Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 4, “Day.”
Eagle-eyed Star Wars fans will clock a Jedi in The Acolyte‘s latest installment, “Day,” who strongly resembles the prequel trilogy’s Master Plo Koon. But is that actually Plo Koon in The Acolyte, or is this a case of mistaken identity?
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Is Plo Koon in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 4?
No, Plo Koon doesn’t make a cameo in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 4, “Day.” You’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, though. After all, one of the alien Jedi Knights present for Yord Fandar’s briefing session is the spitting image of Koon. But thanks to the official Star Wars X (formerly Twitter) account, we now know that this isn’t Plo Koon, but rather a new character, Ithia Paan.
Like Master Plo, Paan is a Kel Dor from the planet Dorin, which explains why the pair look so similar ā right down to their matching eyewear and breath masks. This gear isn’t specific to Plo Koon; it’s mandatory apparel for any Kel Dor who venture off-world. It protects them from many planet’s oxygen-rich atmospheres, which are poisonous to their species.
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So, yes: Plo Koon’s apparent Acolyte cameo was a false alarm ā but what if it wasn’t? Would Star Wars canon have allowed showrunner Leslye Headland to include the fan-favorite Jedi Master in The Acolyte? Yes and no. Post-Disney Star Wars lore doesn’t state exactly how old Plo Koon is, nor does it cover the average Kel Dor lifespan. As such, nothing’s preventing Koon from being alive a century before The Phantom Menace, when The Acolyte takes place.
Plo Koon may not have been able to replace Ithia Paan outright, however. It all depends on how much direct contact Paan has with The Acolyte‘s mysterious Sith Lord over the course of the show’s run. Given The Phantom Menace establishes Plo Koon as ignorant regarding the Sith’s return, he (unlike Paan) couldn’t have conclusively encountered the Dark Side sect 100 years earlier.
Are Any Prequel-Era Jedi in The Acolyte?
Yes, The Acolyte Season 1 features at least one Jedi from the Star Wars prequel trilogy: Ki-Adi-Mundi. Master Mundi briefly appears in Episode 4 and is portrayed by franchise veteran Derek Arnold. Arnold takes over the role from English actor Silas Carson, who played Ki-Adi-Mundi in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.
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That’s it for prequel-era characters so far, however, many fans continue to hold out hope that Master Yoda will show up in The Acolyte Season 1’s remaining episodes. Headland has neither confirmed nor denied whether the long-lived Jedi Master will make a cameo in the Star Wars series. That said, the franchise’s canon is clear that Yoda was active during The Acolyte‘s High Republic setting.
The Acolyte Season 1 is currently streaming onĀ Disney+, with new episodes dropping Tuesdays.
