The final episode of The Acolyte teased several things we know are playing an important part in Star Wars lore. The biggest was the reveal of who is almost certainly Darth Plagueis, the Sith master of the future Emperor Palpatine. The other big status quo shift was Osha (Amandla Stenberg) becoming the titular acolyte for the Stranger, also known as Qimir (Manny Jacinto). Even with these big reveals, we have many questions. Specifically, we want to know whether or not the Stranger is a Sith, or one of the Knights of Ren. Perhaps he is the very first Ren. And how do the dark-side-powered Knights of Ren even connect to the Sith Order, if it all? Maybe the finale of The Acolyte just gave us a clue.
Darth Plagueis Reveals Himself in The Acolyte
On the mysterious planet where the Stranger resides, we see a mysterious dark side figure literally lurking in the shadows. He silently watches as the Stranger talks to Osha, attempting his dark side seduction. The general assumption, based on descriptions in non-canon Legends material, is that this was our first on-screen appearance of Darth Plagueis the Wise. His look appears very similar to his appearance as a Muun in Legends, specifically the James Luceno novel, Star Wars: Darth Plagueis. So what’s he doing there? We have some ideas.
One theory we have is that he is the true Sith master, and the Stranger is his apprentice. “Always two there, no more, no less.” That’s the creed of the Sith “Rule of Two.” However, this rule is always broken. At some point, the Sith apprentice takes on their own student, and overthrows their master, starting the cycle over. In The Clone Wars, Count Dooku started training Asajj Ventress, but when she grew too powerful, his master Darth Sidious/Palpatine commanded him to kill her. He wasn’t allowing any threat to his power to exist.
Was Darth Plagueis the Master of Qimir/The Stranger?
Our feeling is that some time after being the Padawan learner to Master Venestra Rwoh, Qimir (or whatever his true name is) became the apprentice of Darth Plagueis, following the rule of two. But also, at some point, instead of trying to kill his master and replace him, he merely abandoned the Sith creed. He still obviously uses the dark side of the Force, and has his Sith training, but he may no longer consider himself a Sith Lord. That doesn’t mean that Darth Plagueis isn’t keeping tabs on him though. Especially if he knows his former pupil is on to something when it comes to a pair of mysterious children born of the Force on Brendock.
Does the Stranger Connect the Sith and the Knights of Ren?
We think that The Acolyte is showing us the origins of not just the Sith who will rule the galaxy with the Galactic Empire a century later, but also the origins of the Knights of Ren. Many things in The Acolyte have hinted at The Stranger having a connection to the Knights of Ren. The least of which was the use of John Williams’ Kylo Ren theme in association with Manny Jacinto’s character. And Leslye Headland certainly didn’t deny a Kyle/Qimir connection to us at all.
If the Stranger was the former Sith apprentice to Darth Plagueis, that means Plagueis would need a new one eventually. Who is to say a potential second season of The Acolyte won’t give us a significant time-jump? We may see an older Osha and Qimir starting the Knights of Ren together, while Plagueis makes his move on seducing a young Palpatine to the dark side. That’s certainly a story Star Wars fans have been waiting to see (in canon) for decades now. And Headland said she knows how The Acolyte connects directly to The Phantom Menace.
And yes, even with a time jump, we could see the same actors playing Qimir and Osha. Qimir already hinted that he was a Jedi “A long time ago.” That means he may be far older than he looks. As Palpatine told Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to abilities some would consider to be unnatural.” It’s very possible one of those unnatural abilities in unnaturally prolonged youth. If there is a season two of The Acolyte, it may finally connect the dots between Darth Plagueis, the Stanger, Osha, the Knights of Ren, and ultimately, the Emperor himself.
