After Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 3 aired on Tuesday, June 11, and introduced the Brendok witches and their concept of the thread, fans started complaining that the series has effectively retconned how the Force works. In episode 3, we learn that the twins Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) spent their early childhood on Planet Brendok as part of a coven of witches. These witches can tap into what the Jedi refer to as the Force, though they call it the thread and describe it differently from the latter group.
Here is everything we have discovered on whether The Acolyte has changed certain aspects of the Force.
Does Star Wars: The Acolyte retcon how the Force works?
No, Star Wars: The Acolyte does not retcon how the Force works. The Force has different names throughout the galaxy, with the thread just being one of them. In the canon, the Lasats call it the Ashla, the Mist-Weavers call it the Luminous Mist, and the Mustafarians call it the Life Current, to list a few. The galaxy where the Star Wars franchise takes place is teeming with life, and the Force is often regarded as an object of faith. And like any other object of faith, it can have multiple names and definitions.
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The coven describes the thread as a string that connects all living beings to their destiny and each other. In contrast, the Jedi compares the Force to an energy field that “surrounds and penetrates” every living entity. While there are distinctions between the two concepts, they are ultimately interpretations of how the Force or the thread works. The thread being a string is how the witches perceive the Force. The Acolyte isn’t putting one idea over the other, but simply presenting an alternate view of one of the core elements in the Star Wars Universe.
