A big question many fans had about The Acolyte was if this prequel series set in the High Republic days would involve early incarnations of iconic Jedi Masters. Some individuals were curious if Master Yoda, for example, would appear. The show is set 100 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, so it’s definitely a valid question.
The Acolyte, Episode 4, “Day,” does bring one legend back from the dead. This is none other than Master Ki-Adi-Mundi. However, this subverted origin story for him creates a plot hole that will need patching as the series progresses. However, it won’t be easy to stitch the canon together given what he said before the Clone Wars.
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s Role in The Clone Wars, Explained
Ki-Adi-Mundi was first seen visually in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace on the Jedi Council. The grey-haired veteran was concerned about the Jedi Order training Anakin Skywalker. As time passed, Ki-Adi-Mundi somewhat warmed to Anakin, but he was very cold towards other soldiers. He didn’t care for friends; he just wanted workers.
He operated on evidence and not emotions. It’s why he refused to believe the Sith were back — he needed to see it with his own eyes. Not even Qui-Gon Jinn’s words could convince him otherwise. Instead, Ki-Adi-Mundi wanted to focus on the Separatist Movement and their war droids. He became a general, leading clone troopers like Commander Jet against the galactic insurrectionists. However, his methods in the wake of the Federation dissolving weren’t kind. It’s seen when he lobbied once to burn Geonosian enemies. At times, he felt absolute in his doctrines, which made Anakin confused.
Ki-Adi-Mundi was also part of the cynical members of the Jedi Order who thought Ahsoka Tano destroyed a Jedi Temple. It led to her being tried and freed from sedition charges, but refused to stay with the Order. She couldn’t stand people like Ki-Adi-Mundi. While he had many heroic moments (like freeing a younger Anakin and Padme from Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and liberating other planets from oppression in The Clone Wars cartoon), he still represented the close-minded nature of the Jedi that Luke and Rey would take note of years later.
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s story ended with him questioning Chancellor Palpatine’s power play with the Senate. He realized he was wrong, but by that time, it was too late. He was terminated in a shootout with his own squadron when Order 66 was executed in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Had he not been stubborn and arrogant, he might have helped the council realize Palpatine was manipulating them all from Coruscant. That would have stymied the rise of the Empire from the ashes of the Republic. That said, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s heart was always in the right place. It’s why fans did feel sorrow when his crew gunned him down on Mygeeto. As mean as he was, it was a sympathetic tragedy.
What is Ki-Adi-Mundi’s Role in the Acolyte?
The earlier iteration of Ki-Adi-Mundi appears when Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) convenes with other Masters to decipher how to stop the new threat. They want to get to a retired Jedi, Kelnecca, on the forest planet, Khofar. They know that Mae hopes to assassinate the Wookiee after what happened on her homeworld of Brendok. She blames the Jedi Order for the death of her witch coven and is relentless in pursuing the remaining targets on her hit list. Rebecca Henderson’s Master Vernestra Rwoh takes lead of the strategic planning after the deaths so far.
As Master Vernestra confides in her colleagues, they have no clue how Mae is so strong in the Force, and more importantly, who trained her. They mention the idea of a splinter cell of Jedi. Ki-Adi-Mundi is as concerned as ever over this possibility. He advocates for them to tell the High Council about Mae. However, Vernestra doesn’t want to escalate things because the Council would have to report this to the Senate. Thus, they’d look like they’re not in control of the cosmos. They are peacekeepers, guardians and roving sentinels, so this shouldn’t be attached to their reputations.
Vernestra is all about optics at this point. Notably, after Sol decides he wants to lead the recovery mission on Khofar, Ki-Adi-Mundi is seen whispering to another Master, Holden. The latter was supposed to run the mission, but Sol insisted he did. Therefore, it seems like the Jedi don’t trust each other. Given how Mae survived the Brendok fire and that her twin, Osha, is back with the Jedi, it’s very apparent the Jedi haven’t handled this entire ordeal well. 16 years have passed, but a lack of communication is hurting them.
This disaster hints at the authority figure Ki-Adi-Mundi would want to become and why he’d opt to keep things in-house. He learned from the likes of Vernestra about protecting the Jedi image. Thus, by the time he is elevated in the ranks, he would adopt that same silencing style along with Yoda and Mace Windu. These planted seeds show how flawed Ki-Adi-Mundi wouldbecome in his thought-process. Vernestra is rash and dismissive, informing how Ki-Adi-Mundi will become like this in the future.
Why Did Ki-Adi-Mundi Say the Sith Were Extinct?
While it’s a nostalgic bit of fan service to see Ki-Adi-Mundi in The Acolyte, this sequence at the temple creates a major continuity hole in Star Wars lore. In The Phantom Menace, he said the Sith haven’t been around for 1,000 years. He further dismissed the notion of Qui-Gon fighting Darth Maul in the sandy plains of Tatooine. The problem is Sol’s team encounter a Sith at the end of The Acolyte Episode 4: Mae’s Sith Lord.
The master is dressed in black and wielding a red lightsaber, which are hallmarks of the Sith. This is information that should get back to the group on Coruscant, whether it’s via a radio missive or members of the Jedi speaking of this villain in person. The only way this information wouldn’t be relayed is if the Sith Master kills everyone and prevents any chance of transmission. If that’s the case, then everyone has to die in Episode 5, with Mae and Osha never contacting Corsucant again, or worse, dying as well.
It’s going to be interesting to see how The Acolyte Season 1 treats this latest development. Ki-Adi-Mundi did see Mae in black using the Force and murdering Jedi such as Master Indara. She also killed the Jedi Master, Torbin. So there are enough clues there for Ki-Adi-Mundi to know that the polar opposite to the Jedi is roaming. Even if this was a splinter Order, why would Jedi kill Jedi? The show’s logic for disregarding obvious evidence of the Sith resurgence doesn’t make sense.
The series has another plot hole with Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age. Per Star Wars Legends, Ki-Adi-Mundi was around 60 during the events of The Phantom Menace. Thus, he shouldn’t be born in The Acolyte, unless Disney is adjusting the lore. Lucasfilm has bent rules to bring Ahsoka, Din Djarin and Grogu into play after Darth Vader’s death and before Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Given that, there might be more hidden chapters and explanations about Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age. But with regard to the Sith, it’s going to be tough to retcon.
Even if Mae and Osha turn against the Jedi and help eliminate them to keep the Sith secret, Vernestra and Ki-Adi-Mundi have red flags to report. Many other Masters have seen the data, too. As a result, The Acolyte is going to have to work magic to show why Ki-Adi-Mundi doubled down and maintained this view about the Sith being extinct, especially if his peers go missing and die chasing what looks like one. Ultimately, this Sith memory-wipe is going to be highly scrutinized as the series progresses.
New episodes of The Acolyte stream every Tuesday on Disney+.