What happened to the coven in The Acolyte episode 3? While we finally get a glimpse of how Mae and Osha were raised in the coven led by Mother Aniseya on planet Brendok, the story of the coven's true fate remains a mystery.
In the latest episode, we learned that Osha went against Mother Aniseya's wish for the twins, choosing to answer the call of adventure instead. This saw her leaving to join Master Sol and the Jedi.
However, when her sister, Mae, tried to stop her, chaos ensued and their coven burned down. So, what really happened back there?
CONTENT SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte, so proceed with caution.
Fan Theories About What Happened to the Coven
As revealed in an extended flashback to the twins's upbringing, Mae and Osha, were meant to carry on the legacy of their coven and of Mother Aniseya's work.
This is the first time this particular coven appears in Star Wars, so we only get a glimpse into their practices. But, from what is shown, they are learning to manipulate the Force (which they call the Thread) for their own gains.
And, considering they live on the remote planet Brendok, outside the Republic's reach, their training might just be on the wrong side of the Jedi law.
It doesn't help that Mae and Osha were somehow born without a father, which also led some fans to speculate on the coven's true purposes. According to some theories, this suggests the coven Mothers might somehow get pregnant through the use of Sith magic, which could mean the series is hinting at The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.
For the uninitiated, it is a Sith legend that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine told Anakin Skywalker in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
The story goes that Darth Plagueis was "so powerful and so wise" that he could use the Force to create life and even save others from death, a practice of the Sith that seems to align with the Brendok coven's practice of producing children.
However, this must be taken with a grain of salt, since these are mere theories on the coven's origins. So far, that's all we have to go on.
READ MORE: The Acolyte Fans Continue to Laud Lee Jung-Jae's Master Sol Performance
Did Mae Burn Down the Coven? What The Acolyte Ep 3 is Hiding
During the Ascension ceremony, Mae realizes Osha wants to leave and join the Jedi, so she tries to stop her. Things devolve into chaos and the next thing we are shown is the coven burning down. So, what happened?
Since she was the last person seen holding the torch, it is easy to assume it was Mae who started the fire.
But when Osha asks her sister, "What have you done?", a clueless Mae asks the same question back. So, what gives? Did Mae really start the fire?
The Acolyte is deliberately vague on what really happened to the coven, possibly setting up a future plot twist. Even though the third episode appears to show it was Mae who burned down the coven, a single torch would not have been able to set every witch in the coven ablaze.
Remember, Mae only wanted to stop Osha from joining the Jedi in fear of being separated from her sister. Even if things got out of hand, setting the coven on fire would not make sense if keeping her twin was her only goal in the flashback.
One possibility is that it was actually the Jedi who set the fire and later pinned it on Mae in telling the story to Osha. A clue in that direction may be an earlier scene where Jedi Master Torbin admits he has been waiting for Mae to put him out of his misery, per the Barash Vow.
READ NEXT: What is The Thread in The Acolyte? Star Wars' New Force Philosophy Explained
For now, we will have to wait until The Acolyte episode 4 premieres on Disney+ on June 18, 2024.
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