With the release of “Star Wars: The Acolyte” Episode 5, we’ve learned a lot more about Mae’s master, who claims to be a Sith.
However, I’m not quite buying that he’s a full-fledged Sith master. Here are five reasons why I think he’s a Sith apprentice planning to betray a master of his own. Spoilers for Episode 5 are ahead.
5. He’s too young
In Episode 5, Mae’s master is revealed to be her friend Qimir, played by Manny Jacinto.
While Jacinto is 36 years-old, it’s unconfirmed how old Qimir is in canon, though I think he’s written to be around 25-30 years old.
That’s pretty young for a Sith master. While it’s possible that Qimir has just cut down his master, he has nowhere near the amount of control over the dark side other Sith masters have exhibited in canon. He’s also a juvenile tactician, as he unnecessarily exposes himself and his order.
4. He’s rash
“The Acolyte” takes place about 100 years before “The Phantom Menace,” in which the Sith enacted a grand plan that was in the works for years to eventually topple over the Jedi.
Qimir couldn’t be farther from the line of Sith who created such a complex plan. He’s consumed by the dark side, constantly acting on his emotions, and exposed himself to the Jedi when he didn’t have to.
I seriously question why he decided to kill Kelnacca in Episode 4, given that he had went to great lengths to insulate himself from Mae, who didn’t know his name or anything else that could expose him.
I can understand why he would want to kill Mae when she betrayed him. But revealing himself in Episode 4 was brash, risky and unbecoming of a Sith master.
3. Mae doesn’t feel like a real appentice
Why is Mae an Acolyte? In canon, I cannot remember any rule of two Sith apprentice being an acolyte first. In fact an acolyte is described as a Sith rank prior to Darth Bane in canon sources, suggesting that it was a practice not followed for millennia.
If Qimir is trying to hide a secret apprentice from his own master, what better way to do so than to not technically have one? The best lies are at least half-truths, after all.
2. It would give Qimir a smooth transition after he kills his own master
Most Sith become a master once they kill their own master; betrayal is baked into their order.
However, to continue their line, all Sith must have an apprentice, even if it usually means handpicking the person that will eventually kill them.
If Qimir kills his own master, he could just promote Mae to an apprentice. Better yet, her trials as an acolyte would better prepare her to be an apprentice, as well as instill a sense of loyalty into her (at least in theory).
1. It would provide a great twist for the show
Qimir was able to kill scores of Jedi in Episode 5, but he was also almost defeated by bugs. He’s also petty unbalanced as a Sith and therefore defeatable. He just talks too much.
So what if the show introduces his master, who is everything that he’s not? Someone who is level-headed and calculating, someone who waits until the right moment to strike, then does so devastatingly?
It would bring dignity to the Sith name that I feel was lost when Qimir blurted out he was a Sith in Episode 5. It would also add a sense of urgency and stakes that haven’t really existed in the show. We all know that Osha and Mae will probably make it to the end given that they are the show’s main character, and everyone else is expendable. But what if this turns into a show where no protagonist survives?
If Qimir is a Sith master, he’s the worst one in canon. He certainly has brute force and strength, but that’s all he has. He has no wisdom or cunning; he feels like a young person pretending to be a Sith than the genuine article. Sith masters are also supposed to have the benefit of millennia of inherited knowledge; Qimir acts like he only has service-level Sith knowledge at best. What has he actually taught Mae so far?
What do you think? Is Qimir a Sith master or apprentice, or even a Sith at all?
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