The Acolyte's second episode had many fans talking about bunta. After all, this was a major plot point in episode 2 as it directly led to a major character's death.
In that episode, bunta’s origin and use were explained briefly, and while not much else was mentioned about it, we can already gather a lot of interesting theories.
Moreover, the use of bunta is also related to two primary characters in the series who will no doubt play big roles in the coming events.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for The Acolyte, so proceed with caution.
What is Bunta? The Acolyte Poison's Origins Explored
After Mae killed Master Indara in The Acolyte episode 1, she proceeded to target Master Torbin on another planet, though her initial attack was unsuccessful as Torbin had a strong Force barrier.
In response, Mae approached Qimir, a former smuggler who appears to be her ally. Qimir concocts a vial of bunta for her which he says is a powerful poison that can kill Torbin. This is the first time that bunta is mentioned in any Star Wars media.
Instead of forcing Torbin to drink the bunta, the Jedi Master acknowledges his regret for his past actions and drinks the poison willingly, causing his death.
Upon discovering Torbin has died, Osha remarks that the vial that he drank contained bunta. She then states that bunta is a poison from her home planet. Osha also says that she and her sister Mae were taught to use it for hunting.
She also mentions that when distilled, the effects of bunta don’t last very long. Because of this, they discover that Qimir was the one who concocted the poison.
For now, there’s not much info on who Qimir is, but the fact that he knows how to concoct bunta hints at a deep connection to Mae, and potentially her master.
Torbin Drinking the Poison Hints at Jedi’s Dark Past
It’s not clear how bunta works as a poison. Even if it kills a victim gently, it’s still shocking to see Torbin drink it willingly.
Given his choice coupled with his regretful words to Mae, it seems that Torbin has a dark past involving Mae and her home planet.
Unlike Qimir who we’ll likely see more of, Torbin is dead. Based on The Acolyte’s official trailer though, we should see more of Torbin, albeit in a flashback.
This flashback will also feature Sol, Indara, and Kelnacca, likely meaning it will hold the key to explaining the show’s main mystery so far.
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