Episode 5 of The Acolyte, “Night”, stands among the most violent Star Wars content ever put to film. Picking up right on the heels of the Episode 4 cliffhanger, “Night” brings the Jedi face-to-face with Mae’s mysterious master in the jungles of Khofar where The Stranger proves more than a formidable foe. While taking on multiple members of the Jedi landing party and dispatching Plo Koon wannabe Jedi 1, The Stranger showcases an interesting pair of defensive maneuvers that leave a couple of Jedi defenseless and in shock.
While engaged in lightsaber combat with Jedi 2 and (presumably) Jedi 3, The Stranger first uses a metal gauntlet and then his helmet to deflect and short out the Jedi’s weapons. Though the effect is short-lived and the Jedi’s sabers ultimately do reignite, it’s the first time anything of the sort has been seen in a live-action Star Wars project though it does have its place in Star Wars canon.
The Identity of The Stranger’s Anti-Jedi Defenses
Though “Night” showcased the mysterious metal in live-action for the first time, the substance has been part of Star Wars lore for more than two decades. The Stranger’s gauntlet and mask are composed of a rare metal known as cortosis. First appearing in the now non-canon novel I, Jedi, cortosis made its way into canon in 2014 in the pre-Rebels era novel, A New Dawn. Despite not having been seen onscreen before, the use of cortosis has a long history in the galaxy far, far away and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that history is deeply tied to the Sith.
Who is The Stranger?
After holding his own against Sol, Darth Teeth found himself on his heels when Jecki Lon entered the battle. Though Jecki was able to knock his helmet off, The Stranger quickly dispatched of the Jedi. As her body slumped to the ground, his face and identity were revealed to Sol. Though the revelation that Manny Jacinto‘s Qimir was Mae’s mysterious master wasn’t much of a surprise, his decision to reveal himself as a Sith to Master Sol was. Explaining that he sought the “freedom to wield his power the way I like“, Qimir then shared that he sought “a pupil…an Acolyte,” presumably to follow Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. Finding Mae lacking after her betrayal, Qimir risked discovery by the Jedi in order to kill her. And, as he explained to Sol, now that the Jedi were aware of his existence, they must all die as well.
The Era of the Sith, the Null Blade and The Rule of Two
Interestingly enough, cortosis ties together the past and present of the Sith…and we already know what their future holds. For nearly 4,000 years near the end of the Old Republic era, the Sith were the dominant force in the galaxy. In an effort to end the Era of the Sith, a dark side cult known as the Ascendant crafted a blade of cortosis. Known as the Null Blade, the weapon proved capable of shorting out Sith lightsabers. Though it ultimately proved ineffective in taking out the Sith, itremained part of canonical stories into the years between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Despite the Ascendant’s failure to destroy the Sith, the group’s lust for power began to turn them against each other and allow the Jedi to defeat them. At this point, around 1032 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Bane instituted the Rule of Two which and began a lineage of Masters and Apprentices that lasted until the end of the Sith in 4 BBY when Vader turned on Palpatine and killed his Master.
Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.
-Darth Bane’s Rule of Two
Given that The Acolyte is set 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, it’s clear that Qimir himself had a Master from Bane’s lineage. Throughout the series–and especially in Episode 5–Qimir has shown himself to be incredibly knowledgeable about the Jedi Order. It should then be no surprise that he’d also be incredibly knowledgable about the history of the Sith and the role of cortosis in it. In addition to taking advantage of the properties of the metal to disrupt the Jedi’s weapons, Qimir also seemingly used the metal to help keep the Jedi from accessing his mind, adding a new canonical property to the substance.
Qimir has proven himself to be quite resourceful throughout the series and while there are plenty of questions coming out of Episode 5 (primarily about the true story of what went down on Brendok), possibly the most intriguing questions are whether or not the identity of Qimir’s Master will be revealed and whether or not they are still among the living.
