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In the fifth episode of The Acolyte, The Stranger approached a downed Osha as Kylo Ren's familiar theme could be heard playing subtly in the background. Then, if you waited through the credits last week, the familiar musical cue was impossible to miss.
It's back in "Choice" (you can read our recap of the episode here), this time when the mind-controlled Kelnacca attacks Padawan Torbin. It's an odd place to include it, albeit one which makes us wonder whether the coven has ties to the Dark Side group - the Knights of Ren - that Ben Solo joins and takes charge of upon becoming Kylo Ren.
If The Acolyte is an origin story for the Knights of Ren rather than the story of how the Sith returned - leading to Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious making plans to take over the Galaxy - then it will be an unexpected twist. It's also a move which opens the door to The Stranger enlisting a group of Acolytes in future seasons, one of whom could be a familiar Sith.
Last month, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland was asked about the theme's inclusion in the series and responded, "Ah, wish I could [tell you]. It is there on purpose, but I can’t tell you why, and I can’t go into what it is. But you shall see."
At this point, it's hard to shake the feeling that there's a risk this is a pointless tease which is only there to get fans talking. Alternatively, the finale may confirm that The Stranger isn't part of the Sith lineage which one day leads to Kylo Ren and is instead a Dark Side user who forms the Knights of Ren, a mysterious group we still know relatively little about.
The clock is ticking, anyway, and after this week's episode essentially just retold the third chapter, The Acolyte only has a single instalment left to tie everything together in a way that satisfies.
Check out the show's latest nod to Kylo Ren in the X post 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.
The next Star Wars TV series comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
Seven episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.