jedi to lure someone in? Perhaps it’s their Jedi Master who is a Sith Lord instead, and the crimes the former Padawan is investigating were perpetrated by them.

The Sith infiltrating the Jedi at the end of the High Republic era, perhaps even earlier, would have been enough to destabilize the organization without drawing too much attention. If they had hidden in plain sight by planting spies or turning trained Jedi to the dark side, it would explain why the Jedi were still so adamant that the Sith were extinct. Yoda himself was there during the High Republic era, after all. Shouldn’t he know better if The Acolyte is a story of the Sith fighting the Jedi? The Sith have always been one of Star Wars’ greatest mysteries, but their methods might be revealed sooner rather than later.