The Acolyte recently premiered on Disney+, and one Jedi Knight is already accumulating a large fanbase. Here’s what you need to know about Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) and his rapidly growing fanbase, which has been dubbed the Yord Horde.
The Acolyte is the latest live-action Star Wars series, and it sees the Jedi Order flourishing during the High Republic era. However, peace is disrupted when a Jedi Master is murdered, and the killer matches the description of an ex-Jedi Padawan, Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg). Things grow more complicated when it’s revealed that Osha’s twin sister, Mae, is the true murderer and has a list of Jedi targets. News of an outsider working for a mysterious Master and targeting Jedi could spark fear and chaos both inside and outside the Order, resulting in a small group of Jedi, including Yord, attempting to quietly deal with the threat.
Who is Yord Fandar in The Acolyte?
Yord is an original Star Wars character created specifically for The Acolyte, so everything we know about him comes from the series. He and Osha became friends while training together in the Jedi Order. However, their paths diverged quite significantly as he went on to become a Jedi Knight, and she left the Order to work as a mechanic. As a Knight, he has taken on his own Padawan, Tasi Lowa (Thara Schöön), who accompanies him to take Osha into custody after she arises as the prime suspect in Master Indara’s (Carrie-Anne Moss) murder.
Although it seems Yord and Osha were once friends, he quickly makes it clear that he puts his allegiance to the Jedi Order above personal relationships and takes her into custody. Even when news of Osha’s twin arises, he remains skeptical of the story, as logic tells him a former Jedi Padawan would be more capable of the murder than an outsider. Logic isn’t his only strong suit, as he also displays an impressive knowledge of all the rules within the Jedi Order. At times, he’s even willing to question Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) when he perceives the Master is breaking rules by allowing Osha to carry a weapon or leaving her unrestrained before her name is cleared.
Viewers will notice that Yord carries a yellow lightsaber, which is one of the rarer lightsaber colors. The color seems to denote his scholarly attitude and desire to utilize both combat and intellectual skills as a Jedi. He and Rey (Daisy Ridley) are among very few Jedi in the official Star Wars canon to boast the unique lightsaber color.
Yord’s by-the-book attitude makes him a bit unpopular with his fellow Jedi, such as Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), who complains that he’s just “so Yord.” He certainly can come across as uptight, and his strict rule-following can get in the way of his judgment, which leads him to formulate odd or unnecessarily complicated plans. At the same time, his skills can come in handy, given his intelligence and innate understanding of how the Jedi Order works. There’s also something very charming about his intense loyalty and passion for the Order, which is why many viewers are singling him out as their new favorite Jedi.
Social media users quickly settled on Yord Horde to describe the character’s growing fanbase. Some fanfare has arisen as users compare him to Ken from the Barbie movie and add him to the growing list of lovable film/TV himbos.
It seems likely that Yord and his fanbase will only continue to grow as The Acolyte continues.
