Light and Dark Sisters
The Acolyte centers on the twin sisters Osha and Mae Aniseya. As the series begins, Osha is aligned with the light side of the Force, while Mae is aligned with the dark side. Osha, who was once a Jedi apprentice, is principled and thoughtful; Mae, the acolyte of a Sith master, is driven by emotion, attachment, and aggression. This motif of two sisters, one representing the light and the other the dark, recurs throughout Star Wars.
In The Clone Wars, the spiritual conflict between light and dark on Mandalore is embodied in a pair of sisters. The refined and idealistic Duchess Satine Kryze, who stands for pacifism and non-violence, is aligned with the light side. Her sister, the warlike and aggressive Bo-Katan Kryze, is aligned with the dark. Fittingly, Satine is linked to the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (even if they often find themselves at odds), while Bo-Katan allies herself (at least temporarily) with the Sith Lord Darth Maul.
In The Last Jedi, the sisters Paige Tico and Rose Tico each carry one half of a yin yang pendant, indicating a similar duality. Because Paige and Rose are both members of the Resistance, it is not immediately clear which sister is aligned with the light and which is aligned with the dark, but a closer look reveals that Paige is the light half of the pair and Rose is the dark half.
The name "Paige" – as in a "page" from a book, recalling the sacred Jedi texts on Ahch-To – indicates that she is aligned with the light. She wears a helmet with a blue stripe and shows herself willing to detach from the needs of the body, sacrificing her physical life for the Resistance's ideals. The name "Rose" – evoking a red flower – is just one of the clues associating Rose with the dark. She works in the pipes of the Resistance ship (its metaphorical underworld) and is more obviously emotional than Paige (she is introduced weeping over the loss of her sister). Later, on Canto Bight, Rose expresses an aggressive urge to wreck the town because it reminds her of pain she suffered when young – but, more constructively, she is able to intuitively connect with the underworld of the city (the slave children) using her red Resistance ring. During the battle of Crait, she tells Finn to engage the ski that connects him to the planet's red surface before saving his life because of her attachment to him. The Resistance finds and maintains balance by constructively harnessing the passions Rose embodies.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Bo-Katan Kryze / Duchess Satine Kryze / Mae Aniseya / Osha Aniseya / Paige Tico / Rose Tico
Films: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Shows: The Acolyte / The Clone Wars
GO DEEPER INTO THE ARCHIVES…
Concepts: aggression / duality / idealism / names / siblings / underworld / war and peace / yin and yang
Interpretive Tools: Tripartite Soul Theory
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