Episode 5 of The Acolyte revealed the true identity of Mae's red lightsaber-wielding Sith master.
Warning - This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte Episode 5
During a killing spree on the planet of Khofar, the masked dark Force user was revealed to be Qimir, played by Manny Jacinto.
This turn of events recontextualized Qimir and Mae's on-screen relationship and the conversations they had during the first few episodes of the series.
However, beyond how this will further affect the ongoing storyline, many fans are wondering who exactly this new Sith Lord is in the greater context of Star Wars lore.
Who Is The Sith in The Acolyte?
Since his haunting appearance at the end of Episode 1 of The Acolyte, fans have been wondering whether or not Mae's master is a Sith or not.
This was directly addressed in Episode 5 when Manny Jacinto's unmasked character told Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that he does not have a name but a Jedi like him might call him "Sith:"
"I have no name. But the Jedi like you might call me... Sith."
The question of whether or not this villain is the Sith is primarily discussed because Ki-Adi-Mundi (who has appeared in The Acolyte) in The Phantom Menace says to the council, "The Sith are extinct, they have been for nearly a millennium."
Based on the audience's general understanding, this puts into question Qimir's validity as a true Sith or an apparent unawareness by the Jedi in 32 BBY.
More information is likely to be revealed during the final three episodes of The Acolyte and potentially in future seasons, but based on this recent revelation, Qimir likely is a Sith.
On the surface, he appears to be a Sith, sporting a lightsaber, capable of splitting into two separate sabers, and bears a strong resemblance to Cal Kestis’ upgraded weapon from Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor.
In addition, his Force capabilities are upper-level, killing most of the Jedi on Khofar, including Charlie Barnett's Yord and Dafne Keen's Jecki.
The Sith are historically an ancient order of dark-side Force-wielders driven by emotions and a quest for power who reached their peak under Darth Sidious before Darth Vader's Empirical reign.
Before Darth Maul appears in The Phantom Menace, any Sith is seemingly unknown to the Jedi council. Despite Qimir's desire to have a pupil, in line with the thinking of a Sith, there is a chance that he's a phony.
Many Star Wars fans noticed that a snippet of Kylo Ren's theme played near the end of the episode when he was healing Osha. This quickly raises the odds of a Knights of Ren connection, possibly making Qimir the first of its kind.
At this point, there is still so much to learn about Qimir's origin (possibly connected to the Jedi and Master Sol) and further unveil his true identity.
[ The Acolyte Just Teased Sol's Darkness & Secret ]
Who Is Qimir? Identity Explained
While it is easy to call the new Sith revealed in The Acolyte "Qimir" the reality is that this Is nothing more than a made-up alias.
Manny Jacinto's character had a double identity who, under the alias Qimir, kept watch over Mae as she carried out his bidding.
Formerly a smuggler who claimed to have transported armaments for the Hutt Clan, he later became a trader and supplier of unusual items, enjoying a (seemingly) leisurely life. However, his backstory as Qimir the smuggler now seems unreliable based on the Episode 5 twist.
By 132 BBY (the events of The Acolyte), Qimir was allied with Mae, assisting her in her plans against the Jedi Order while stationed in a store owned by an apothecary on the planet Olega.
During his time with Mae, he notably questioned her methods and plans, inquiring about her intentions to kill Kelnacca and her relationship with her master. This was a giveaway for many fans who previously predicted that he was Mae's Sith Master.
More backstory is expected to be given to this mysterious Sith, with other potential flashback sequences in play, similar to the story of Osha and Mae's childhood in Episode 3.
New episodes of The Acolyte are released every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.
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