This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 3.

Summary

• The real mystery of The Acolyte episode 3 surrounds events 16 years ago.
• Master Torbin's death hints at a Jedi cover-up on Brendok.
• Mother Koril may be the real culprit - could she have ties to the Sith?

I think I've figured out what really happened on Brendok 16 years ago, the truth behind The Acolyte episode 3. The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland shot to prominence through the success of Russian Doll, and approached Lucasfilm fresh from that hit to propose a Star Wars story. She's quite clearly taking a similar approach, with every episode peeling back another layer of the central mystery.

But the mystery isn't what it seems to be. Most viewers assumed the central question surrounded the Sith assassin Mae, who has targeted four Jedi for death. The Acolyte episode 3 peeled back another layer, revealing the true mystery surrounds events that took place some 16 years ago. These events separated the twins Osha and Mae, with one becoming a Jedi Padawan (for a time) and the other apparently becoming a Sith assassin. The Acolyte episode 3 deliberately told only half the story, Osha's point of view, and I think I've figured out Mae's ahead of a second inevitable flashback episode.

There's Clearly So Much More To The Story Of Brendok

Master Torbin's death proves that

For me, the key to Brendok lies not in the flashback episode but in the death of Master Torbin. A Padawan during the events at Brendok, Torbin eventually retreated from Jedi affairs after taking the Barash Vow - an oath of penitence for a Jedi who believes they have failed. When Mae confronted Torbin, she offered him a choice between taking a poison named Bunta and confessing "his crime" to the Jedi Council. The clear implication is that Torbin and the Jedi on Brendok did something 16 years ago, something they've been covering up but regret deeply.

ing this theory, it's pretty clear the Jedi have their own (mis)adventure unseen in The Acolyte episode 3, which only shows Osha's point of view on those fateful events. Osha is almost killed when her sister lights a fire, one that she believes killed all the rest of her family of witches on Brendok - but those bodies aren't burned at all. In contrast, when the Jedi rescue Osha, they are already disheveled and appear to have gone through a fight. Torbin in particular is scarred and injured. Osha missed a lot, and the Jedi are hiding something.

Mother Koril's Absence Is Deeply Suspicious

Is she a Sith Darkseeker?

But that brings me to the next question: how did a Sith find Mae, taking her in as an acolyte? The Acolyte episode 3 shocked viewers by revealing the coven on Brendok seems to have a Force power that's only been mentioned before - the ability to coax the Midi-chlorians into creating life. This ability is alluded to by Mother Aniseya in one conversation with Mother Koril, and she hints that the twins were born because of this Force power. This ability is associated with Darth Plagueis, Palpatine's mentor, and this must be where he learned it.

The Darkseekers scoured the galaxy looking for potetial rival dark side cults.

But where are the Sith on Brendok? My suspicion is that they are hiding in plain sight. In ancient times, a Sith faction known as the Darkseekers scoured the galaxy looking for potential rival dark side cults. The Darkseekers tended to infiltrate other cults, learn their secrets, and then kill them. When I watched The Acolyte episode 3, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Darkseekers, particularly because the coven end up wiped out. That means I was particularly suspicious when Mother Koril's body couldn't be seen among the fallen witches.

I think Mother Koril is in fact a Sith infiltrator. She's the one most concerned about the risk of the coven being discovered by the Jedi. Even more disturbingly, when Osha decides she wants to go with the Jedi, Mother Koril is asked to take Mae outside to talk to her. The next thing we see, Mae is trying to kill her sister. Meanwhile, if Mother Koril were a secret Sith it would explain how Mae got involved with them, ultimately becoming an acolyte.

Here's What I Think Happened On Brendok 16 Years Ago

The Jedi never knew the truth

I think it's possible to put all these pieces together, figuring out what really happened on Brendok 16 years ago. If I'm right about Mother Koril, she is a Sith infiltrator who couldn't risk the Jedi learning how powerful the coven really were. She took extreme measures when Osha decided to the Jedi, manipulating Mae into starting the fire. Meanwhile, I think she killed the coven through poison - through the poison from the bunta tree Mae is seen standing in front of at the end of The Acolyte episode 3.

But what about the Jedi? Here's where I think the story becomes particularly dark. The Acolyte episode 3 revealed the witches of Brendok have the power to possess others, even managing to by the mental shields of a Jedi Padawan. I think Mother Koril - or, perhaps, other of the cult she'd manipulated - possessed the Jedi, turning them against one another. It's even possible Torbin was the one who poisoned the witches' water supply, explaining his guilt. The Jedi don't understand what happened, but think they're to blame.

This theory is perfectly in keeping with the methods of the Sith. They excel at subterfuge, and they work hard to ensure others take the blame for their actions. If I'm right, the Jedi believe they were responsible for an atrocity 16 years ago, and they truly feel a deep sense of guilt and regret; but they have no idea that their actions were due to the pervasive influence of the Sith. It's a dark theory, but it would be perfectly in keeping with The Acolyte, and it would fit perfectly with Star Wars canon.