The Acolyte presented viewers with a big revelation when it finally introduced the supposed Sith Lord, who had been pulling the strings all along. While the fifth episode revealed that the former smuggler Qimir was behind the mask, his true motivations and identity remain a mystery that will hopefully be revealed in the remaining episodes.
During an interview, creator Leslye Headland spoke about the character’s true nature and dropped a major hint regarding Qimir’s true identity and place within the franchise’s lore. In the process, Headland seemingly confirmed that a popular fan theory might come true. Here is what Headland has teased about Qimir in The Acolyte.
Leslye Headland Drops a Major Hint About Qimir’s True Identity in The Acolyte
The fifth episode of The Acolyte reveals that Qimir, played by Manny Jacinto is the Sith Lord who was secretly training Mae. However, at the episode’s end, the Kylo Ren theme can be heard in the background as Qimir treats Osha’s injuries.
During an interview with Inverse, creator Leslye Headland was asked about the Kylo Ren theme, its significance in the larger story, and its connection to Qimir. In response, Headland stated:
It is there on purpose, but I can’t tell you why, and I can’t go into what it is. But you shall see.
Headland’s tease about the theme music’s connection to Qimir strongly suggests that he is somehow connected to Knights of Ren, a group of dark side users who were featured prominently in the sequel trilogy but have existed for centuries.
In the same interview, Headland also revealed that Qimir was initially supposed to disappear after his big fight scene in the fifth episode. However, Jacinto’s performance as Qimir forced her to make some changes, allowing the character to appear in future episodes.
Leslye Headland’s Qimir Tease Suggests a Popular The Acolyte Fan Theory Might Come True
Fans quickly latched on to Headland’s tease about Qimir’s connection to the Knights of Ren. After Headland’s words reached social media, fans doubled down on the theory that Qimir is not actually a Sith Lord. Instead, he is the founding member of the Knights of Ren.
Here is what fans had to say about Headland teasing a connection between Qimir and Kylo Ren on X (formerly Twitter).
There is definitely a very very Dark secret festering 😳
— One Small Step (@full_mount727) July 2, 2024
The Knights of Ren and Kylo are obviously connected to the Sith introduced in The Acolyte (Qimir) somehow. Similar visual designs going on all over the place.
Interested to see where they head with this!— ForTheQynn (@ForTheQynn) July 2, 2024
So, not a sith. The original knight of ren. That would be so much better.
— Rezeki (@ptsumberrezky) July 2, 2024
By saying nothing she sure is saying a lot
— King of The Narwhals (@KingOfNarwals) July 2, 2024
Yep, he is the first Knight
— Andrea Er Franco (@AndreaDarmanC) July 2, 2024
As the tweets suggest, most fans are on board with the idea that Qimir might be the first Knight of Ren instead of being a true Sith Lord.
Consequently, if that turns out to be indeed true, another theory that has been prominent among the fanbase since the show’s debut could also come true. Fans have long suspected that there is another true Sith Lord waiting in the shadows, who could come forward and kill Qimir for pretending to be a Sith. Thus, if Qimir turns out to be a Sith pretender the fan theory could come true.
The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.
