Good Morning Youtinians.  Thank you for your feedback last week! 87% of those who responded said they wanted a Star Wars-focused newsletter or were indifferent. The Dispatch will cover Star Wars news and content in addition to short nerd culture and sports updates in the Ready for Dispatch section.

— JG Carse & Emmi Conner

The Acolyte Episode 3: “Destiny” Recap

After the two-episode premiere, fans had many questions and expectations about spending time with the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca. Those expectations were subverted as we started the episode 16 years ago and then spent the whole episode in a flashback to the night alluded to in the first two episodes. 

Spoilers ahead for the third episode of The Acolyte

Summary: More than a decade in the past, we visit the planet Brendok, where the twins, Osha and Mae, are being raised by a coven of witches. Instantly, it is clear that the twins differ in personality and desires. Osha is more reserved and longs for a purposeful life off-planet, while Mae is passionate and wants to carry on the legacy of the coven.  

Four Jedi interrupt a symbolic ritual for the twins, specifically the Jedi we see hunted by Mae in the first two episodes. After testing, Osha wants to follow the Jedi Path while her sister tries to stop her. We then see, though only through a limited perspective, the girls' home and coven destroyed, with only the Jedi, Osha, and Mae surviving. 

Takeaways: This episode was much slower than the first two, allowing viewers to "breathe" before things escalated. There was still plenty to take away from the episode; let's dive into three of the biggest. 

1. The Thread: We once only thought the Jedi used and studied the Force, but over time, we have learned that other sects and communities revere it, too. For example, the Lasat believe in the “Ashla,” and Dathomirian Nightsisters channel the Force through witchcraft. The coven in The Acolye refers to the Force as “The Thread.”  When Mother Koril states, “I carried them,” and Mother Aniseya responds, “I created them,” we get the sense the twins came into being through the Force without a father... something that sounds a little familiar. Clearly, the witches are very powerful. 

2. The Jedi: This episode continues to explore the Jedi we see on the run in the first two episodes. While perhaps having good intentions, the Jedi appear as aggressors spying on the coven, aspiring to take the twins away and possibly responsible for the coven's destruction. We see that the Jedi are flawed and have made mistakes, some with massive impacts, especially on Mae. 

3. A Limited Point of View: While the episode begins to hint at what happened that fateful night, so far, we have only seen one perspective, specifically Osha’s. How did the coven die? Why is Torbin so wounded? Where is Kelnaca? With only half the story revealed, another flashback in some capacity is sure to reveal the full picture.  

We're all fine here now — how are you? Continue to follow the Dispatch as we cover the rest of the first season of The Acolyte. If you want more coverage, check out our podcast, Bounty Hunt, where the guys break down each episode, dive into the themes and characters, and put on their clown masks for some fun, totally realistic theories. 

Check out the Younited Discord's Acolyte channel to continue the conversation about the first two episodes and speculate about what's to come.

Getting to Know the Star Wars: Hunters Characters

We knew that when we switched to focusing on Star Wars, there would be light news weeks, and we would have to get creative and get your feedback on what you want covered in the newsletter. Last week, someone responded to our poll with this question: “. . . I was wondering if y’all would provide some back story to the characters of Star Wars: Hunters.”  While we can’t get into every backstory, as the game has 13 hunters, we can share our favorites!

Imara Vex: Imara Vex, a human female bounty hunter, was active from the Galactic Empire's reign to the New Republic era. She joined the bounty hunter Chanath Cha's Orphans. Together, they allied with Lady Qi'ra of Crimson Dawn to destabilize the Sith and ignite the Syndicate War by discreetly attacking other syndicates. Vex is a character full of history in Canon, starting with her introduction in War of the Bounty Hunters #5 and subsequent appearances in Crimson Reign, Bounty Hunters, Hidden Empire, and Hunters: Battle for the Arena. 

Rieve: Rieve, a Force-sensitive human from Corellia, competed in the Hunters of the Outer Rim tournament on Vespaara, adopting a Sith Lord persona. Struggling with her powers and role as a Hunter, she feared her past when a mysterious stranger appeared at the Arena. The novel Hunters: Battle for the Arena explores more of Rieve's story. 

Utooni: Come on, you knew we had to include this hunter. Utooni (no relation) is the name used by two Jawa brothers who competed in the Hunters of the Outer Rim tournament on Vespaara. They stacked atop each other to meet the height requirement. They hid oversized weapons under their cloak and often argued about which weapon to use first. Like the others, they also appear in  Hunters: Battle for the Arena.

We're all fine here now—how are you? These are just some of the hunters you can meet while playing Star Wars: Hunters. If you want more coverage from the Youtini Network, Star War Archives did an episode before the game's U.S. release.

Finally, we want to know if you would like a complete guide diving deeper into these hunters and other characters and where you can learn more about them in Canon. Let us know in the poll below! 

🛰️ In the Youtiniverse

This week we have something different in the Youtiniverse, a message from Timothy, a familiar face if you are active in the Younited Discord. 

🚀 Ready for Dispatch

• Inside Out 2 makes an impressive and massive 155$ million opening weekend. This is the largest opening since Barbie’s release in 2024 and the second-biggest for an animated film only behind Pixar’s Incredibles 2. 

• The trailer for Sunny was released, giving a new look at the Apple TV+ series. Rashida Jones stars as  “Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation,” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company.”

• The Paddington in Peru trailer has arrived. The third film in the series follows Paddington and his found family as they head to Peru to visit Aunt Lucy at the “Home for Retired Bears.” When she isn’t there, the adventure to find her begins. 

• The nation of Georgia is set to appear in its first major football (soccer) tournament. On Tuesday, Georgia will play its first match against Turkey in the opening group play of the 2024 European Championship. 

• The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials broke the record for the largest swim meet ever. On night one, 20,689 attendees watched Katie Ladecky and Aaron Shackell win the 400m freestyle events. The event is so big that it’s taking place in a football stadium with a temporary pool installed above the stadium floor!

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