The Acolyte: Did the Star Wars Show Really Just Kill [SPOILER]?

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 1, “Lost / Found.”

The Acolyte‘s opening fight scene ends with the apparent demise of Carrie-Anne Moss’ Master Indara – a character featured prominently in the Star Wars show’s marketing materials. So, did The Acolyte really just kill off Indara, or is it all a big fake-out?

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Does Indara Die in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 1?

Yes, Master Indara really does die at the end of the “Force-fu” action scene that kicks off The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 1, “Lost / Found.” It’s a twist few fans could’ve seen coming, not least because Indara seemingly has the edge over her opponent, Dark Side acolyte Mae. Throughout the pair’s brawl, Indara’s Force-fueled martial arts skills eclipse Mae’s own. What’s more, the Jedi Master’s lightsaber is more than a match for Mae’s knives-and-telekinesis combo.

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But when Mae endangers an innocent’s life, Indara is distracted long enough for one of the dark warrior’s blades to slip past her defenses. It’s a direct shot to the chest, and – without anyone around to rush Indara to a bacta tank for healing – she promptly dies. And lest you think Indara might’ve managed a sneaky off-screen revival, dialogue later in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 1 confirms the Jedi Master is gone. The Grand Inquisitor’s “death” in Obi-Wan Kenobi this ain’t.

The Acolyte Showrunner Breaks Down Episode 1’s Shocking Death Scene

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland addressed Indara’s early exit in an interview with GamesRadar+ shortly after Season 1’s premiere. “From a filmmaker perspective, I just felt like with the cold open, especially with a new story, that you just have to go hard,” she said. “You have to say the Jedi are going to take some Ls; you’re not going to know who the good guys and the bad guys are. And it’s going to feel very visceral.”

“Even if you already know [Indara’s death is] going to happen, it doesn’t have to be a big gotcha moment,” Headland added. “It just has to be a moment where the emotional and the physical – meaning the fights – melt together. Carrie-Anne, not just being an action legend, is also a phenomenal actress. She was able to play all those beats within the fight as well as, of course, her death scene.”

Related: Is Star Wars: The Acolyte Cancelled?

Mae actor Amandla Stenberg praised Headland’s decision to bump off Moss’ character in a Variety interview, calling it “one of the boldest moves” the showrunner could have made. Stenberg also had plenty of kind words for Moss, revealing they “got really close” while shooting The Acolyte.

“[Moss] just really offered me a guiding hand,” Stenberg recalled. “And doubled down on the importance of taking care of yourself and staying grounded in the middle of this kind of work.”

The Acolyte Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Tuesdays.