The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland opened up about her decision to kill off Carrie-Anne Moss' character Indara during the opening moments of the first episode.
A lot of fans were surprised when Indara met her demise in the cold open of the show's premiere episode, especially since the trailers seemingly positioned her as one of the main characters.
While it was unfortunate that the character won't have a major presence, it also raised the stakes of the story as it showed that not everyone is safe and the series has a no-holds-barred approach in its storytelling.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for The Acolyte episode 1, so proceed with caution.
Leslye Headland Explains Indara's Death in The Acolyte Episode 1
In an interview, Headland addressed her decision to kill off Indara during the cold open of the first episode of The Acolyte.
She explained that the character's death in the beginning was intended as a "tone-setter" and sets up the stakes for the Jedis in the story.
"I thought it was a good tone-setter for the show. [It shows] that the Jedis are going to take some losses, and that the good guys and the bad guys are not always who you think they are," the showrunner said.
Headland also shared that courting Moss to take on the role took "several weeks" as she wanted The Matrix actress to "be involved with the project at any costs."
Amandla Stenberg, who plays Mae and Osha, supported the decision and called it "one of the boldest moves that Leslye Headland could have made in our show."
Despite the early demise of the character, there is still a possibility that we will see Moss again in a flashback sequence later in the season since they've shown hints that there is a backstory with her that is a pivotal part of the show's main mystery.
Whether you agree with the decision or not, there is no doubt that Indara's death subverted the expectations of fans and it is a sign that we might be seeing more twists and turns throughout the rest of the first season.
New episodes of The Acolyte premiere every Tuesday night on Disney+.
What do you think of Headland's explanation? Let us know in the comments!
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