Star Wars: The Acolyte finally revealed the mysterious identity of Mae’s mysterious Sith Master in Episode 5, Night. The smuggler-turned-trader Qimir is the Sith Lord behind the smiling helmet, who trains Mae as an assassin and goes by The Stranger.
But despite the big reveal, the origins of this new dark-side user remain a mystery. Sure, there are theories that he could be the first of the Knights of Ren, but that remains to be seen.
By the looks of it, there’s more to Qimir than meets the eye, and he seems to be no ordinary Dark Lord of the Sith.
But though Qimir’s Sith connection is yet to be revealed, he has been showing similarities with two of the biggest villains in Star Wars history: Darth Maul and Kylo Ren.
Qimir’s Has a Unique Lightsaber Like Darth Maul
The iconic Duel of the Fates in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace showed the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi battling Darth Maul on Naboo.
Here, the Sith Lord unleashed the second blade of his double-bladed lightsaber after only using a single blade in his fight against Qui-Gon earlier on Tattoine.
This parallels Qimir’s shoto blade that splits from his original saber in The Acolyte Episode 5. Like Darth Maul, he doesn’t reveal this unique feature until he needs it when he is facing off against several Jedi.
He kills Jedi Master Sol’s Padawan Jecki Lon by pulling out the hidden dagger from his main blade, deceiving everyone with this one-of-a-kind saber.
Qimir Can be a Great Threat to the Sith, Like Darth Maul
In his confrontation with Sol, Qimir reveals that the Jedi may call him a Sith, though this isn’t exactly a confirmation that he’s indeed a Sith.
Hence, he may be a different kind of dark-side user and probably a rogue Sith who doesn’t follow the Rule of Two like other Sith Lords. At the very least, fans are prepared for there to be more to The Acolyte in terms of villain reveals.
If this is true, Qimir can be a great threat to the real Sith, just like Darth Maul was after he got rejected by his master in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Qimir Also Faces a Master and an Apprentice
Qimir may have effortlessly taken on several Jedi at once in The Acolyte Episode 5, but the biggest challenge comes when he fights off Sol and Jecki alone.
This shows the great connection and power between a Jedi master and an apprentice, much like the bond between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan when they battle Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace.
Maul only gets to defeat Qui-Gon when he is separated from Obi-Wan. This mirrors Qimir’s one-on-one battle against Jecki, ultimately leading to her death.
Qimir and Darth Maul Share A Hate for the Jedi
Darth Maul has a deep-rooted hate for the Jedi, thanks to the influence of his Sith Master, Darth Sidious.
Even before he ever killed a Jedi, he had already been taught to hate everything they stood for. He deeply desires to spill Jedi blood the first chance he gets.
This is the same hate Qimir shows in The Acolyte Episode 5. As he wishes to use his dark powers freely, he easily slaughters all the Jedi present on Khofar, though he doesn’t get the chance to kill Sol.
Qimir and Darth Maul are Both Formidable Sith Fighters
The Acolyte Episode 5 shows impressive fighting choreography as Qimir fights off the Jedi. He easily battles them all, moving from one Jedi to another, unveiling his incredible speed and strength.
This is the same thing that Darth Maul shows in the Duel of the Fates. His great fighting abilities make him one of the most fearsome Sith Lords in the franchise.
With these similarities, there’s no denying that they are both formidable Sith fighters.
Qimir’s Lightsaber is A Lot Like Kylo Ren’s
Aside from Darth Maul, Qimir’s lightsaber also resembles Kylo Ren’s, with its unique function and style.
Kylo Ren debuted his crossguard lightsaber in the first teaser for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
Like Qimir’s, this Kylo Ren’s saber variant has never been seen in the franchise.
That said, Qimir has joined the ranks of Star Wars villains who possess unique lightsabers.
Kylo Ren’s Theme Plays for Qimir
The Acolyte Episode 5 has dropped a major hint that Qimir may have a connection with Kylo Ren after the latter’s recurring theme from the sequel trilogy plays in the background while focusing on the new Sith after his fight against the Jedi on Khofar.
This leads to theories that Qimir may be the first Knights of Ren. The ties between the two even heighten when Episode 6, Teach / Corrupt, once again plays Kylo Ren’s theme, though this time during the end credits.
Though it remains to be seen what this means, showrunner Leslye Headland won’t surely have it played for nothing.
Qimir and Kylo Ren Both Possess Force Healing Ability
At the end of The Acolyte Episode 5, Qimir reveals he has the ability to heal using the Force after seeing an unconscious Osha.
Though Force healing is not new in the Star Wars universe—it was first introduced in the Star Wars Legends novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye and the canon Star Wars: The Clone Wars—it’s predominantly known as Kylo Ren’s ability in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker.
Kylo Ren used it to help revive Rey, though he ultimately sacrificed himself in the process.
Qimir and Kylo Ren's Helmets are Alike
Aside from their lightsabers, Qimir and Kylo Ren’s helmets are similar.
They bear the same style, which can even be proved when Kylo Ren has his broken helmet repaired using Sith alchemy in The Rise of Skywalker.
Though Qimir’s helmet is made using a rare cortosis weave, it can’t be denied that it shares a bit of resemblance to Kylo Ren’s helmet.
This seems to suggest a connection between the two, and Qimir may be revealed as an early member of the Knights of Ren or the founder of the order.
Qimir and Kylo Ren May Belong to Separate Sects
Though Kylo Ren is tied to the Sith and Palpatine, he has his own faction, the Knights of Ren.
The same thing can be said of Qimir, as he seems to belong to a separate sect outside the traditional Sith Dark Lords like Kylo Ren.
With only two episodes left in The Acolyte, fans may finally see which group of the dark side Qimir belongs to or if he’s a lone dark side user.
Whatever the case, it is exciting to see Qimir's similarities with other Star Wars villains, which makes him feel connected to the greater universe.
The Acolyte Episodes 1 to 6 are available on Disney+ while new episodes release every Tuesday.
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