Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details and plot points from The Acolyte Episodes 1-6
The Acolyte has presented us with one of the biggest mysteries in Star Wars history—who is the mysterious stranger? That question was answered in Episode 5, Night, when we find out that the dark villain is the bumbling sidekick of Mae, currently known as Qimir.
Now, we are left with a compelling question - who, or what, is Qimir?
Today, I hope to give one possible answer that may blow your mind.
The Mysterious Stranger
The stranger is seemingly a Sith; when confronted by Master Sol about what he is, Qimir responds, “I have no name, but Jedi like you might call me a Sith.”
This is not confirmation that Qimir follows the Sith religion; it shows that he does not consider himself one or at least wants to remain a mystery to the Jedi.
In the same episode, we see a display of Qimir's talents. He uses the force to levitate and takes on the entire squad of Jedi sent to Khofar to apprehend Mae for the string of Jedi murders she committed.
These powers are beyond most of the Sith we have seen in canon, so who is Qimir, and how is he so powerful?
We may not learn much about the stranger in The Acolyte, as showrunner Leslie Headland says the story isn't about him.
"Because it's Osha's story, you don't know much about The Stranger's background, and you're not really going to learn much about it,"
That said, there may be a very good reason why Qimir does not need a backstory. Not at the moment, anyway.
Knights of the Old Republic
One of, if not the most popular, Star Wars games is the 2003 RPG classic Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. For those unfamiliar, the Old Republic era is set in an era even further back in Star Wars history than The Acolyte. Acolyte director Leslie Headland would like to explore this period in a future project.
"I've always wanted to explore a live-action version of the Knights of the Old Republic game and Kreia's character," Headland said. "I think it would be a really interesting story to bring to life."
While Headland mentions Kreia as a character she would like to bring to life in canon, she isn't the main name on everyone's lips when KOTOR is mentioned.
Revan
Of course, everybody's favourite Sith/Jedi is synonymous with the Old Republic. Revan was a powerful force user regardless of which side he was tapping into.
This character floated between the dark and the light throughout his life and was a massive part of the twist in the original KOTOR game.
Revan was a powerful force user regardless of which side he was tapping into. The official dictionary for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lists Sith legions, each named after a powerful Sith lord.
One of the legions, The 3rd: Revan Legion, all but confirms Revan's existence in canon. In addition, Pablo Hidalgo, Disney's Star Wars lore advisor, wrote the dictionary, indicating they may be looking for a way to bring Revan into the canon.
Qimir's Backstory
While we may know that Qimir won't get a backstory in The Acolyte, what do we know of him?
- He is a powerful dark side force user who uses a red lightsaber.
- The "Unknown Planet" in Episode 6, Teach / Corrupt, appears to be his home.
- His mask is made from Cortosis, suggesting a deep knowledge of combat.
- Qimir was once a Jedi
Besides these facts, he also says something interesting to Osha on the island when she asks if he was a Jedi. He responds that he was a long time ago, and after she says she had never heard of him, Qimir doubles down and emphasises that it was a long time ago.
Qimir's outward appearance suggests that he is a human male in his mid-to-late 20s, possibly early 30s, so how long ago could he mean?
Humans in the Star Wars universe seem to age as we do in real life, so how has he stayed so youthful?
My theory? Qimir is Revan.
Revan Revealed?
Now, hear me out before you shout "nonsense".
Disney wants Revan back because they know how popular he is. The mention of his name in the Rise of Skywalker dictionary was no coincidence, nor was the fact that Leslie Headland wants to do KOTOR.
While this show may not be Qimir's story, I believe it is because his true identity is that of the powerful and mighty Revan.
Qimir appears to have no Master, as of the latest episode. The powers he has displayed using force, alongside his skills with a lightsaber, are at a level unheard of.
When he spoke to Osha about how the Jedi viewed the dark side of the force and then revealed his use of Cortosis in his helmet, it showed a deep knowledge of the force and experience of battle not seen in this era.
Considering that Headland discussed doing a KOTOR project, this heavily supports the theory that Qimir is Revan. The reveal could be the OMG moment of The Acolyte and a perfect backdoor lead into the KOTOR show.
If I still haven't convinced you of Qimir's true identity, then take note of this fun fact from Star Wars legends that ties Revan to The Mysterious Stranger.
The Mysterious Stranger was a nickname given to Revan by Ajuur the Hutt when he participated in the duelling tournament on Taris held within the Taris duelling ring in one of the Upper City's cantina.
Case closed? We will all need to wait and watch the final episodes of The Acolyte to find out.
The last two episodes of The Acolyte may explain how he survived from the Old Republic until the time of the High Republic, or it may be left for the KOTOR project. His survival could be explained by having him imprisoned in Bacta, just as the High Republic outcast Dagan Gera was in Jedi Survivor.
Qimir is no mere Sith disciple, and I think he could be revealed as the unstoppable force known as Revan.
New episodes of The Acolyte premiere every Tuesday night on Disney+.
What do you think of the Revan theory? Let us know in the comments!
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