‘The Acolyte’ may finally solve a major ‘Star Wars’ mystery 25 years later

Ever since Disney picked up the Star Wars franchise, fans have had a hell of a time discerning what is or isn’t canon. With the company constantly bringing back elements of the extended universe to fit their latest series, book, or game, it seems like the lore is always shifting.

The Acolyte has yet again obfuscated what was once thought of as Star Wars law. At 8 years old, Osha is one of the oldest initiates we’ve seen outside of Anakin Skywalker. Her inclusion has some fans wondering if the orphan survivor might be the culprit behind Anakin Skywalker’s near-ostracization from the Jedi Order in Episode 1.

How old is too old for a Jedi Initiate?

Jedi initiates are found as young children, with most discovered during their infancy in the core planets. Force-sensitives usually become initiates between three and eight years old, though the younger the better. By three, potential younglings are weaned from their parents but unwise in the ways of the universe. This staunch view of the universe is believed to be one of the reasons the Jedi are in decline during the prequel era — despite the Order’s many members.

When it comes to the youngest members of the Jedi Order, the younger the better. Experiences color our understanding of the world, and too many “non-sanctioned” ideas can make for a difficult Jedi. It’s Anakin’s experiences as a slave that often find him at odds with the Jedi, even his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano has many headstrong traits the Jedi find undesirable.

Osha is another example of why older initiates can cause problems. While we haven’t yet seen her reasons for abandoning the Jedi order (other than her apparent inability to use the Force), she clearly shows how her past impacts her future. Osha, like Mae, is angry about the yet-undisclosed event that killed her family, and maybe that anger is what precluded her from ever joining the Order’s ranks.

So far, the conversation around Osha as a member of the Order never fixates on her “old age” as a youngling. Unlike Anakin, it doesn’t seem that she had to defend herself before a council, nor did her masters see her as a liability as far as we know. While we still have more questions than answers, we do know that not only is Yoda alive during The Acolyte but he’s in his prime as a Jedi. Perhaps his discomfort when it comes to Anakin was informed by another youngling some 100 years before he tried to deny the young Skywalker’s entry.

If that is where The Acolyte is going, Yoda’s years-long hermitage on Dagoba makes a ton of sense — it’s easier to disappear than hold in such a powerful “I told you so.”