The anchorite sect was a religious group with the core tenet that life is fundamentally rooted in suffering. This organization was based on the planet of Jakku, and its members followed the principles of the light side of the Force.
Kolob, an anchorite from this sect, deeply revered the Eremite, believing that the deity was the origin of their doctrines on suffering. Kolob, a devout believer, had great confidence in his ability to remember these precepts. The anchorites held the Plaintive Hand plateau on Jakku as a place of significant religious importance, as it was believed to have once been the home of the ancient Consecrated Eremite when the planet had more vegetation.
Yupe Tashu, an Emperor's adviser, stated that this group was associated with the light side of the Force and had allied themselves with the Jedi Order a thousand years ago.
During the final years of the Galactic Republic, Kolob managed an orphanage located near both the Plaintive Hand plateau and the Valley of the Eremite. He was a harsh caretaker, instilling in the orphans a belief that life was all about servitude and suffering. Some of these children were Galli, Brev, Kateena, and Narawal. It was known that during this time, anchorites wore intricate and dark clothing, designed to control the wearer's body.
By the era of the New Republic, the sect had a limited impact, even on Jakku, their home planet. Few anchorites practiced openly, and the organization's members contributed little to the broader galaxy. They were mainly known by the people of Jakku and, in one instance, by a deranged Sith cultist.
While Rey, the Jedi hopeful, was on Ahch-To's Temple Island in 34 ABY, the Caretakers brought up the anchorites of Jakku to her.
The idea of suffering within the Star Wars universe can be traced back to the 1999 prequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Yoda, a Jedi Master, identified fear as "a path to the dark side of the Force," explaining that it would lead to anger and hate, which would ultimately result in suffering.