Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5.
Summary
Star Wars: The Acolyteepisode 5 includes several revelations that completely change the trajectory of the show and influenceStar Warscanon. AfterThe Acolyteepisode 5, aptly titled “Night,”Star Wars’ first live-actionHigh Republic-erashow is now well past the halfway point. As such, it’s no surprise that this episode contains many surprising and exciting reveals, including the Master’s long-awaited identity – though it’s certainly an identity many already suspected – and an interesting piece ofStar WarsLegends lore. After this episode, anything could happen next, and the show is all the better for it.
Osha and Mae’s (Amandla Stenberg)story is far from over. Until they finally learn the truth about that fateful night on Brendok, neither can move on nor unlock their full potential within the Force.After the events ofThe Acolyteepisode 5, however, Osha and Mae may now find themselves in the perfect position to fully understand their trauma, with Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), the Sith Master, and the Jedi Order as a whole stuck in a dark, intricate, and tangled web of lies and deception that threatens to unravel everything the Jedi hold dear.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
7A Legends Ore Makes Its First Live-Action Appearance
How did the Master short circuit those lightsabers?
The Acolyteepisode 5 opens during an explosive battle between the gathered Jedi on Khofar and the still-masked Sith Master. Osha awakens to find several Jedi already dead, with others locked in lightsaber combat. The Sith doesn’t merely use his lightsaber during the fight, however.Using his helmet and a large gauntlet on his arm, the Sith not only expertly parries the Jedi’s lightsaber strikes but renders their weapons useless for a short time as well.
Though it has yet to be confirmed in the show, it’s likely the metal ore that makes up theSith’s helmet and gauntlet is cortosis, a rare resource first introduced in theStar WarsLegends continuity that can temporarily disable the blade of a lightsaber. Clearly, it provides Mae’s Master with a huge advantage over the Jedi during lightsaber combat, but that’s not all. During the battle, the Sith tells Master Sol that if he were to take off his helmet, the Jedi would be able to read his thoughts, implying that cortosis weakens the Jedi’s mind-altering abilities too.
6The Acolyte Introduces A New Sith Lightsaber Design
The Sith Lord has a hidden lightsaber
The mysterious Sith Lord didn’t only bring cortosis with him, though – he also introduced an entirely new lightsaber design inStar Warscanon. Though plenty of Jedi and Sith have wielded dual lightsabers previously, theSith Lord’s second lightsaberis especially deceiving. During his fight with Master Sol’s Padawan, Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen),the Sith reveals a second, shorter, shoto-style blade hidden within his original lightsaber hilt.Though it’s certainly reminiscent of Cal Kestis’ detachable dual lightsabers inStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, this design is altogether more sinister and deceptive – the perfect weapon for a Sith Lord.
How the Sith Lord’s second blade works has yet to be established, though it would seem that, when wielding only the original blade, it’s powered by two kyber crystals, until the second lightsaber is removed, and they are each powered by one. Though this doesn’t necessarily weaken either lightsaber, it’s possible the original lightsaber’s blade becomes shorter as a result. This new design proves there are still endless creative lightsaber tricks the franchise has yet to introduce. Perhaps the Sith’s unique lightsaber will encounter one of the Jedi’s most interesting weapons later on, too: Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip.
5The Master’s Identity Is Finally Revealed
The most prevalent theory turned out to be true
The biggest reveal ofThe Acolyteepisode 5 is undoubtedly the Master’s identity. Though many viewers had already correctly guessed thatMae’s unassuming and somewhat bumbling partner Qimir (Manny Jacinto) was, in fact, a Sith Lord hiding in plain sight, “Night” finally confirmed everyone’s suspicions during an exciting and surprisingly violent encounter with the Jedi. During an intense duel between Sol, Jecki, and the Sith, Jecki manages to get rid of the Sith’s helmet, revealing his true self.
During the episode, Jacinto’s performance seamlessly switches between the Master’s sinister aura and Qimir’s easy-going, bumbling personality, adding to the character’s mystery. However, though Qimir identifies himself as a Sith, that’s not to say he’s part of the Bane lineage that later brings forth Palpatine, Maul, Dooku, and Vader. Qimir claims that he has no name, implying that he may not be a true Sith, merely pretending to be one so that he may freely use the power of the dark side. After all, not everyStar Warscharacter who wields a red lightsaber is a true Sith.
4One Lone Jedi Survives The Master’s Massacre
Most of the Jedi on Khofar died a brutal death
Once Qimir’s true self is revealed, less than a handful of Jedi remain. Sol, Jecki, and Yord (Charlie Barnett) are the only ones left who can protect Osha and bring the truth about the Sith to the Jedi Order. Qimir isn’t about to let that happen, though, and soon enough, both Yord and Jecki are killed – Yord’s neck is snapped, and Jecki is stabbed with the Sith’s second lightsaber – andSol is the only one left to oppose Mae’s Master.
GivenThe Acolyte’s placement in the timeline – the show takes place at the tail end of the High Republic era, roughly 100 years before the events ofStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace– the leading Jedi introduced in this show were always fated to die.Star Warsneeded to prevent the Sith’s presence from breaking franchise canon, and the only way to do that was by killing all the Jedi he encountered or by showing that any surviving Jedi were forced to keep the secret of the Sith’s presence for the good of the Jedi Order.
3Sol Has Kept The Truth From Osha For Far Too Long
What really happened on Brendok?
When Sol and Qimir duel, Qimir implies that Sol is wearing a mask, too.Whereas Qimir’s mask is a physical representation of his need to hide his identity, Sol’s mask is an emotional and psychologicalone instead.The Acolyteepisode 3, “Destiny,” showed audiences that something horrible happened on Brendok the night Mae and Osha were separated, but everything that was shown was colored by Osha’s point of view. The only one left alive who seems to know the full truth is Sol – Qimir clearly believes Sol has something to hide, and so does Mae.
Now that Sol and “Osha” are alone on the ship, headed back to Coruscant, it may finally be time for Sol to reveal what really happened that harrowing night. What would be enough to make a Jedi Master like Torbin feel his only chance for absolution was to poison himself? There’s more going on there. Mae may not be entirely responsible for the death of her entire coven. Perhaps the Jedi did more damage than they led the Order and Osha to believe, and they’ve been living with the guilt ever since.
2Osha And Mae Have Switched Places
Have they switched Masters as well?
Near the end ofThe Acolyteepisode 5, Osha and Mae finally reunite face to face. Though Mae is desperate to convince Osha that the Jedi can’t be trusted, Osha still believes that Mae is responsible for the death of her family and tries to finish the mission by arresting her sister. Mae has other plans, though, and subdues Osha with the Force, using Yord’s lightsaber to cut off her hair so that her appearance matches Osha’s. To complete the look, Mae steals Osha’s clothes, andMae seamlessly inserts herself into Osha’s role, accompanying Sol back to the Jedi’s ship.
Though we don’t know why Mae stole her sister’s identity, this twin switch has the power to change everything. Mae could finally force Sol to reveal the truth, or maybe she’ll kill him and complete her training, while Osha, now technically indebted to Qimir – he used the Force to heal her – may find herself drawn to the dark side. How far will Mae go to destroy Sol and the Jedi Order? Will Osha become the apprentice the Sith Lord so desperately craves?
1How Far Will Qimir (And The Jedi) Go To Keep The Sith A Secret?
No one can know the Sith still exist
During Sol’s battle with Qimir, the Sith plainly states that to keep his identity a secret, he’s forced to kill everyone who sees his face. He takes this notion one step further, though –Qimir claims that everyone who knows about him needs to cease to exist because the Jedi have proclaimed that the Sith cannot exist. Not only does this mean that Qimir is invested in keeping his identity a secret, but the Jedi are as well. Have they done this before? Have the Jedi been hiding the truth about the Sith’s presence all this time?
If all the witnesses to Qimir’s power have died, there’s no reason for the remaining Jedi to suspect the Sith’s presence. If, on the other hand, the Jedi purposefully chose to hide the truth, there is still canon precedent for that, as well. In theStar Wars: The High Republicbooks, the Jedi also suppressed and “lost” knowledge about creatures that were powerful enough to kill Jedi. One of the main reasons behind the Order’s eventual downfall was their political bias. The truth of the Sith inStar Wars: The Acolytemay very well be wrapped up in that bias.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
