It’s well known that Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side at the end of Star Wars Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, but one scene from The Acolyte puts that fall into a different light. Though The Acolyte was met with many controversies and mixed feelings, there were a few moments where the show really shone.

One of the best non-action scenes came in The Acolyte‘s ending, when Rebecca Henderson’s Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh spoke with Senator Rayencourt, played by Arrowverse alum David Harewood. In their meeting, Rayencourt explains why he thinks the Jedi have unchecked power; because they claim to control what they cannot.

“We don’t control the Force,” Vernestra protested, but Rayencourt interrupts her. “Not the Force,” he clarifies. “Your emotions. You project an image of goodness and restraint, but it’s only a matter of time before one of you snaps.” His words become practically prophetic; “And when, not if, that happens, who will be strong enough to stop him?“

The Acolyte Reminds Us Of The Real Reason Anakin Fell To The Dark Side

The discussion about Anakin’s fall to the dark side often obscures one simple truth; that he made a conscious choice to embrace the dark side because of his emotions. Anakin wasn’t forced to fall to the dark side by some kind of cosmic force or even by Palpatine; he chose to go down that path time and time again.

When looking at people’s characters, we can typically see patterns that are born out of action or inaction. These actions shape your character, and when it comes to Anakin Skywalker, he chose to ignore warnings from other Jedi about how dangerous his emotions were. He chose the path that would eventually lead him to become Darth Vader.

Just look at the choices Anakin made:

• He chose to slaughter the Tuskens, and he concealed his crime from the Jedi Council, accepting the knighthood
• He married Padmé Amidala in secret, and chose to continue down a path of lies and deceit for years
• Even in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he knows he isn’t following the Jedi way when he kills Count Dooku – but he accepts Palpatine’s permission nonetheless

Anakin chose the dark side again and again, until his transformation into Darth Vader became inevitable.

The Dark Side Turns Into A Convenient Excuse

There’s no doubt that Anakin went through some unimaginable traumas, especially as a child, but that doesn’t excuse his actions as an adult. The Jedi are supposed to constantly work on removing their emotions from their decisions, and when they fail to do that, it brings them closer to the dark side.

When we talk about the dark side as an external force, we essentially remove agency from a Jedi, absolving them from wrongdoing; the evils they committed were because of this external force. That’s far too convenient, turning the dark side into an excuse rather than forcing a Jedi to actually admit their wrongs and be held accountable.

Senator Rayencourt’s words in The Acolyte do indeed highlight the greatest weakness of the Jedi Order, the reason Anakin’s fall was inevitable. It wasn’t the dark side at all; it was their own emotions, and the false belief they could control them.