As The Acolyte debuts its first two episodes on Disney+, fans couldn't help but notice Dafne Keen's Jecki Lon having similar attributes to a rare species in the original trilogy. Here's how The Acolyte connects Rystáll Sant's Theelin species in the Jedi Order.
Who is Rystáll Sant? Meet the First of Her Kind in Return of the Jedi
Rystáll Sant (played by Mercedes Ngoh) is essentially one of the earliest half-human, half-Theelin species made canon in the Star Wars franchise.
She first appeared in the special edition of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, specifically in Jabba the Hutt's Palace.
She was born to a Theelin father and a human mother, and when she was abandoned as a baby, Rystáll gets adopted by an Ortolan couple who happened to work as musicians.
Drawing inspiration from her adoptive parents, she eventually became a dancer in their performances as a part of the Max Rebo Band.
Rystáll Sant is iconic for outshining most of her fellow Theelins, even though they're already a rare species in the Galactic Republic. So rare, that they had to interbreed with others just to keep their race alive.
However, they're also known for being the galaxy's best singers, and in Rystáll's case, she was recognized in a brief scene as the redheaded dancing girl who flirted with Boba Fett.
It is worth mentioning that the Theelins were initially doomed to extinction, a part of the galactic history in Legends, despite not being entirely canon in the Star Wars continuum. The showrunner was admittedly inspired by Sant when creating Jecki Lon, which takes The Acolyte to a different level of canonicity.
READ MORE: A Comprehensive Guide to All Canon Acolytes in Star Wars
The Acolyte's Jecki Lon is a Callback to Iconic Theelin
Dafne Keen's Jecki Lon was confirmed to be a half-Theelin race ahead of The Acolyte's premiere, as showrunner Leslye Headland previously shared her fascination with the Theelins.
"I remember watching [Rystáll Sant] in the theater and just being like, that is such a cool design!" Headland explained, "It's just my younger self being like, it would be so cool if there was a Theelin Jedi!"
Enter Jecki Lon, the padawan apprentice to Jedi Master Sol who has helped him, Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett), and Osha in The Acolyte's first two episodes so far.
Jecki Lon has tracked down the twin sister Mae in the local Jedi Temple and caught Qimir's (Manny Jacinto) confession of selling the poison that killed Jedi Master Torbin.
She also happens to be one of the few Theelins who can wield two lightsabers, which is an unconventional battle style known as the Jar'Kai. Headland's insertion of Jecki honors the Theelin-human hybrid's existence while also paying a callback to Rystáll.
READ NEXT: The Acolyte: Who Is on Mae's Jedi Hit List? Exploring Their Significance
Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 3 airs on Disney+ on June 11, 2024.
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