One of the more exciting aspects of The Acolyte for many Star Wars fans was the news that the Disney+ series would introduce a Wookiee Jedi in the form of Master Kelnacca, played by Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo (who stepped in to replace Peter Mayhew for the sequel trilogy).
Though the character only made a couple of brief appearances in the first three episodes, the closing moments of last week's instalment indicated that we'd be spending a little more time with the solitary Jedi in self-imposed exile on the jungle planet of Khofar.
As it turns out, Kelnacca's only real function in episode 4 was to die... off-screen!
Though he may still feature in flashbacks, a lot of fans viewed this as a disappointing exit for the character, and it sounds like Suotamo may feel the same.
The actor was asked if showrunner Leslye Headland told him his character would be meeting an early end prior to signing on to the show during an interview with EW.
"No, that wasn't discussed. I learned it as we went, and it was very surprising. So I wasn't aware initially, but ever since studying film at university, I've been on the story side as well, so I thought it was a necessary thing to happen in terms of it follows the story and is very sad and very dramatic. And what a shock too to see all these powerful Jedi to meet their fate in such a way!"
Suotamo was also asked why he thinks Kelnacca chose to live a solitary life on Khofar, and if he put up a fight against "The Master" or allowed himself to be killed like Torbin, who clearly felt tremendous guilt for his part in the deaths of the coven members.
"I think all that is going to be possibly revealed as the story goes on, but I explained it to myself that it's part of the fabric of his personality, and being an outsider made him choose that path more easily, and it came naturally to him that this is the way I should continue after the events of the story."
"I don't think Kelnacca would ever give up," he adds. "He is in a fight mode in the series. I think he's that proud preacher who would not give up. But yeah, I guess it's up to the interpretation at this point."
What do you make of Kelnacca's premature demise? Drop us a comment down below.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.
Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.
"I really wanted to tell a story about the Sith," showrunner Headland told EW in a recent interview. "That was kind of my dream Star Wars idea. But it felt like the time period to do that in would be something pre-Phantom Menace. That seemed to be the most interesting trajectory for the Sith: How did the Sith go from the Rule of Two and being quote-unquote 'extinct' to Palpatine coming into power without the Jedi knowing about it?"
Award-winning composer Michael Abels, known for his work on Get Out and Us, scored The Acolyte.