The Acolyte: Who is Qimir Really? Who is Mae’s Master?
Day, the fourth episode of Star Wars: The Acolyte, ended with a sensational cliffhanger, in which the Master of Mae apparently makes an appearance. The Disney Plus series has finally brought us what looks like a long-awaited confrontation between the Jedi led by Master Sol and the mysterious Sith who is training Mae as her Acolyte. Appearing at the end of the first episode, Lost/Found, the mysterious Sith was renamed by fans Darth Teeth, due to the peculiarity of his helmet, which hides his identity. As always in these cases, the theories on who is hiding under the mask are the most disparate, from Master Indara to Mother Koril of the Witches of Brendock, up to Yord or even Master Vernestra Rwoh. Some have also imagined that the Sith could be Qimir, a rather remote hypothesis but which makes it necessary to better explain who Mae’s partner, played by Manny Jacinto, is.
The Acolyte: Does Qimir Know the Dark Side?
Qimir appears to know much more about the Sith doctrine than he lets on. Originally appearing in Vengeance/Justice, Qimir masquerades as a sleepy smuggler known to frequent the galaxy’s shadiest spaceports. Suspicions about her true identity initially arose when he easily dodged Mae’s knife attacks and pushed her against a wall after betraying her to the Jedi. We remember that it was Qimir who suggested to Mae to find Master Torbin’s weak point, reiterating that everyone has their own, pointing out to Mae that hers could be precisely the bond with her sister, which in her opinion is a dangerous weakness. Speaking to Mae in Vengeance/Justice, Qimir displayed an apparent knowledge of Sith doctrine, uttering, “The Jedi justify their galactic rule in the name of peace, and peace…” Mae interrupted him by saying, “That’s a lie, I know,” completing the litany of the Sith.
What Relationship Does Qimir Have with the Sith?
From what emerges in dialogue with Mae, it is clear that Qimir has some affiliation with the Sith lord, as when the pair heads towards Khofar on Day he cryptically says that he is indebted to his master. Surprisingly, Qimir not only knows the exact location of Master Kelnacca’s hideout, but also knows details relating to Mae’s relationship with the mysterious Sith. These elements have led some to hypothesize that Qimir could be the Sith who is training Mae. Following this theory, accompanying Mae on her mission could be a way to closely follow the work of her apprentice, especially in relation to killing Jedi without using weapons. A rule that is often remembered as essential for the fulfillment of the mission. Qimir is particularly interested in making Mae follow the plan to kill the Jedi without weapons, reminding her of her failures thus far and taking an excessive interest in the rules of the agreement.
While claiming to have never met the man under the mask, when Mae investigates further Qimir quickly changes the subject. He acts increasingly ambiguous and, at one point, reminds Mae of Sol’s closeness to Osha. Kelnacca’s death is the key element of this episode, and it is clear that the murder weapon is a lightsaber. This apparently comes after Mae decides to abandon the killing spree, turning herself in to the Wookie and trying to reunite with her sister. Could it have been Qimir who killed the wookie, confirming himself as the Sith? Qimir was clearly not happy with Mae’s decision to abandon her quest. Following a tried and tested mechanism of thrillers, when Kelnacca ‘s death occurred, Qimir was apparently busy and the last time we see him in Giorno he is hanging from Mae’s rudimentary trap. So we don’t know where he is when Darth Teeth appears.
Is Qimir a Sith?
If Qimir turns out to be Mae’s Master, which is honestly unlikely, it remains to be clarified who the Sith he will play is. There have long been rumors of the comparison of Darth Plagueis the Wise, mentioned in Revenge of the Sith by Palpatine, when he reveals how this Master of the Dark Side tried to cheat death by creating new life, but was betrayed by his apprentice. The infamous disciple turns out to be Sheev Palpatine, alias Darth Sidious, who also confesses to Anakin how he killed his master: in the night, by poisoning him. If the rule introduced by The Acolyte of killing Jedi without weapons to become an Acolyte also extended to the last step of the Rule of Two, Palpatine could have killed his Master without weapons, but by resorting to a method dear to the Sith, poisons. And Qimir showed some affinity with these substances in Vengeance/Justice.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Who is Mae’s Master?
The two-episode premiere of Star Wars: The Acolyte set in motion an exciting Star Wars mystery. Four Jedi and a tragic fire that destroys an entire community are the accident that sends twin sisters Osha and Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg) down very different paths of light and darkness. However, while the sisters are at the center of The Acolyte‘s story, we know that both have been or are currently “acolytes” of larger religious orders. Osha was revealed to be a former padawan and student of the stoic Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae); Mae was revealed to have become a Force-using assassin, working at the behest of a mysterious master of the dark side, armed with a red Sith lightsaber.
But is everything really as it seems in these first episodes? Maybe not… In two episodes of The Acolyte, we see “The Master” only once (that we know of): during the final scene of episode 1, when Mae finds him waiting for her by the ocean on the planet Olega. The Master delivered a profound monologue explaining why he is sending Mae on her murderous mission of vengeance, as the true devotion of a dark side acolyte will be what finally breaks the Jedi’s unchallenged hold on the use of the Force. Aside from that appearance and declaration of intent, we know nothing about this mysterious “master” character or his identity.
Is Qimir Mae’s Master?
The first theory is that Mae’s handler, former smuggler Qimir (Manny Jacinto), is the Master. Acolyte Episode 2 cast a shadow of suspicion on Qimir, whose affable, slacker persona is clearly a cover for a more sinister and wittier mind. Qimir safely infiltrated Olega’s pharmacy, implying that he killed the shop owner to take his place. He was able to deceive an entire team of Jedi (some of them with strong mind trick skills), as well as discern that Osha was posing as his sister Mae. Qimir is also unusually skilled at helping Mae locate and kill the Jedi she is targeting.
From what we’ve seen in the trailers of this helmeted dark side warrior, physically speaking, he could easily be Qimir under that helmet. However, many fans already believe that “Qimir is The Master” is a red herring on the part of The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland. Star Wars fans have looked at the series’ timeline and keep the Sith’s “Rule of Two” in mind as they do… The Acolyte is initially selling us the idea that Mae is “The Acolyte” to a Sith Lord master; however, given the Rule of Two, it could easily be the case that the “master” Mae met with (whether Qimir or not) is just the apprentice of a more powerful Sith Lord who is pulling strings from the shadows.
