Verosha Aniseya

Biography

A Secluded Youth

Around 156 BBY, Aniseya, the leader of a coven of witches, utilized a mysterious power to create Osha and Mae. Koril carried and gave birth to them; both women were considered the girls' mothers. They were raised on the planet Brendok, where the coven resided in a secret fortified village that was hidden from both the Republic and the Jedi Order. They were the only children in the village. Their mothers deeply loved their daughters but often disagreed on how to raise them, with Aniseya favoring leniency while Koril preferred a stricter approach.

Aniseya instructed Osha and Mae in the coven's practices, teaching them to work together to control the power of the Force, which they referred to as "the Thread." However, Osha was hesitant; unlike Mae, she yearned for a life beyond Brendok, despite her mother's warnings. She frequently spent time alone under a bunta tree outside the village walls, recording her private thoughts and aspirations in a journal that she kept hidden from her sister.

Tragedy Strikes Brendok

In 148 BBY, when the twins were eight years old, they were scheduled to become witches through the coven's Rite of Ascension. Osha expressed her reluctance to her mother, but Aniseya and Mae insisted. Osha reluctantly agreed. The ceremony commenced, and Aniseya performed the rite that transformed Mae into a witch. At that moment, a group of Jedi Knights began forcing their way into the fortress before Aniseya could complete Osha's ascension.

The Jedi—Indara, Sol, Kelnacca, and Torbin—were searching for the coven's children to assess their Force abilities. The witches attempted to conceal the girls, but Osha was captivated by the Jedi and approached them. When Sol inquired if she wanted to be tested, she readily agreed. The following day, each girl underwent testing separately aboard the Jedi starship. Mae intentionally failed, following Aniseya's instructions, while Osha tried her best and confessed her desire to join the Order.

Back inside, Osha noticed her sister acting strangely. Distressed by Osha's desire to abandon the coven, Mae suddenly threatened to kill her before locking her in her room. Mae discovered Osha's journal and saw that she had drawn a version of the Jedi symbol inside. She set the journal on fire, allowing the flames to spread. As the fire grew, Osha hot-wired a hatch to a tunnel and escaped. Elsewhere in the fortress, the main generator exploded, damaging a bridge through its central cavern. On the bridge, Osha encountered Mae, who seemed unaware of what was happening. The bridge collapsed, and Osha falsely believed that her sister had died. However, Sol witnessed Osha falling and used the Force to save her. The fire consumed the rest of the village, killing everyone inside. For many years afterward, Osha would blame Mae for the destruction of their home and family, believing her dead until Mae's later reappearance as a mysterious assassin.

Joining and Leaving the Jedi Order

Sol, having formed a connection with Osha, took her on as his apprentice. The Jedi transported her to Coruscant to commence her training. Some Jedi opposed Sol's decision, both because Osha was older than most Jedi younglings and because her strong attachment to her lost loved ones would be incredibly difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council decided to accept her.

Osha trained for the next decade at the Jedi Temple. She developed a friendship with fellow Padawan Yord Fandar. Training proved challenging for her, and as some Masters had feared, she struggled to accept the loss of her family years earlier. She chose to leave the Order around 138 BBY.

Lacking training outside the Jedi Order, she began working as a meknek, discovering that her Force abilities were well-suited for this dangerous and illegal profession. Osha moved from ship to ship, taking freelance jobs around the CorpSec, including for the Trade Federation. During this period, she acquired a small repair droid named Pip and got a tattoo one night while celebrating with her crewmates.

Accused of Murder

In 132 BBY, Jedi Master Indara was murdered on Ueda by an assassin who bore a striking resemblance to Osha. Yord and his new Padawan, Tasi Lowa, located Osha on the starship Fallon, where she was employed. They questioned Osha, who claimed to know nothing about the murder. Subsequently, a witness to the crime arrived and identified Osha as the assailant, prompting Yord to arrest her and send her to Coruscant aboard the Prison ship Palwick. Osha did not resist, confident that the Jedi would treat her fairly. Consequently, she did not join her fellow prisoners when they staged a mutiny, causing the ship to exit hyperspace in an asteroid field near Carlac before fleeing in an escape pod. Osha managed to unlock her cell with Pip's assistance, but the ship was already crippled by asteroid impacts. She could only brace herself as it crashed on Carlac's frozen surface.

Unconscious amid the wreckage, Osha experienced a vision of Mae as a young girl on Brendok. The vision convinced her not only that her twin sister was alive but also that she had murdered Indara and was determined to kill others. Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Sol learned about Osha's arrest, the mutiny, and the crash. He resolved to find her, believing that she was still his responsibility. He traveled to Carlac with his new Padawan, Jecki Lon, and Yord. Osha initially fled upon seeing the pursuing Jedi, and even after recognizing Sol, she nearly fell off a cliff trying to evade him. Sol halted her fall with the Force for a second time; Osha then revealed that Mae was alive.

Sol accepted Osha's explanation, but Yord remained skeptical. A message from Master Vernestra Rwoh soon confirmed Osha's claim: another attack had occurred at the Jedi temple on Olega, also carried out by someone resembling Osha, though this attempt was unsuccessful. The intended victim was Master Torbin, who, like Sol and Indara, had been stationed on Brendok during the fire—another connection to Mae that prompted Sol to investigate. As the group journeyed to the temple, Osha experienced further visions of Mae. Meanwhile, Mae returned and convinced Torbin to commit suicide by consuming bunta. Osha discovered Torbin's corpse, and this time, Yord witnessed her entering the room, confirming that she had not committed the killing. She recognized the empty vial of bunta, a poison that she and Mae had used as children on Brendok for hunting during the winter.

The Jedi identified Qimir as Mae's likely supplier and accomplice. Following Jecki Lon's suggestion, Osha donned a cloak to impersonate Mae and approached him. The undercover attempt failed: Qimir recognized the ruse immediately, before she could obtain any useful information. Sol, Yord, and Jecki, who were listening in, then appeared. Qimir quickly confessed to supplying the poison but denied any further involvement with Mae.

Sol then planned to confront Mae that night. Osha wished to join him, stating that she sought justice for her sister. Sol cautioned her against interfering, arguing that her idea of justice was merely a desire for revenge. Pip assisted Osha in tapping into the comms of the Jedi as Sol and Mae confronted each other. Through this, Osha learned that both she and Mae had believed the other to have perished in the fire on Brendok. As Mae fled, Osha pursued her. The two sisters saw each other for the first time in sixteen years; Osha fired two shots with a stun blaster, missing both times before Mae escaped in a stolen landspeeder.

A Civilian Among Jedi

Osha accompanied the team to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, her home for a decade. With her name cleared of the murders, she prepared to resume her normal life. She found Jecki at training and observed the familiar exercise concluding. After Jecki finished, Osha approached her to say goodbye and express her gratitude for her help. Jecki gently invited Osha to stay until Mae could be apprehended, but Osha felt unable to do so. She planned to leave without informing Master Sol.

Sol found Osha as she was about to board a transport with Pip. He told her that as Mae's sister, she could help them stop her without resorting to violence. Sol believed that there was still good within her and that she loved her family, and thus Osha could persuade her to cease her violent quest. Sol requested that Osha accompany him on his new mission, not as a Jedi but as a civilian. Sol's team was traveling to Khofar to locate Master Kelnacca before Mae could make him her next victim. Osha accepted, traveling with the Jedi to the planet's surface.

To locate Kelnacca, the team proceeded on foot through a dense Khofar forest, guided by the tracker Bazil. Osha privately asked Yord to kill Mae if necessary, fearing that she might hesitate again. Yord responded that perhaps Sol brought her along not to confront Mae but to heal the inner wound that Mae had inflicted. Deeper in the forest, Sol cautioned the team to move swiftly and avoid disturbing anything. Osha's curiosity got the better of her: she poked at a growth on a tree trunk, which turned out to be an umbramoth. Sol once again had to rescue her, slicing the moth with his lightsaber. Osha realized that she could sense the creature with the Force, even in its death. She told Sol that she could sense things again and that this was giving her courage that she had lacked before.

A cry from Bazil indicated that he had found Mae. The Jedi team rushed toward the sound. Yord instructed Osha to stay behind the others. This proved to be the least safe place for her: while the team confronted Mae, who was ready to surrender, Mae's master approached from behind—directly toward Osha. With her senses focused on her sister, Osha did not notice his approach until he was right behind her. He ignited his lightsaber and casually flung Osha aside before attacking the Jedi.

After the battle, Mae and Osha reunited. Osha, resolute in her ways, refused to join Mae, and they fought. Mae flung Osha backward, causing her to hit her head and lose consciousness. As she lay unconscious, Mae took her outer civilian robes. The Stranger found her lying on the ground with an abdominal wound and covered her with a blanket.

On an Unknown Planet

Osha awoke in a cave, noticing that her wound had been bandaged. She examined the cave and observed that food was cooking and that several of her sister's items were in a pile on the ground. She grabbed a dagger and left the cave to find whoever else was inhabiting the small cave. After following the Stranger, she watched him remove his clothes and swim in a rocky pond. She picked up his lightsaber and threatened him with it. The Stranger, however, defied her and exited the water, politely requesting to be allowed to put on some clothes if she wouldn't join him, as Osha held him at saber point.

Osha then found the Stranger's helmet and put it on. She sat in silence as the Stranger knelt before her and smiled. Then, Osha began convulsing, causing the Stranger to panic and attempt to remove his helmet from her. His eyes turned black in the physical world due to her powers, and, with difficulty, he managed to remove the helmet.

After regaining her composure, Osha told the Stranger that she had experienced a vision of Mae killing Sol. Mae had a lightsaber in her hand, but she did not use it. The Stranger told Osha that she saw a vision of the future and thinks that Mae can kill without a weapon. Osha said that the future is not fixed and that she can change it.

The Stranger turned around and said that he would be leaving aboard his starship. Osha asked where he was going and added that he knew where Sol and Mae were. The Stranger said that they would then go together.

Heading Offworld

While a family of Skura foraged on a rocky shore, Osha and the Stranger crossed a stony causeway to the Stranger's starship. The Stranger questioned Osha's unwillingness to reveal their destination. Osha countered that they would go together or not go at all. When the Stranger asked if he gave her the impression that he is a fair person, Osha reminded him that he made a deal with her sister Mae and expected her to uphold it. She said that is fair and so is trusting her to take them to their destination.

The Stranger asked if Osha would consider being his student, but she declined. When he said that it is her last chance, Osha said she is not her sister. The Stranger is impressed, saying Mae made that deal without thinking about it. She lets the Stranger take the lead and holds back before following him, as they take off, unknowingly being watched by a dark figure—Darth Plagueis.

Return to Brendok

The Stranger's ship Exile II descends into Brendok's atmosphere. Osha and the Stranger sit in separate cockpits of the twin boom body. Osha flies the ship, not allowing the Stranger to operate it. She deactivates the controls and tells the Stranger that there is a landing site near the witches' fortress. Based on a topographical map on the ship's computer, she learns that Sol is already at the Brendok fortress.

At the base of the Brendok fortress, Osha and the Stranger reach the elevator. Osha proposes repairing the elevator instead of climbing. The Stranger asks if she is sure before disappearing, his voice echoing. Osha hotwires the elevator, restoring it. The door slides open.

Fighting Mae

Osha enters her former bedroom and reflects on how everything that transpired there stemmed from Mae's desire to prevent her from becoming a Jedi. Mae denies responsibility, asserting that Sol deceived her and that she blamed her. Osha interjects, stating that Sol never blamed her, and recounts how he endeavored to teach her to accept that someone she loved was capable of destruction. She laments her failure to master her negative emotions, such as her hatred for Mae and her grief over her mother, which hindered her path to becoming a Jedi. She concedes that, in the end, Mae achieved her objective. Mae counters that Sol murdered Mother Aniseya, a sight she witnessed, and that he is the source of Osha's negative emotions and has lied to her. She asserts that he, rather than her, is the one who failed. Osha then lunges at Mae, initiating a physical altercation between the twins. Osha repeatedly kicks Mae until she notices Pip in Mae's pouch, who squirts water into Osha's eye. The twins continue to fight, using their fists and kicks, until they realize a Jedi ship has arrived. Osha glances back and discovers that Mae has vanished.

Killing Sol

As Sol confesses to killing Mother Aniseya, Osha appears behind them and asks if that is true. Sol says it was the right thing to do, but Osha asks why he didn't tell the Jedi if it was the right thing to do. Sol talks about how without Mae, there was no proof she was created in this way. Osha asks why she was never told, Sol says she would have been sent away because she was too old to be trained, so she would have never been let become a Jedi. Sol says he did what he thought was best for her and how he wanted to tell her so many times but he couldn't as he wanted her to have the life she always dreamed about, and just as Sol is about to say he did everything because he loved her, he starts choking. Osha lifts up her hand, revealing it was her and tells him to stop talking, using her anger, and unknowingly bleeding Sol's lightsaber, completing her fall to the dark side. Sol tries to talk, but can only get out that it's okay, before Osha kills him. After this, the Stranger tries to comfort her, as she breaks down out of regret for her actions, but she ignites Sol's lightsaber, as Osha, Mae and the Stranger watch, as the blade slowly turns from blue to red, Mae watching out of concern, and the Stranger watching out of interest, as Osha stares at the lightsaber out of shock.

Escaping Brendok

As the Jedi arrive on Brendok, Osha and Mae make their escape. Mae apologizes for starting the fire, and Osha responds, "You are with me, and I am with you." As they ponder the origin of the rhyme, the Stranger appears and remarks that if he can find them, so can the Jedi, as he grabs Sol's lightsaber with the Force. Osha suggests explaining Sol's actions, but the Stranger counters that even after everything, her faith remains with the Jedi. He warns that if they discover Osha's power, but Osha interrupts him, threatening him with the same fate as their mother. When Mae asks Osha what she desires, Osha requests that the Stranger release Mae, offering to train with him in return. Mae questions her certainty, pointing out that the Jedi will exploit her to locate her. However, the Stranger proposes the option of permanently wiping Mae's memory of him and Osha. Mae urges him to proceed quickly, but Osha expresses her reluctance to lose her again. Mae reassures her that she won't and that she will fulfill her intended purpose, vowing not to stop her this time. Osha agrees as the Stranger returns Sol's lightsaber to her. Osha then embraces Mae and begins to cry. Osha promises to find her, to which Mae responds that she knows she will. Osha and Mae recite their childhood rhyme one last time as the Stranger begins erasing Mae's memory. They continue the rhyme, but they don't get to finish before the memory wipe becomes complete. Osha and Mae exchange their final words, and Osha departs with the Stranger.

Joining the Sith

Having established a new alliance, the Stranger and Osha returned to their secluded island hideout. As they gazed upon the world's churning ocean, the Stranger held Osha's hand as she clutched Sol's lightsaber, now bled and claimed as her own.

Personality and Traits

Verosha Aniseya, a human with a dark complexion and brown eyes, stood at a height of 1.67 meters. Her hair was styled in braids, accented with brown highlights. Throughout her life, she encountered numerous difficulties, which she confronted with both intelligence and courage.

During her childhood, Osha possessed a stronger will and preferred solitude compared to her sister, Mae. While Mae readily embraced all of the coven's teachings, Osha often resisted certain aspects, especially when the witches urged her to remain hidden and protected. Her desire was to explore the galaxy beyond their secluded sanctuary. On one occasion, when Mae suggested they were identical, Osha countered by asserting their distinct differences. Despite these differences, the twins shared a deep bond, which they reinforced by reciting a shared mantra. Years later, when Osha had a vision of Mae, they repeated this very mantra.

From her initial encounter, Osha found herself captivated by the Jedi. Consequently, when presented with the opportunity to join the Order, she eagerly accepted. However, she was burdened by grief and anger stemming from the catastrophe on Brendok, rendering her unable to continue her Jedi training. Years after her departure from the Jedi Order, she continued to grapple with feelings of inadequacy due to her decision to leave. The possibility of rejoining excited her, but she was disheartened by the necessity of being classified as a civilian. While on Khofar, Jecki had to remind her of all that she had survived.

As an adult, Osha lacked a permanent residence, instead pursuing available work aboard various starships. She readily formed friendships with crewmates such as Fillik, yet she avoided establishing close relationships, embracing the perilous, nomadic existence of a meknek. Despite this lifestyle, she harbored no animosity towards the Jedi. She continued to regard Yord as a friend and remained grateful to Sol for rescuing her during her childhood.

Powers and abilities

Osha had undergone Force training within her coven and had been a devoted Padawan. However, during her years away from the Order, her Jedi skills diminished, despite her innate high M-count. During the Palwick's fiery destruction, she found herself unable to employ telekinesis when attempting to escape her cell. She could no longer realistically expect to compete with a Jedi Knight in combat. Nevertheless, she retained her sensitivity to the Force. Her abilities proved invaluable in performing the hazardous task of repairing the hulls of starships in deep space. She experienced visions of her sister, recognizing them as originating from the Force. As Osha spent more time in the company of Sol and the other Jedi, she began to sense her Force abilities returning.

From a young age, Osha displayed a natural aptitude for machines. She became a proficient mechanic, capable of navigating various technical systems, particularly when collaborating with her droid, Pip.

Equipment

During their upbringing on Brendok, Osha and Mae frequently wore matching outfits, reminiscent of those worn by the witches of the coven. As a young girl, Osha maintained a journal where she illustrated her aspirations for a life beyond her home planet, including a drawing of the Jedi Order's symbol. In her room, she kept a pack of useful items, including a tool that she used to escape during the fire.

During her time as a Jedi Padawan, Osha possessed her own lightsaber. However, upon leaving the Order, she relinquished her Jedi weapon.

Following her departure from the Jedi Order, Osha owned few possessions and typically wore the practical attire of a starship mechanic: drab-colored coveralls paired with a vest and utility belt. As a meknek, she wore magnetic grip boots and a spacesuit when working on the exteriors of ships in space. Pip was compact enough to be carried in a pouch that could be attached to her belt. He served Osha as both a mobile toolkit and her constant companion. Nevertheless, she did not have all the tools necessary to maintain Pip as well as he felt he deserved.

During the mission to Khofar, Osha wore civilian-designated clothing provided by the Jedi. This consisted of a light grey robe and included a strap to hold her stun blaster as well as a pouch that carried her droid Pip, much like her former meknek uniform. Osha also wore a brown backpack and black gloves with the outfit.

Upon embracing the dark side of the Force, Osha bled the lightsaber of her former Jedi Master Sol and retained the weapon as her own Sith lightsaber.

Behind the scenes

Osha Aniseya made her debut appearance in the 2024 Disney+ live-action series The Acolyte in the episode "Lost / Found". As an adult, she is portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, who embodies both Aniseya twins. As a child, she is portrayed by Lauren Brady.

Stenberg was Leslye Headland's initial choice for the dual roles. To distinguish between the two characters, Stenberg associated each with unique walks, scents, and musical preferences: for Osha, they listened to electronic music by Aphex Twin to capture the character's technical, mathematical personality. Stenberg envisioned Osha as embodying the yang force to Mae's yin: a force that would be more masculine and bright.

Promotional materials for The Acolyte prominently featured Stenberg as Mae, while the fact that she played a second twin character was kept secret. Two weeks prior to the premiere, subtitles in a teaser released on May 18, 2024, first revealed that Osha and Mae were distinct characters portrayed by the same actor. The spoiler subtitle was subsequently removed, but pre-release interviews also confirmed that Stenberg was to portray both characters. In the following days, YouTuber "Electric Playground Network" and an interviewer for the channel "The Nerds of Color" indicated that they were now permitted to discuss Mae and Osha as separate characters.