In The Acolyte‘s third episode Sol told young Osha her twin sister started a fire that killed everyone on Brendok. We know Mae survived that calamity, but the show’s seventh episode “Choice” also suggested another member of the coven also escaped death that fateful night. Mother Koril dematerialized her body before a possessed Kelnacca attacked his fellow Jedi. That was the last we saw of the powerful witch, and it was far from a definitive end. But does that mean she’s actually still alive? The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland told us there’s a very good reason to believe she is. Even more tantalizing is that Headland also hinted at where Mother Koril likely went after leaving that planet. It’s an important, infamous, dark magic world full of her own kind that Star Wars fans know well.
During “Choice” Mother Koril said she would die before she let the Jedi take her children. Yet despite that exact thing happening with Osha, it didn’t appear as though the witch actually met her end. Headland didn’t deny that possibility when we asked her during a lengthy interview following the episode. She actually affirmed why we questioned Koril’s fate. “No body, no death,” Headland said.
…Exactly.
Koril being alive would have obvious ramifications for everyone involved in Mae and Osha’s story. One of their mothers, a woman with immense powers, is out there and angry at the Jedi. But considering there’s another Jedi-hating Force user also causing havoc, we had to ask Headland if that meant Koril is also part of Qimir’s story. She was clear “they do not know each other,” but she did provide a bigger clue about Koril’s whereabouts, one that could still factor into the ultimate fate of the Jedi. “What I will say, as a tease, if we are able to explore this story more, (Koril’s) species will tell you a little bit about where she ends up.”
Considering what we know about Mother Koril that’s as good as teases get. Koril is Zabrak, a humanoid species identifiable by distinct horns on their head. They’re native to two planets. One is Irodonia, a minor world in the galaxy far, far away. The other is :insert ominous music: Dathomir, a massively important location in Star Wars. It’s home to the franchise’s most famous, most important witches, the Nightsisters. It’s also home to their subordinates, the Nightbrothers.
During our interview Headland explained how The Acolyte‘s witches are both similar and different to that notorious group of dark magick users. But Koril was always more like the Nightsisters than anyone else who lived on Brendok, and not just because of her horns. She was more aggressive and willing to fight. She even instructed Mae to fight back against the Jedi, despite Mother Aniseya’s efforts to avoid violence. The Nightsisters had a history of warring with the Jedi until both sides agreed to leave each other alone.
With her coven gone it makes sense Koril would look for kindred spirits in the galaxy, and she has no more kindred spirits than her fellow Zabrak witches who call Dathomir home. If that is where Mother Koril went after Brendok it opens up major possibilities for how she might contribute to the Jedi Order’s eventual demise.
The Acolyte is exploring the beginning of what will ultimately be the fall of the Jedi. That will come at the hands of the Sith and Sheev Palpatine. And his first big screen apprentice was Darth Maul, another Zabrak Force-user from Dathomir.
Could Koril end up having some relationship with Maul, either by blood or by training? If so that will be one more way “noble” Jedi intentions helped bring about their own demise. They came for Koril’s daughters and made a very powerful, very angry enemy in the process.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and Nightsisters enthusiast. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.