Full spoilers follow for The Acolyte.
We're now four episodes deep into Star Wars: The Acolyte, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the show's big Sith Lord reveal is going to be a big disappointment.
Indeed, with episode 4 – simply titled 'Day' – releasing today (June 19) on Disney Plus, the latest series set in Lucasfilm's iconic galaxy has officially hit its midpoint. But, with four episodes left to go before its final credits sequence rolls, I – and, judging by what I've read online, plenty of other viewers – has already deduced the identity of this Star Wars TV show's overarching villain.
This is your final warning: major spoilers follow for The Acolyte episodes 1 through 4. Turn back now if you're not caught up.
Alright, let's just cut to the chase: the mysterious Sith Lord has to be Qimir. That's right, the very same Qimir – played with a pleasing aloofness and goofiness by Manny Jacinto – who's aiding Mae in her quest to kill four Jedi Masters.
The signs have been there from the very beginning – and I'm not just talking about the show's very first episode. Look back at The Acolyte's official trailer, and it was clear back then that there was something... off about Qimir as a character. As I noted in my article breaking down The Acolyte's final trailer, Qimir, at the very least, seemed to be a Sith sympathizer. Hey, you don't go around saying foreboding, Sith-like lines of dialog, such as "peace is a lie" if you're walking a righteous, do-gooding path.
The arrival of The Acolyte episode 2 – Qimir didn't appear in the show's premiere – lent further support to the notion that Qimir was more sinister than he was letting on. How did he know that Mae could track down the self-exiled Wookiee Jedi known as Kelnacca on Khafor? How does he know his way around Khafor? Why was he being so enigmatic over the Sith Master's identity? And, most importantly, why is he helping Mae in the first place?
Well, as to the last of those questions, in episode 4 Qimir claims that he "owes" a favor to said Sith Lord. A fine cover story if ever there was one, Qimir... I'm onto you, Mr Sith Master.
#TheAcolyte spoilersThat's Qimir right? There's no one else it could be at this point. He's been everywhere, knows what the master wants, then disappears and the master shows up pic.twitter.com/5pB87UtaOFJune 19, 2024
There's plenty more evidence where that came from. In episode 4, Qimir continually brushes off Mae's attempts to learn more about her mysterious Dark Side trainer. He suggests that he's never seen said individual's face, and he changes the subject whenever Mae starts to dig a little too deep into what Qimir knows about their shared, Force-wielding contact.
Need more proof? How convenient is it that he leaves Mae halfway through the episode and, in the final few minutes of 'Day', we learn – alongside Mae – that Kelnacca has been killed by a mysterious assailant? The Wookiee Jedi was murdered with a lightsaber, too; the seared flesh and blade-like wound being a clear giveaway. The arrival of the unnamed Dark Side-wielder in episode 4's final moments also shows him wearing a cloak that bears more than a passing resemblance to the one Qimir wears. Oh, and let's not forget how expressive Qimir's hand gestures are; something we similarly see with the Sith's swift wrist-flicks in episode 4's final scene.
#theacolyte spoilers, etc. the sith in question is qimir and his excessive hand gesturing is what gave it away pic.twitter.com/kMlNvEaCnSJune 19, 2024
Okay okay, I'm reaching in the comparison stakes with that last piece of evidence. At this point, though, I'm convinced that Qimir is one of the best Disney Plus shows' big bad. I'd love for this reveal to be a misdirect – indeed, it's possible that Qimir is the apprentice of a more notable Sith Lord we're yet to see or hear about. It's also plausible that Qimir is training Mae to become his apprentice, and that once she passes this final test – i.e. killing the four Jedi she holds responsible for the alleged destruction of her and Osha's home and family in episode 3 – she'll be strong enough to help Qimir take down his Master. Subsequently, that would make Qimir the new Sith Lord, Mae his apprentice, and ensure that the Sith's Rule of Two doctrine is upheld.
Based on the above evidence, though, all signs point towards Qimir being The Acolyte's not-so-mysterious Sith Lord. And Star Wars fans across the internet are as similarly convinced as I am, with threads on ResetEra, multiple Star Wars Sub-Reddits, and X/Twitter revealing that many are in agreement over the identity of the series' main villain.
I'll happily eat humble pie if Qimir is a) not the Sith who appears in episode 4 and/or b) isn't the primary antagonist who's pulling the strings from the shadows. But, at the show's midway point, it's painfully obvious that one of these things is true. For a show that indicated it would do things differently to previous Star Wars projects, I won't be able to hide my disappointment if (and likely when) that proves to be the case.
