Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 4.

Summary

• The Acolyte episode 4 continues hinting at a potential Force Dyad connection between Mae and Osha, mirroring Rey and Kylo's balance of light and dark.
• Mae's wavering loyalty to the Sith and Osha's struggle with revenge in The Acolyte echo the light-dark balance seen in Rey and Kylo.
• The lore of The Acolyte's Force Dyad fits seamlessly into the Star Wars timeline established in The Rise of Skywalker, with Palpatine saying a Force Dyad was last seen generations ago.

The Acolyte's potential Force Dyad.

Since The Acolyte's premiere, many have theorized that Mae and Osha make up one of Star Wars' Force Dyads. The concept of a Force Dyad, two beings that exist as one within the Force, was introduced in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker through Ben Solo and Rey Skywalker. Ever since Mae and Osha unveiled their childhood motto, "Always one, but born as two," the label of Force Dyad has been pinned on them by Star Wars fans. After The Acolyte episode 4, this theory gains more credence and even connects to their would-be successors from The Rise of Skywalker.

The Force Dyad Seems To Require Both Light & Dark

Force Dyad's Seemingly Strike A Balance Of Both Sides

Firstly, it is worth exploring one of the elements of a Force Dyad that seems to be canon. Little about Force Dyads is known, given the lateness in which the concept was introduced into the chronological Star Wars movie timeline. Regardless, The Rise of Skywalker - and now The Acolyte, should the theories be true - revealed enough about the concept to hint that it strikes a balance of light and dark. This was evident by the two characters ed by the Force, Rey and Kylo.

The Star Wars sequels - especially The Last Jedi - showed that Rey and Kylo have both light and dark inside them...

Throughout the sequels, Rey was positioned as the hero, or light, of the story, while Kylo was positioned as the villain, the dark. Interestingly though, the Star Wars sequels - especially The Last Jedi - showed that Rey and Kylo have both light and dark inside them. Kylo was once Ben Solo, a Jedi in training, and Rey was drawn to the dark side powers of Ahch-To. The reveal that Rey was a Palpatine only furthered her connection to the dark side, while Kylo's redemption saw him reinstate himself as an agent of the light, proving the Dyad to require both sides.

The Acolyte Episode 4 Seems To Be Showing A Force Dyad

Mae & Osha's Development In The Acolyte Episode 4 Follows These Themes

Concerning how this connects to The Acolyte, Mae and Osha have been shown as two sides of the potential Dyad, like Rey and Kylo. Mae is undoubtedly the dark side of the Dyad, being drawn to dark deeds as seen in The Acolyte episodes 1, 2, and 3. Conversely, Osha is definitely swayed toward the light side of the Force, from her dreams of being a Jedi to her connections to those around her. However, The Acolyte episode 4 continued the trend of The Rise of Skywalker by blurring the lines between light and dark for both Mae and Osha.

The Acolyte episode 4 saw Mae waver in her quest to kill Jedi. Knowing that Osha is now alive, Mae begins to question whether her loyalties remain with the Sith or with her sister. She intended to turn herself over to the Jedi and the Republic, showcasing how she may be being pulled back toward the light. Meanwhile, Osha was shown grappling with the darkness of revenge against her sister. Osha revealed in The Acolyte episode 4 that she left the Jedi as she could not overcome her anger at Mae, nor her desire for vengeance.

Like Rey and Kylo, the potential Force Dyad of The Acolyte is showing an equal amount of both light and dark...

In The Acolyte episode 4's ending, the Sith Lord reveals himself to the Jedi. Intriguingly, he stalks towards Osha before anyone else, seemingly drawn to her. This is likely due to his connection to Mae, her sister, but is interesting nonetheless. Osha ends the episode shrouded in darkness after being hung up on getting revenge against her sister, while Mae realizes the error of her ways and attempts to turn herself in. Like Rey and Kylo, the potential Force Dyad of The Acolyte is showing an equal amount of both light and dark.

How The Acolyte's Force Dyad Would Fit Into Rise Of Skywalker

Force Dyad's Have Been Known To Exist Before The Rise Of Skywalker

A series of the biggest debates about The Acolyte since the show's premiere have surrounded how the show fits into Star Wars canon. Some of these arguments are valid, and some are nonsense, but The Acolyte episode 4 having a Force Dyad is a lore decision that perfectly fits into the Star Wars timeline. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it is established by Palpatine that Force Dyads have been known to exist in the galaxy before.

Other aspects of The Acolyte that have been claimed to break canon are Mae and Osha's immaculate conception and the Jedi-Sith conflict happening before The Phantom Menace.

Palpatine states that the connection shared by Rey and Kylo has not been seen for generations, implying that others have shared this bond. However, this dialog proves a Dyad has not been seen for generations, which fits with The Acolyte's timeline. The Acolyte and The Rise of Skywalker are separated by around 160 years, meaning at least two generations have ed between the two stories. As such, Mae and Osha's potential Dyad connection in The Acolyte fits perfectly with The Rise of Skywalker both concerning the Star Wars timeline and the lore elements of the concept that the latter established.