Series The Acolyte is perhaps misleading us. Clues suggest the Sith may be a fake.
The red lightsaber. His face obscured by a disturbing-looking helmet. Black clothes. The oppressive musical atmosphere. The dark designs. An obvious opposition to the Jedi order… It is clear that, since the beginning of the series The Acolyteeverything seems constructed to make us think that the antagonist is indeed a Sith.
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Yet there are indications that this may all be a charade. Or, at least, more complicated than you might think.
The following contains spoilers.
“ A Jedi like you can call me Sith »
It all starts from an exchange between Jedi Master Sol and Qimir, a human who turns out to be the “Sith”. Sol notices the extreme power of the man who posed as a former smuggler and asks him who he is. It was then that Qimir provided an ambiguous response. He gives the impression of not considering himself a Sith.
“ I don't have a name, but a Jedi like you can call me…Sith ” Later, when Sol asks him about his intentions, Qimir explains that he wants to ” (his) freedom “. More precisely, ” the freedom to use my power as I see fit without having to refer to Jedi like you “. In short, not to submit to the rules of the Jedi order.
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This is when we also understand the meaning of the title of the series. Qimir desires “ a disciple, an acolyte » — in this case, it must have been Mae, the twin sister of Osha Aniseya, who are the “daughters” of a witch, and whose origin is supernatural. Is this witch related to Qimir? We don't know it at this point in the series.
Before a final face to face between Qimir and the Jedi knight Yord Fandar, which will be fatal for the latter, the “Sith” delivers one last intriguing indication. While accepting “his dark side” (that is to say, implicitly, the dark side of the Force), he says “ not deciding the rules. These are those of the Jedi “. Its existence would simply be denied by the Jedi order, to hear it.
This whole sequence shows that Qimir does not define himself in the way that the Jedi order tends to qualify those who use the Force in another way. Enough to give substance to the remark from Obi-Wan Kenobi: “ Many of the truths we hold depend primarily on our own perspective. »
In other words, not everyone categorized as Sith by the Jedi may be authentic Sith. Perhaps the Jedi Order lumped together various Force-related allegiances into a catch-all category because they were seen as rivals, or as threats. The Acolyte indeed shows that there are varied interpretations of the Force.
Starwars.com refers to him as “The Stranger”
Qimir, in any case, does not seem to agree with the qualifier Sith and shows it by saying in a way to Sol: “ you just have to consider me a Sith “Even the official Star Wars website has not yet stated clearly that Qimir is a Sith: its official description is ambivalent And he is rather presented as “the Stranger”.
The term “Sith” does not appear, dated June 27, in the section dedicated to the series. The official synopsis doesn't mention it either. Even with a broader search combining “The Acolyte” and “Sith” on the entire official site, nothing conclusive was found. Hence the feeling that the series will take us in an unexpected direction.
A way to respect history?
When The Acolyte began to be promoted on social networks, the question of whether the series would betray The Phantom Menace arose. Indeed, in this film a Jedi master, Ki-Adi Mundi, claims that the Sith have not given any sign of life for a millennium. However, a hundred before the film, the series suggests that they are indeed there.
It was then that this same Ki-Adi Mundi appeared in a cameo in the series, which was interpreted as a sign that the production was not ignoring the problem: having him intervene in The Acolyte would be a way of preparing the ground in order to resolve everything through a sleight of hand in the script. Not making Qimir an “official” Sith is another option.
If this lead is correct, Ki-Adi Mundi will basically neither have lied nor said anything stupid. However, at the rate Qimir is killing the world, he might as well be a Sith and the information would never make it back to the Jedi higher-ups. Ki-Adi Mundi could thus be “right”, but because those who knew the truth are dead.
Qimir, moreover, says it quite clearly: those who see his face are doomed to death.
