Long before Star Wars: The Acolyte premiered, there were theories that Grand Master Yoda would be part of the show, considering he had held his title in the Jedi Order since the days of the High Republic Era. Though showrunner Leslye Headland remained mum about it and the series’ co-writer revealed that Yoda wasn’t "tech-avail" then, the finale made a big reveal when he finally appeared to meet Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). However, Yoda’s appearance isn’t just a simple cameo after Headland hints that he has a bigger role in the potential The Acolyte Season 2.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Headland confirmed that Darth Plagueis and Yoda's surprising cameos in The Acolyte finale were done intentionally. She even admitted that it would be heartbreaking if she couldn’t feature the two’s appearance in the final episode as they set up “future storylines.”
“I think it sets up future storylines that could be really compelling,” she said.
Judging by her statement, Yoda’s appearance wasn’t just an exciting Easter egg. By the looks of it, he has a larger story to tell after meeting Vernestra. The Jedi Master may debrief Yoda on the cover-up she did when she told the council that Sol (Lee Jung-jae) went rogue and killed his accomplices to cover the story of Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her coven of witches’ death on Brendok 16 years ago.
Leslye Headland Shares the Importance of Introducing Yoda in Star Wars: The Acolyte
Before The Acolyte, Yoda made several appearances in the High Republic novels set 100 and 200 years ago. But as to why he appeared in the series finale, Headland explained in a different interview with the EW that it was imperative to balance the scales after Darth Plagueis showed earlier in the show, making the Grand Master’s introduction important to put balance on the light and dark sides.
If you were going to introduce Plagueis, then you needed a formidable other side of that. As somebody that knows who Plagueis is and knows where the lineage of the Sith is headed, it would be imbalanced if you didn't have somebody on the light side who carried as much gravitas. So, to me it just made sense.
The series creator added that Darth Plagueis’ cameo was always in the script and was meant to be a big tease for The Acolyte Season 2. So, as the dark side has its representative, she felt the need to introduce someone from the other side. However, she wasn’t ready to give Yoda a full scene at the time, but seeing him in person made her starstruck after being a huge Star Wars fan all her life.
“I felt like I saw my entire life flash before my eyes,” she added. “I felt like I was meeting an entity, not a puppet, but an entity.”
Though it remains to be seen what Yoda’s role in the potential The Acolyte Season 2 will be, he may work side-by-side with Vernestra as she seeks his wisdom and counsel. The Sith are believed to be extinct during the Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, so the show may finally resolve this mystery, though Yoda may still think that Qimir / the Stranger (Manny Jacinto) isn’t a true Sith, making the Sith Order still extinct during that time.
All episodes of The Acolyte are available on Disney+.
