The Acolyte's cancelation, which was disappointing to those who had enjoyed the show and/or those who were curious to see what could be done with the story in a second season.

While The Acolyte may not be widely considered one of Star Wars' best TV shows, it did include several pivotal moments. One of the most significant was the appearance of Darth Plagueis on screen for the first time in Star Wars canon. This cameo, combined with some shocking decisions by the Jedi in The Acolyte, may reveal precisely how Palpatine hatched his plan in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, thereby almost entirely eradicating the Jedi.

The Acolyte Proved The Jedi's Approach To The Dark Side Was Deny, Deceive, And Cover Up

The Actions Of The Jedi In The Acolyte Were Disappointing To Say The Least

One of the most shocking and disappointing revelations in The Acolyte was the extent to which the Jedi of the Witches of Brendok, which led him to kill Mother Aniseya, blame Mae for her death and the deaths of the other witches, and take Osha as his Jedi Padawan. He also lied to Osha, letting her believe Mae had done all he accused her of.

If that wasn't disappointing enough, Vernestra Rwoh then proved to be just as deceitful as Master Sol, although in some ways, her behavior was even worse. Vern didn't kill anyone, but when she realized what Sol had done, she decided to completely fabricate a story that made Sol seem entirely responsible for all that had transpired. The larger issue with this plot, in addition to Vern keeping the truth from the Senate and the Jedi, is that she made this choice specifically to conceal the rise of the dark side.

Vernestra Rwoh then proved to be just as deceitful as Master Sol.

Vern knew quite well that there was something much darker afoot than just one rogue Jedi. After all, she had felt her former Jedi Padawan, Qimir, on Brendok, and while she may not have fully known he was a Sith, she could undoubtedly sense the dark side in him. She also knew that Osha had gone with him, which doubled the threat level of the dark side. Rather than confront this issue head on, she (and Yoda, evidently, based on The Acolyte ending) opted to bury the truth and plot to keep everyone else uninformed.

The Prequel Trilogy Jedi Repeated These Exact Mistakes

The Jedi Almost Willfully Ignored The Warning Signs

Evidently, it was better for the other Jedi, the Senate, and the wider galaxy to believe a Jedi had gone bad than for anyone to learn that the dark side was on the rise, based on Vern's actions in The Acolyte. That mentality doesn't seem to have shifted all that much over the next century, given the Jedi's resistance to accepting that the Sith could be back in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. This may not have been the same intentional deception and denial Vern showed in The Acolyte, but that same unwillingness to embrace reality lingered.

Evidently, it was better for the other Jedi, the Senate, and the wider galaxy to believe a Jedi had gone bad than for anyone to learn that the dark side was on the rise.

The Jedi in the prequel trilogy also made this mistake time and again. The Council refused to believe Count Dooku was the one behind the attack on Pé because he had once been a Jedi (despite Pé telling them that was her belief), and they ignored many signs that Palpatine was at best a corrupt politician who was ascending to a dangerous level of power and at worst a Sith Lord. For whatever reason, be it fear or hubris, the Jedi seemed desperate to avoid the truth that the Sith had returned.

Plagueis May Have Taught Palpatine Exactly What The Jedi's Weaknesses Were

Could Plagueis Have Known How Much The Jedi Wanted To Avoid The Truth?

The Acolyte confirmed that Plagueis saw Osha and Qimir together, and it's safe to assume that, given he was observing them, he had some understanding of what had transpired. While it's unclear what happened after that, Plagueis may very well have recognized that the Jedi were willing to cover up—rather than confront—the dark side. This would have in turn indicated to him that the Jedi would avoid and even overlook the threat of the Sith for as long as possible, which is precisely what they did in the prequels.

Darth Plagueis didn't live to see the true rise of the Sith, but with Palpatine/Sidious as his former apprentice, he had a direct hand in its future. Perhaps Plagueis taught his apprentice what he'd learned about the Jedi's blindness or avoidance and, with that information in hand, Palpatine hatched his plot. Star Wars hasn't confirmed this to be the case, but this series of events would certainly make sense in of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious' successful plan, and it would make The Acolyte so much more important and compelling.