The Acolyte Episode 4 recap: The race to Kelnacca is on

Back in the present day, the race to find Kelnacca’s hideout is only just beginning in The Acolyte Episode 4.

It’s safe to say that so far, The Acolyte has been a pretty turbulent ride. Going further back than any story has before in the Star Wars timeline, the plot uncovers a murder mystery involving a group of Jedi Masters.

Fans have already been outraged by the show’s opening, giving Carrie-Anne Moss the chop before the opening titles are even seen.

Three episodes later and there’s a huge cliffhanger on the horizon — here’s everything that went down in The Acolyte Episdoe 4. Warning: spoilers ahead!

The Acolyte Episode 4: The Jedi and Mae arrive on Khofar

Picking back up in the present day where Episode 2 left off, The Acolyte Episode 4 begins on Khofar, where Mae and Qimir have successfully landed. Qimir tells Mae that he knows where Kelnacca can be found — who is the next Jedi victim on Mae’s kill list. He’s hidden away in a vast area of forest stretching before them, with Qimir explaining that only a handful have ever found him and lived to tell the tale.

Meanwhile, Osha, Sol, Jecki, and Yord arrive back on Coruscant. Osha, believing that she has done all she can by proving to Mae that she’s still alive, leaves to travel back to the ship she was working on. At the same time, the Jedi Masters meet to discuss what to do about Mae’s next moves. Sol confirms that Mae will definitely be heading to Kelnacca next, with Vernestra keen to keep the news of Jedi murders away from the High Council.

Sol once again asks to lead a small dispatch team sent to stop Mae from killing Kelnacca, with Vernestra agreeing. Osha gets stopped by him as she tries to leave, with Sol explaining that he needs her help in order to stop Mae from getting her own way. After some cajoling, Osha agrees, landing in Khofar alongside Sol, Jecki, Yord, and a team of other members of the Jedi Order.

Osha gets real about her past 

On two separate sides of Khofar, both parties head towards Kelnacca’s base — and the race is on to find out who gets there first. Mae and Qimir talk about Mae’s ominous master, who is referred to as “him” for the first time. She tries to justify to herself that she has what it takes to kill a Jedi without any extra help, while Qimir questions why she has already struggled so much.

Osha is also having her own time to process what’s going on. While walking, she confronts Yord about why she’s been brought on this trip, with Yord clearly not thrilled that she’s tagging along for the ride. Yord suggests that inside of being brought here to face Mae, she’s been brought along to face herself.

As both groups get deeper into the forest, they begin to be confronted by other creatures – such as a giant moth crossed with a millipede-type bug — meaning Sol has to come to the rescue. The Jedi team also has a scent tracker on their side, who soon finds Mae not too far from Kelnacca’s base when it splits off from the group.

Mae changes her allegiance — but there’s a nasty surprise

Pretending to be trapped, Qimir gets caught in a trap that Mae has set for him. She tells him that their walk has made her realize something — Osha is now her main driving force, and the Master can no longer tell her what to do. She swears to change her allegiance to Osha, planning to turn herself into Kelnacca when she finds him. Qimir warns her that the Master cannot be stopped.

Having left Qimir dangling in the forest, Mae eventually finds Kelnacca, who is already dead. To her horror, she realizes that her Master is already on Khofar himself. At the same time, the Jedi catch up, surrounding the base and ordering Mae to come out with her hands up. She stays hidden inside.

As they surround her, a black figure emerges from the other side, targeting the Jedi Order with a red lightsaber. The two sides prepare to do battle, with the masked figure seemingly wielding an extraordinary amount of power, and Sol asks what they are. The answer? Hopefully in Episode 5.

Continue to jump into hyperspace with everything we know about the Andor Season 2 release date and Tales of the Jedi Season 2. You can also read our Star Wars The Acolyte explained guide for more specific details.

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