Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5

The Acolyte episode 5 features some of the most impressive and brutal lightsaber combat in live-action since the prequels. However, it also features some pretty exciting Easter eggs and references to the greater Star Wars canon. To that end, there are several major reveals in the episode, both for individual characters as well as teases for the future of the new show.

As seen in The Acolyte episode 5, the show finally reveals the show’s new Sith Lord, a lethal dark side user who takes on an entire team of Jedi Knights single-handedly after slaying Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi Master who’d been living in exile on the forest world of Khofar. However, there are still a good number of noteworthy references and parallels to other parts of the Star Wars canon throughout the action-heavy episode. Here are 15 of the biggest and best Easter eggs and references from The Acolyte episode 5.

15

Kelnacca’s Saber

Mae Attempted To Claim

Finding Kelnacca’s lightsaber during the carnage outside his remote forest home, Mae claims the Wookie Jedi’s lightsaber. It looks to be rather large in her hands, which makes sense considering it was forged for the much larger Jedi Master. Not only does Mae claiming the weapon connect to her past attempts to claim sabers in The Acolyte, but the saber also provides Padawan Jecki with a momentary advantage against the new Sith Lord after she takes the Jedi weapon back from Mae.

14

Cortosis

A Rare Star Wars Metal

Seen taking on several Jedi Knights at once, Mae’s master is seen headbutting incoming lightsaber strikes with his helmet. This temporarily deactivates the Jedi’s lightsabers upon contact, and the same is true for strikes that he blocks with his gauntlet. As such, both look to be made from the same material known as cortosis, a rare metal ore in the Star Wars canon that can temporarily disable sabers. As such, it provides Mae’s master with a lethal advantage.

13

“You Are No Jedi”

Mirrors To Ahsoka

Master Sol concedes that Mae’s master wields the weapon of a Jedi. However, he also states the somewhat obvious: “You are no Jedi.” To that end, it does bring to mind Ahsoka Tano’s classic and most iconic line first heard in Star Wars Rebels and beyond following her decision in The Clone Wars to leave the Jedi Order behind: “I am no Jedi”. Thankfully, Ahsoka didn’t embrace the dark side and has even reconciled with her Jedi path as seen in the live-action Ahsoka series.

12

Star Wars Reveals New Cortosis Ability

Blocking Jedi Mind Reading

Not only does The Acolyte episode 5 debut cortosis in live-action for the first time with this dark new mask, but a new cortosis power has also seemingly been revealed. When Sol tells Mae’s master to remove his helmet, the dark side user refuses, claiming that Sol would be able to read his mind if he were to take it off. As such, it seems as though cortosis can block the mind-reading abilities of the Jedi through the Force, not unlike Magneto’s helmet in Marvel Comics which he wore to block his thoughts from psychics such as Professor Xavier.

11

The Power Of A Master And Apprentice

Master Sol and Padawan Jecki

Having already killed five Jedi, the best defense the Jedi Knights could muster against Mae’s master was when Master Sol and his Padawan Jecki Lon finally got together. Combining their powers and skills as master and apprentice, they were able to hold this apparent Sith Lord back for longer than most. As such, it’s certainly a testament to the power of a strong bond that can be found between Jedi Masters and their Padawans, even though they were still overpowered by Mae’s master by the episode’s end.

10

New Lightsaber Function

The Sith Lord’s Hidden Saber

Serving as a lethal deception in The Acolyte episode 5, Mae’s master reveals a second shoto lightsaber hidden within his original lightsaber hilt, pulling it out and stabbing Jecki three times in rapid succession while they were locked in a clash. As such, Jecki had no time to react to this brutal new saber function. While similar to Jedi Knight Cal Kestis’ double-bladed lightsaber and its ability to be split in half, this new Sith saber is more like a hidden blade, one that when unsheathed reduces the length of the first saber as it’s now powered by a single kyber crystal rather than two.

9

Qimir Revealed As Mae’s Master

Not Just A Mere Trader

Having broken his mask before she was killed, Mae’s master is revealed to be Qimir, the trader who helped her poison Master Torbin in The Acolyte episode 2 and was leading her to Kelnacca in episode 4. As a result, it now makes sense how he knew where Kelnacca was, as well as why he was evasive when Mae asked how he got connected with her master. Additionally, it looks as though Qimir had grand plans for Mae to become his new pupil and acolyte, though his plans have seemingly changed after she exposed him to the Jedi Order, seeking to kill not only Mae but also the Jedi.

8

“She Was A Child”

Criticisms Of Jedi Recruitment

In Sol’s despair over Jecki’s death, he tells Qimir that “she was just a child”. However, Qimir simply responds that Sol was the one who brought her on such a dangerous mission. As such, it’s a clear indictment of the Jedi Order’s recruitment and training of children, a criticism that only grows and gets worse by the time of The Clone Wars when Padawans literally became child soldiers helping command clone troopers into battle.

7

Lightsaber To The Head

A Dark Anakin/Kylo Move

Grabbing Mae, Qimir threatens to kill Mae by placing his lightsaber right at her temple. An incredibly dark move, it’s also one that has been seen before in the Star Wars canon. Anakin Skywalker did it first during moments of strong darkness during The Clone Wars, most notably with a Zyggerian slaver. However, Kylo Ren followed through with his move, turning on his lightsaber to impale a Praetorian guard as seen in The Last Jedi.

6

The Sith Have Been Confirmed For The Acolyte

But Which Darth Is He?

Qirmir confirms to Master Sol that he is indeed a Sith. However, he also claims that he has no name. This suggests that he might simply be a Sith pretender obsessed with the Sith’s ways, rather than a true Dark Lord and member of the Bane lineage under the Sith’s Rule of Two.

5

“They See My Face, They All Die”

Following the Sith Imperative

Regardless of his particular status as a Sith Lord, Qimir does claim that all the Jedi who’ve seen his face must die. Having been partially exposed by Mae, it looks as though he wants to restore his anonymity. As such, this does follow the underlying Sith Imperative where the Sith sought to remain in the shadows until they were ready to enact their full revenge on the Jedi Order and take control of the entire galaxy.

4

“They’ve Turned You Against Me”

Mirrors Anakin Skywalker

Wishing to reunite with her twin sister, Mae no longer cares about serving Qimir. However, that seems to have changed after Osha refuses to embrace her sister, continuing to believe that she is solely responsible for the death of their family. In response, Mae laments that Osha has been brainwashed and that the Jedi have “turned you against me”. This mirrors Anakin’s lines in Revenge of the Sith with his point of view that the Jedi all turned against him, as well as his wife Padmé.

3

Dejarik

Low-Tech Version

Disguising herself as Osha, Mae heads with Sol to leave Khofar. Heading to their ship, they pass by two aliens who look to be playing a low-tech version of Dejarik. Dejarik is the classic holo-chess game seen aboard the Millennium Falcon, its first appearance having been in 1977’s A New Hope.

2

Force Healing

Not Just A Sequel Power

Possibly believing that the unconscious Osha is Mae, Qimir is featured using the Force to heal her wounds. As such, this is the first time Force power has been seen outside the sequel trilogy. Perhaps Qimir wants to make Mae his apprentice again, though he also may be smart enough to realize Mae’s deception and genuinely wants Osha to serve as his new acolyte, having seen through the ruse.

1

Kylo Ren’s Theme

Teasing A Force Dyad?

While Qimir heals Osha, it certainly seems as though Kylo Ren’s theme from the sequels can be heard. As such, this may be a subtle tease that Osha and Mae will eventually be revealed as a powerful Force dyad. This would parallel Kylo Ren and Rey Skywalker who were also revealed to be a dyad, a bond that hadn’t been seen in generations. Perhaps Osha and Mae were the last known dyad in the Star Wars timeline.