Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 4, Day, is dubbed the best installment in the series so far. It features the appearance of the mysterious Sith, ending with a major cliffhanger as he goes on a battle against the Jedi. However, the fourth episode has the shortest runtime compared to the previous three, which run for about 40 minutes each. As revealed by co-writer Claire Kiechel, this move is intentional as she teases a longer The Acolyte Episode 5.
Kiechel addressed some fans’ questions about The Acolyte Episode 4 after she posted a photo of the Tynnan Bazil on X. While many enjoyed the episode's unraveling mysteries, it was suddenly cut off when things were about to get exciting. Viewers weren’t happy with it, with one fan asking if they were mandated to keep the episodes short.
“We wrote this one and next week’s together and they kind of had a total ballpark limit for the both,” she explained. “For *reasons* next week’s had to be the longer one so this one had to be kept short.”
Kiechel understood the fans’ sentiment. However, she revealed it was the “most natural place to end” the episode, and everything would make sense when The Acolyte Episode 5 was finally released.
Claire Kiechel Addresses Ki-Adi-Mundi’s Cameo in Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 4
Surprisingly, Ki-Adi-Mundi made a cameo in The Acolyte Episode 4. The Jedi Master is known for being part of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. As the Disney+ series takes place about a hundred years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, his appearance instantly sparks a debate.
Aside from the fact that Ki-Adi-Mundi wasn’t born yet during the events of The Acolyte, he also declared that the Sith had been extinct for a millennium in The Phantom Menace. Hence, many accused the show of ruining the canon, given that he was part of the task force going after Mae’s presumed Sith Master. As another fan asked why Ki-Adi-Mundi was there, Kiechel pointed out that the Jedi High Council member wasn’t at the end of the episode when the Sith appeared, or this villain was probably not a Sith and a part of another villainous faction.
“He has never known about any Sith during that time,” she said.
Kiechel also revealed that they offered Ki-Adi-Mundi’s part to Yoda, but the Grand Master wasn’t “tech avail.” So, the young version of the Cerelean had to step in for that role. Derek Arnold took over from prequel actor Silas Carson to play the role of the young Ki-Adi-Mundi in The Acolyte.
Aside from the continuation of the Jedi and the Sith’s fight, it looks like there will be a big reveal in The Acolyte Episode 5. With the mention of the Splinter Order in the fourth episode, viewers may finally learn if Mae’s master is a Sith or a part of another Order.
The Acolyte Episode 5 is set to release on Tuesday, June 25, on Disney+, while Episodes 1 to 4 are now available to stream.
