Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 7.
Summary
TheWookiee Jedi Master Kelnaccais in exile during the main storyline ofThe Acolyte, and one particularly obscure element ofStar Warslore may explain why.Wookiee Jediare notoriously rare in theStar Warsfranchise, largely due to a mandate from George Lucas himself before Disney acquired Lucasfilm and gaveStar Warsa partial reboot two years later. Kelnacca is the latest example of a Wookiee Jedi and the first to appear in a live-action property at that.
The four Jedi stationed onBrendoksixteen years before the show’s main storyline – including Kelnacca – were involved in a mishap that resulted in the deaths of all members of Mother Aniseya’s coven, save for the twinsOsha and Mae. All four Jedi were left with shame and trauma, with the former Padawan Torbin taking theBarash Vowand Kelnacca going into exile on Khofar, a forest world in the Outer Rim Territories. Kelnacca’s self-imposed exile might seem like an overreaction, but this may be motivated by his violation of a sacred Wookiee custom during the Brendok incident.
All 10 Star Wars Easter Eggs In The Acolyte Episode 7
The Acolyte episode 7 features a collection of exciting Easter eggs and references to the High Republic Era and greater Star Wars canon.
Wookiees Are Forbidden From Using Their Claws As Weapons
During the Jedi’s battle with Aniseya’s coven, the witches briefly possessed Kelnacca, making him attack and nearly kill JediMaster Soland Padawan Torbin before JediMaster Indarafreed him from possession. Kelnacca’s attack was particularly devastating for Torbin, withKelnacca clawing at his faceand leaving him with nasty scarsand possibly blinding one eye. Such attacks are forbidden in Wookiee culture, with those who violate this mandate becoming known as “madclaws.”
In the original Legends continuity, Wookiees viewed their powerful, retractable, claws as tools for climbing or other peaceful means. Although Wookiees are known for both their astounding physical strength and short tempers,Wookiees consider using their claws as weapons to be one of the most dishonorable acts possible, with madclaws often being exiled. The concept was brought into the modern canon by Michael Kogge’sStar Wars: The Force Awakens: A Junior Novel, with the custom renamed the “Wookiee Honor Code.”
Chewbacca breaks the Wookiee Honor Code immediately after Han Solo’s murder, killing a First Order stormtrooper. Chewbacca felt that the First Order and Knights of Ren had no honor, making his actions justifiable.
Master Kelnacca Could Have Considered Himself A “Madclaw” After Brendok
Although Kelnacca was a Jedi Master with full devotion to the Jedi Code, he, like many other Jedi, also held on to the culture of his species. Kelnacca did not willingly use his claws as weapons, but he probably blames himself for falling under the coven’s control anyway,considering himself a madclaw for his failure to protect his mind from their influence. This, combined with his guilt over the events on Brendok writ large inThe Acolyte, likely motivated him to respond with an action as severe as self-imposed exile.
The Acolyteepisode 7 is now streaming. The final episode premieres Tuesday at 9 PM ET 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.
