The High Republic era might’ve just found a stand-in for one of the most beloved Jedi Masters in Star Wars history. And now that he’s made his debut in episode 6 of Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte, the show could take him in nearly any direction, good or bad.
If Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a lanky, quick-witted Jedi Padawan with a British twang and luscious red locks to boot, well, think again, because the latest episode of The Acolyte, titled “Teach/Corrupt,” just brought someone new to the table. Behold, Harry Trevaldwyn’s Mog, who’s the kind of guy who will remind you to down some Dramamine and ginger ale before a 6 AM flight. You might recognize this actor from My Lady Jane, which is also enjoying a solid run on streaming. So, who is Mog, and what will his role be in the greater Star Wars universe?
Warning! Spoilers ahead for the latest episode of The Acolyte.
Who is Harry Trevaldwyn’s Mog in The Acolyte?
The most recent episode of The Acolyte picks up immediately after the manslaughter of the Jedi covey on Khofar, and sees Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) dealing with the fallout. While Sol (Lee Jung-jae) tackles his Mae (Amandla Stenberg) problem, Osha (also Stenberg) finds herself in a teen romance movie—I mean, kidnapped by Qimir (Manny Jacinto) and taken to a mysterious water planet where the dark sider takes long, sexy baths—I mean, plots and schemes. Is it hot in here?
On Coruscant, Vernestra sends a search party to track down Sol’s ship after learning his team didn’t make it off of Khofar, trusting her Padawan (or so we think), Mog, to assemble a crew. Here, we get an absolutely classic student-teacher interaction: “You get nauseous when you travel through hyperspace.” “I don’t get sick. I find it unsettling.” Callback to Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan’s speeder chase in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, much? So yeah, while Mog might be something of a comic relief character at the moment, the door is open for him to become a key player down the line…especially if Vernestra ends up not being the wise, stoic Jedi he thinks she is.
Looks aside, there are some undeniable parallels between Mog and Obi-Wan. From what we’ve seen so far, Mog is a by-the-books Jedi who’s faithful as a dog to Master Vernestra. Sound familiar? If you’ve watched—literally—the first five minutes of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace or read Claudia Gray’s 2018 canon novel Master & Apprentice, then you know that a young Obi-Wan would do virtually anything to please his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). Both Mog and Obi-Wan are the kind of (dare I say, bossy?) do-gooders who always keep the Jedi Order’s best interests in mind—even at the expense of the mission. And despite the whole no attachments thing, they clearly care about others. A lot.
Is this just an excuse to yap about Obi-Wan Kenobi? Maybe. But considering just how much he’s cherished by the Star Wars fandom, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the galaxy far, far away needs a new character to fill Obi-Wan’s role. Obviously, no one can replace the Negotiator himself, but Mog was channeling some serious Pada-Wan vibes in The Acolyte. Only time will tell if he can avoid suffering a similar fate as, say, Jecki (Dafne Keen) and Yord (Charlie Barnett). Too soon?
Bazil, Mog, Yord … I don’t know why everyone’s name in The Acolyte makes them sound like a boisterous tavern barkeep in every D&D campaign, but either way, we’re approaching Game of Thrones-levels of character maps here, and I, for one, can barely keep up. Here’s hoping we don’t encounter too many new faces as The Acolyte nears the end of its eight-episode run on Disney+.
