The Big Picture
The Acolyte
moved to a new era but still features a cameo from memorable Jedi Council member Ki-Adi-Mundi.
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s role expanded from the prequel trilogy in
The Clone Wars
, showing bravery and kindness.
The Clone Wars
fleshed out the Jedi Council, offering unique character development throughout.
One of the most refreshing aspects of The Acolyte compared to the other Star Wars shows released by Disney+ is that it is set over a century before the events of the Skywalker saga, and has introduced a new set of characters that the vast majority of viewers were not already familiar with. Moving to new eras is an important step forward for the Star Wars franchise, but a recent episode of The Acolyte, “Day,” did feature a surprise appearance by Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. While he didn’t have a whole lot to do in the prequel trilogy, Ki-Adi-Mundi became a more prominent character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Ki-Adi-Mundi was one of the many members of the Jedi Council in the prequel trilogy that received criticism for their complete ignorance about the Sith conspiracy to take over the Republic. Between voicing his disbelief at the return of Darth Maul (Ray Park), suggesting that Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) couldn’t be a murderer, and easily falling in battle to Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Ki-Adi-Mundi didn’t necessarily do himself any favors. However, his role was significantly expanded on in many Legends materials, which shed insight into the prominent role he played in the Republic military effort. The Clone Wars showed that Ki-Adi-Mundi was a far braver, kinder, and thoughtful Jedi Master than how he was depicted in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists.
Release Date October 3, 2008
Creator George Lucas
Seasons 7
Studio Cartoon Network
Ki-Adi-Mundi Was in One of the Best ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Episodes
Star Wars: The Clone Wars experienced many significant tonal shifts over the course of its seven seasons. Although early episodes seemed to indicate that the show was going to cater towards younger viewers with more family friendly and simplistic stories, the show took a significantly darker tone in its second season. “Landing at Point Rain” served as the first installment of a four-part story arc that chronicled the Republic Army’s attempt to recapture the planet of Geonosis, which had first been depicted as the birthplace of the Separatist movement in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. In order to prevent the planet from falling into the hands of Count Dooku (Corey Burton), the Jedi Council sends Ki-Adi-Mundi (Brian George) to join Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), and Captain Rex on the ground assault.
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s prominence in the story shows just how quickly the Jedi Order has evolved into a military operation. While the prequel films depicted him as a thoughtful, albeit ignorant negotiator who was skeptical about the return of the dark side, Ki-Adi-Mundi has fully transitioned into a battle-hardened leader in “Landing at Point Rain.” The swiftness and diligence in which he strategizes the Republic Army’s plan suggests that he has put his logical mind to good use; the battle for such a historically important planet isn’t one that can be handed off to just any Jedi. While Obi-Wan and Anakin certainly proved their merit as Jedi heroes, Ki-Adi-Mundi’s inclusion suggests that the fate of the Republic may be at stake.
Although his lightsaber skills are elite, there’s an undercurrent of sadness that makes Ki-Adi-Mundi’s appearance in “Landing at Point Rain” more interesting. As he mentions in the episode itself, Ki-Adi-Mundi was a part of the initial rescue mission on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, and watched many of his friends perish in the process. Even though the Jedi are taught to show as little emotion as possible, Ki-Adi-Mundi does seem disturbed at how radically the galaxy has changed since he last stepped foot on the planet. He’s also one of the Jedi Generals who shows affection for the clone troopers; while understanding that any significant battle will result in significant casualties, Ki-Adi-Mundi takes the time to mourn each of the clone troopers that are killed in the conflict.
Related I’ll Bet You Missed This Deep-Cut ‘Clone Wars’ Reference in ‘The Acolyte’
The ties between the two Star Wars shows only continue to grow stronger.
Ki-Adi-Mundi Is a Different Type of Jedi Hero
Ki-Adi-Mundi served as a great mentor to Ahsoka, who grew as a Jedi significantly throughout the “Geonosis arc.” While Ahsoka has certainly learned from Obi-Wan’s professionalism and Anakin’s bravery, Ki-Adi-Mundi teaches her lessons of perseverance and selflessness that are critical to her evolution as a hero. Ki-Adi-Mundi is a Jedi who has served the Galactic Republic for over a century, and understands that there can be many trying times. Ahsoka begins to understand that while every battle is consequential, it cannot deter her from the moral foundations that she has established for herself.
Ki-Adi-Mundi’s style of fighting was unique when compared to the other Jedi characters. While Ahsoka and Anakin are both rather aggressive when taking down their enemies, Ki-Adi-Mundi moves in a very classical way that feels similar to the original Akira Kurosawa samurai movies that inspired George Lucas to create the Jedi in the first place. While his demeanor is appropriately serious throughout, Ki-Adi-Mundi does get one really good joke at the end of the episode when referencing the number of battle droids that he personally destroyed. This would seem to indicate that despite the losses he suffered, Ki-Adi-Mundi does retain a sense of humor about the irony of the situation.
‘The Clone Wars’ Fleshed out the Jedi Council
One of the greatest strengths of The Clone Wars was its ability to flesh out different Jedi characters who were only given brief roles in the prequel trilogy. Dave Filoni seemed to understand that while the Jedi were united in their beliefs, their experiences were all unique. Interesting revisions to the mythology included establishing Plo Koon as the Jedi that discovered Ahsoka’s power with the force, Shaak Ti as the maternal leader of the clone troopers on Kamino, and Even Piell as one of the Council’s most critical strategic consultants.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.
Watch on Disney+