Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2.

Summary

• Early episodes of The Acolyte unravel a complex backstory for Osha, a former Padawan with a tragic past and a disconnect from the Force.
• Osha's departure from the Jedi Order leads her to a new role as a Mek Nek, highlighting her struggle to use her Force abilities willingly.
• The Acolyte hints at a potential Force Dyad connection between Osha and Mae, exploring a key element from the sequel trilogy.

An early twist in The Acolyte's cast of characters.

Set in the dying days of The Acolyte's mysterious Sith villain remains a mystery. That said, several other reveals were provided. One such revelation comes in the form of Osha, the twin of Amandla Stenberg's Mae. Across The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2, a lot of Osha's history is revealed, from her childhood and backstory to her connection to the Jedi Order.

Osha & Her Sister Mae Are Survivors Of A Tragedy

Mae & Osha Have A Heartbreaking Backstory

Early in The Acolyte episode 1, the show makes a concerted effort to show the difference between Mae and Osha. The former is the character showcased in the majority of The Acolyte's marketing who has a vendetta against the Jedi, while the latter is a simple worker trying to make her way through the galaxy. Interestingly, The Acolyte also provides hints about their tragic past, as early as Osha's first scene when she is noticeably shaken by a ship fire before hearing the strained cries of people from her past.

Sol insists that it was Mae who started the fire, which resulted in the deaths of her and Osha's family.

Later in the show's two-episode premiere, it is revealed that Osha and Mae are survivors of a tragedy on their home planet. When the two were children, a fire broke out in their home. Sol insists that it was Mae who started the fire, which resulted in the deaths of her and Osha's family. Mae was believed dead, and Osha was found by the Jedi stationed on her planet at that time: Master Indara, Master Sol, Master Kelnacca, and Master Torbin. This tragedy is what shaped both Mae and Osha, leading to their emergence during The Acolyte's story.

Osha Became Master Sol's Padawan In Spite Of Her Age & Griief

Osha Became A Jedi After The Deaths Of Her Family

While there is likely more to be revealed about the tragedy that lies at the center of Osha and Mae's backstory, one of the outcomes is clear. Given that Mae was presumed dead, Osha was taken off-world by the Jedi and inducted into the Order. Osha eventually became Sol's Padawan, though showed some notable traits that led many on the Jedi Council to believe she should not be trained. One aspect was her age, as Osha ed the Jedi when she was eight years old. As notable in the prequel trilogy, Star Wars' Jedi take children as infants.

Anakin Skywalker's older age was raised as a reason not to train him in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

Another element that saw the Jedi hesitant to train Osha was her grief. Due to being inducted into the Jedi shortly after her family were all killed, Osha was in a heightened state of mourning. The Jedi are somewhat fearful of these types of emotions as they can lead to fear, anger, hate, and the dark side. Nonetheless, Osha trained with Sol for a while before making a change in her life, as teased in The Acolyte's marketing.

Osha Left The Jedi Order & Became A Mek Nek

Osha's Choice To Leave The Jedi Saw Her Become A Ship-Worker

At the onset of The Acolyte, it is revealed by Osha that she left the Jedi six years ago. Osha presumably trained under Sol for around a decade before deciding to leave the Order, which led her to become a Mek Nek. Mek Nek's are a new addition to Star Wars canon for The Acolyte. Given The Acolyte's placement on the Star Wars timeline, this makes sense and is even addressed by Jecki Lon. Mek Neks work as mechanics on ships such as those owned by the Trade Federation. These employees conduct dangerous space walks whenever an issue presents itself.

In The Acolyte episode 2, Jecki asks Osha why Mek Neks are employed when astromech droids tend to fix issues on the outside of a ship. This raises the question of why Mek Neks are not around later in the Star Wars timeline. The job was likely outlawed due to dangers to human or alien life, thus causing astromechs to be commonplace thereafter. Osha's job as a Mek Nek is highlighted in The Acolyte episode 1 before she is found by Yord Fandar and his apprentice.

Osha Doesn't Appear To Have Cultivated Her Force Gifts

Osha Struggles To Use The Force Willingly

In The Acolyte episode 1, Osha is framed for Mae's murder of the Jedi. As a result, she is placed on a prisoner transport ship and taken to Coruscant. However, the transport ship is hijacked by the other prisoners, and Osha is left for dead. In an attempt to escape, Osha tries to reach for her handheld pip-droid. After realizing the droid is too far away, Osha visibly centers herself and tries to reach out using the Force. However, Osha cannot levitate the pip-droid toward her, meaning she has trouble calling on the Force despite being trained as a Jedi.

Osha blames Mae for the deaths of their family and seeks revenge, an emotion that clouds the judgment of the Jedi.

This likely ties to her dropping out of the Jedi Order. It is made clear via Osha's conversations with Sol that she still has trouble letting go of her grief. Osha blames Mae for the deaths of their family and seeks revenge, an emotion that clouds the judgment of the Jedi. This, combined with her being in a perpetual state of mourning, has likely cut Osha off from the Force. This was further ed by her work as a Mek Nek, with Osha being shown to freeze at the sight of fire, taking her back to her tragic childhood memories.

Throughout The Acolyte season 1, Osha will likely reignite her connection with the Force. While there will undoubtedly be twists and turns, The Acolyte has laid the groundwork for Osha's character arc. Through being reunited with the Jedi and directly confronting her tragic past, Osha will likely learn to overcome her grief and connect to the Force once more.

Are Osha & Mae Part Of A Force Dyad?

A Major Sequel Trilogy Element May Be Part Of The Acolyte

Finally, the last - and arguably most intriguing - potentiality of Osha's character links to the sequel trilogy. The Star Wars sequel movies introduced the concept of a Force Dyad, two people born separately but that count as one in the eyes of the Force. These two people - Rey Skywalker and Ben Solo in the sequels' case - had an unbreakable bond through the Force, allowing them to be connected across time and space. In The Acolyte, some hints are provided that Osha and Mae form a Force Dyad.

Rey and Kylo were said to be the first Force Dyad in generations, meaning one being included in The High Republic timeline makes perfect sense.

In the final act of The Acolyte episode 1, Osha's transport ship crashes on an icy planet. On this planet, Osha experiences Force visions of Mae, hinting that the two are connected as Rey and Kylo Ren will be centuries later in the chronological Star Wars timeline. One line in this sequence hints at the possibility of a Force Dyad, with Mae stating she and Osha are "Always one, born as two." This, combined with their ability to speak to each other through Force visions, hints that The Acolyte will delve even further into the concept of a Force Dyad.