The Acolyte: Who is Mother Koril?
Lucasfilm/DisneyShe’s just been introduced and she’s certainly one to be feared, but who is Mother Koril in Star Wars’ The Acolyte?
There’s no two ways about it — the latest entry in the Star Wars timeline is causing some serious fan division. Episode 3 of The Acolyte introduces a brand new group of characters in the form of an exiled witch’s coven living on Brendok.
One of the new faces in this mysterious crowd is Mother Koril, a no-nonsense figure with strenuous ties to Osha and Mae’s past.
However, as The Acolyte Episode 3 draws to a close, all is not as it seems. So who is Mother Koril and does she have a bigger place in Star Wars lore? Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Who is Mother Koril?
Mother Koril is the second in command of the witch’s coven on Brendok, acting as Mother Ansieya’s right-hand woman. She also appears to be the second parent of Osha and Mae.
In Episode 3, it’s heavily implied that Koril is in an unexpected relationship with Ansieya, with the two intimately embracing each other while speaking of the twins’ ascension ceremony. However, it’s also implied that Koril is keeping a secret from her, hinting that Osha and Mae were “created” by a means that they don’t want the Jedi in The Acolyte to find out about.
She’s incredibly strict with the twins, particularly Osha, who is learning that she’d rather be a Jedi than commit to the coven for life. However, viewers can tell there’s a great deal of care under her firm exterior, with her punishments and concern coming from a place of love.
Koril is a Star Wars character created specifically for The Acolyte, and can’t be found in any other movie or TV show.
She’s played by Margarita Levieva, previously been seen in The Deuce and Adventureland.
Mother Koril controversy explained
Mother Koril is one of the reasons why Star Wars fans have dubbed Episode 3 as “garbage,” believing that it might be the worst franchise installment to date.
Though the series was called “The Wokelyte” soon after the trailer was released, Episode 3 divided fans even further after a barrage of negative critic reviews.
Writer Matt McGloin said about the episode, “George Lucas should have never sold Star Wars. Bob Iger should have never appointed Kathleen Kennedy as the head of Lucasfilm. Star Wars is a complete joke. Disney is a complete joke. #RIPSTARWARS.”
While “woke” complaints have been rife since the first two episodes aired, they intensified after it’s heavily implied that the coven — who also use the Force in a way that turns all Jedi knowledge of it upside down — were lesbians.
This includes the introduction of Mother Koril, with some fans also unable to understand why her appearance is altered so much from her original species in Star Wars lore.
However, all of this discourse is something showrunner Leslye Headland expected to happen, as she explained to the Star Wars website, “Whatever you think The Acolyte is, it’s not that. It’s a drop in the bucket, baby. Just hang in there and check it out.”
Is Mother Koril dead?
After Mae’s fire, it’s implied that Mother Koril died with the rest of the coven. However, one fan has noticed that her body isn’t among those shown as Sol and Osha escape.
After Mae is seen falling from the torn-apart bridge, Osha and Sol make a run from it, passing a pile of bodies along the way. However, if you look closely, Koril isn’t shown.
When Osha wakes up on the Jedi ship, she’s been told that her entire family has died in the fire, and is none the wiser that Mae survived. In his defense, Sol had seen the entire thing play out and was convinced Mae was gone.
However, given that Mae was actually alive, it stands to reason that other members of the coven might have survived the fire too. In addition to this, there is a working theory that Mae’s master might actually be another evil twin — or at the very least, someone who is working in partnership with a larger organization.
Given that Koril has plenty of reason to want the Jedi on Brendok dead, she can’t be ruled out of being Mae’s master. Their identity is still unknown but they wield a red lightsaber typically attributed to Siths, as seen in the trailer. Some fans have already noted that Koril has Sith-like eyes.
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.
Find even more amazing new movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.