The Acolyte Episode 8 Ending Explained: What Happens to Osha & Mae?

Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 8 ending has left fans speculating about the fate of the central characters, Osha and Mae. As Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 1 concludes, it takes viewers back to where it began: Brendok. Osha learns the truth about what happened 16 years ago, and the sisters make certain decisions about their future.

Here is everything you need to know about what happens at the end of Star Wars: The Acolyte.

What happens at the end of Star Wars: The Acolyte’s finale?

The Acolyte Episode 8 ending unfolds on Brendok, 16 years after the coven of witches Mae and Osha belonged to was nearly wiped out. Sol and the Stranger engage in a fierce battle, with Sol emerging victorious. However, Mae intervenes and tells Sol that he must confess his crimes before the High Council, the Senate, and the Republic, prompting Sol to reveal the truth about Osha and Mae’s birth. He explains they are one person, likely created with the use of Force Vergence, and not born, implying that the coven drew from the Dark Side of the Force to make them.

After learning that Sol killed her mother, Osha strangles and kills Sol, turning into a Sith. Her lightsaber begins to glow red, and she leaves Brendok with Qimir. Mae stays behind, and after saying an emotional goodbye to Osha, she allows Qimir to erase her memories since the fire on Brendok and her sister. They know that the Jedi will come for Qimir and Osha using Mae. This assumption proves correct when Vernestra asks for Mae’s help to track down her former pupil, whom the viewers know as the Stranger / Qimir.

Vernestra burns Sol’s body on Brendok and blames him for everything that happened in front of the Senate representatives. Toward the end of the episode, she visits Yoda, presumably to tell him the truth.

Why Osha killed Master Sol and joined Qimir?

Although Sol reveals what Aniseya did to create Osha and Mar, it doesn’t seem to matter to either of the girls. Sol killed their mother and hid it from the rest of the Jedi Order under the pretext of protecting Osha with the help of the other three Jedi. The immenseness of what Osha perceives as a betrayal turns her into a Sith. She uses the Force to choke Sol to death. And guilt-ridden as he is, Sol even seems to accept it.

As Sol claims, Osha and Mae are the same person. Mae might have begun their journey on the path of revenge, but Osha finishes it by killing a Jedi without a weapon, and becoming exactly what Qimir wanted in his acolyte.

Why did Master Vernestra pin all Jedi murders on Sol?

Even though this is the High Republic era, and the Jedi are at the height of their prominence, they have their detractors within the Republic. Viewers meet one of them in this episode, Senator Rayencourt, who calls the Jedi a delusional cult. He even foreshadows Darth Vader and the fall of the Order. By pinning it all on Sol, who is already dead, Vernestra tries to maintain the very system that Rayencourt earlier criticized.

It’s safe to presume that Vernestra believes that the Jedi are a force for good, and it’s even true for the most part. But, what The Acolyte does successfully is to underscore how thin the line between good and evil can be. Sol gave in to his emotions and let the love he had for Osha dictate his actions. As Rayencourt observes, emotions are uncontrollable. It’s only a matter of time before one of the Jedi snaps. A part of Vernestra likely knows this to be true. However, she still does everything she can to bury these shortcomings of the Jedi teachings and put the blame on an individual.

As mentioned above, The Acolyte finale raised several questions. This includes the brief appearance of Darth Plagueis. Given that the series creator Leslye Headland told Collider in an interview that she wants to make at least three seasons of The Acolyte, the story will likely continue and we will get those answers if everything goes well.