Summary
In an exclusive interview withScreen Rant,The Acolyte’sshowrunner, Leslye Headland, confirmed that the leader ofthe witches of Brendok, Mother Aniseya, has deepStar Warslore origins.The Acolyteepisode 7 finally revealedwhat really happened on Brendok16 years before the events ofThe Acolyte, but a number of mysteries regarding Osha, Mae, and their family origins remain. Specifically,many theorized that the Brendok witches have connections toStar Wars’other Force-sensitive witch coven,the Nightsisters of Dathomir.
Despite intense speculation that the witches of Brendok are Nightsisters, or at least are connected to them,The Acolyte’sshowrunner, Leslye Headland, indicated otherwise in a recent exclusive interview withScreen Rant. In response to a question about whether the witches of Brendok have connections to any other Force cult, in Legends or otherwise, Headland explained:
“I guess the best way to put it is I wasn’t in a position to establish that in these eight episodes, so I didn’t do that.My personal opinion is that Aniseya probably originates from one of those cults, the one I won’t name, but that she’s based on the character Lauren fromParable of the Sowerby Octavia Butler, that even at a young age, became essentially the de facto leader of people that believed in her and believed in the religion, I guess you would say, of what she felt around the Force and what she was able to do with her own power. So, the quick answer is that she established her own.”
Interestingly, it seems Headland has a very clear notion of Mother Aniseya’s origin story, although it evidently won’t be revealed inThe Acolyte’sfinale.
Star Wars Brings Back A Terrifying Clone Wars Nightsister Force Power
The Acolyte’s witches of Brendok use a unique Force power that was previously used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Mother Aniseya
It seems, based on this interview, thatHeadland has identified a specific Force cult from which Mother Aniseya originated, but it isn’t the Nightsisters, as many had suspected. In fact, the nature of Headland’s response suggests that the original cult itself is nearly irrelevant, at least inThe Acolyteseason 1, as what matters is that Mother Aniseya struck out on her own and established a new coven. Even so, it’s difficult not to be curious about the roots of the witches of Brendok, especially because the group represents something brand-new inStar Wars.
Moreover, with Legends on the table, there are a number of Force cult possibilities, each of which has fascinating implications for Mother Aniseya. One prominent possibility is that Mother Aniseya was raised in the Legends cult, the Jensaarai. This group would prove particularly interesting as Mother Aniseya’s origin story because the group was known to pull from both Sith and Jedi teachings. While there is so much more left to understand, this does seem fitting for the witches of Brendok.
One prominent possibility is that Mother Aniseya was raised in the Legends cult, the Jensaarai.
After all, while the coven—Mother Koril in particular—seems happy to draw upon the dark side when needed, therefore aligning with the Sith,the training scenes of Mae and Osha feel much more reflective of Padawan training in the Jedi Order. Although expectations were clearly high for the future Osha and Mae would bring, their Force (or ‘Thread’) training inThe Acolyteepisode 3 was much more focused on defense. This is surely more in keeping with the Jedi, particularly duringthe High Republic Era, who were meant to focus on defense and protection, not attacks and aggression.
Unfortunately, it seems these deeper questions about Mother Aniseya are unlikely to be answered inThe Acolyte’supcoming final episode. Headland specifically indicated that this origin story was not one she could fit into the eight episodes of season 1. However, hopes are high (not only for Headland but also in the franchise) thatThe Acolytewill be picked up for a second season, which would allow for a much deeper dive. For now, though, Leslye Headland has confirmed thatThe Acolyte’sMother Aniseya comes from anotherStar WarsForce cult, although it isn’t the fan-favorite Nightsisters.
The final episode of The Acolyte releases on Tuesday, July 16th, at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
