Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5
The Acolyte has seemingly revealed something fascinating about Palpatine’s lightsaber duel with the Jedi in Revenge of the Sith. As seen in The Acolyte episode 5, the show’s powerful dark side user has finally made his full debut, emerging to face a team of eight Jedi after murdering the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca. To that end, the Jedi’s struggle to defeat Qimir aka “The Stranger” features a critical reveal regarding the duel where Darth Sidious similarly faced multiple Jedi Masters single-handedly.
In Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Master Mace Windu confronts Chancellor Palpatine after Anakin confirmed he was the Sith Lord the Jedi had long been searching for. Despite being joined by Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar, Windu and his fellow Jedi were all slain by Sidious despite being highly skilled members of the Jedi High Council. To that end, The Acolyte confirms a key dark side ability which may help explain Palpatine’s victory just before the dawn of his Empire.
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A Battle Against A Sith Isn’t Just A Physical Fight
The Dark Side Can Affect The Mind
Despite being significantly outnumbered in The Acolyte episode 5, Mae Aniseya’s master (whom she’d known as Qimir) murders each member of this Jedi team in quick succession (save for Master Sol). Highly skilled and trained in the dark side of the Force, “The Stranger” also utilized his dark helmet and gauntlet to temporarily deactivate lightsabers, confirming that they were forged using a cortosis weave. That said, one might argue that the Jedi should have been able to rally and overpower the dark side warrior through sheer numbers.
However, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar confirms something critical about “The Stranger” just before his own tragic death by Qimir’s hands in The Acolyte episode 5. According to Yord while talking about The Stranger’s methods and abilities, “he (Qimir) gets into your head and he stays there.” This is something Osha confirms Mother Aniseya could also do, cementing that idea that dark side users can manipulate and twist the minds of their opponents mid-battle, granting them a dark edge over their opponents beyond their physical skills with a lightsaber alone.
Revenge Of The Sith’s Jedi Masters Had Never Faced Anything Like Palpatine
The Full Force Of A Sith Lord And His Great Power
It’s highly unlikely that The Acolyte’s Qimir/Stranger is a true Sith Lord like Darth Sidious. Nevertheless, it stands to reason that affecting the minds of his foes was a dark side power Palpatine also likely employed while dueling four Jedi Masters simultaneously in Revenge of the Sith. Having never faced a Sith Lord before in their lifetime, it’s logical that these Jedi were caught extremely off-guard, much like The Acolyte’s Jedi team, the assault on their minds resulting in their ultimate defeat as Palpatine and The Stranger physically murdered their respective Jedi foes one by one.
New episodes of The Acolyte release on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes – all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
- Cast
-
Amandla Stenberg
, Lee Jung-jae
, Joonas Suotamo
, Charlie Barnett
, Dafne Keen
, Leah Brady
, Manny Jacinto
, Rebecca Henderson
, Carrie-Anne Moss
, Jodie Turner-Smith
, Dean-Charles Chapman
, Lauren Brady
, Anthony J. Abraham
, Thara Shöön
, Danielle Xin Yao Waterman
, Sienna Khiroya
, Jeramiah Evans
, Dan Milne
, Thomas Coombes
, Archie Singh Swali
, Nick Court
, Ed Kear
, Jumayn Hunter
, Scroobius Pip
, Abigail Thorn
, Margarita Levieva
, Amy Tsang
, Saskia Allen
, Deborah Rosan
, Tabitha Alege
, Paul Bullion
, Indra Ové
, Derek Arnold
, Lewis Young - Character(s)
-
Mae
, Master Sol
, Kelnacca
, Yord Fandar
, Jecki Lon
, Little Mae
, Qimir
, Master Vernestra Rwoh
, Master Indara
, Mother Aniseya
, Master Torbin
, Padawan Torbin
, Little Osha
, Fillik
, Tasi Lowa
, Youngling
, Restrained Convict
, Convict
, Olega Urchin
, Olega Master
, Olega Padawan
, Scavenger
, Ensign Eurus
, Mother Koril
, Ensign Rane
, Scout Sarria
, Ensign Shima
, Elder Jaalyn
, Master Lakshay
, Master Holden
, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi
, Jedi Knight - Seasons
-
1
- Streaming Service(s)
-
Disney+
- Franchise(s)
-
Star Wars
- Writers
-
Leslye Headland
, Charmaine De Grate
, Kor Adana - Directors
-
Leslye Headland
, Alex Garcia Lopez - Showrunner
-
Leslye Headland
