WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5!

The Acolyte episode 5 finally revealed Qimir as the mysterious Sith Lord, and it seems he’s gotten exactly what he said he wanted. The Acolyte episode 5 showed a Jedi massacre that took the lives of fan-favorite characters like Yord and Jecki, with Jedi Master Sol the only Jedi to make it out alive. During this confrontation, Qimir revealed what he really wanted; the freedom to wield his power the way he wanted and without Jedi interference.

In order to obtain this power, Qimir sought out an Acolyte and thought he had found one in Mae, though she ultimately betrayed him. This was the direct cause of Qimir’s rampage, because he believed the Jedi would want him dead if they even knew of his existence; Mae therefore had to die, as did any Jedi who saw his face. Though he ultimately failed to kill all the Jedii, Qimir seemingly still got exactly what he wanted – though his work is far from finished.

Qimir Lost Mae as An Apprentice

Mae Betrayed Him In The Acolyte Episode 4

Despite most audience members deducing that Qimir was the Sith Lord before his reveal in The Acolyte episode 5, Mae was still unaware that her travel companion was in fact her master. During The Acolyte episode 4, Mae told Qimir that the knowledge that her twin sister Osha was actually alive changed everything. This meant that Mae no longer sought to kill Master Kelnacca and exact her revenge. The “final lesson” that the Sith Lord wanted Mae to learn dealt with killing a Jedi without a weapon.

Mae had previously murdered Master Indara and Master Torbin using knives and poison respectively. However, in The Acolyte episode 4, Mae seemed convinced that killing the Wookiee Jedi without a weapon was seemingly impossible. This combined with Mae effectively defecting from her master likely cemented the idea in Qimir’s mind that Mae was not cut out to be his Sith Acolyte. With both Mae and Qimir surviving the events that took place on Khofar in The Acolyte episode 5, it will be interesting to see how or if either of them attempts to kill the other again.

Osha Completed Qimir’s Final Lesson

She Defeated Him Without a Weapon

Without meaning to, Osha was able to complete the same final lesson that Mae failed to—she took down an enemy without a weapon. After Yord’s murder, Osha attached her droid Pip to the back of Qimir, attracting flying creatures to him, which ultimately took him away from the battle. Osha taking Qimir out of the fight, ended it and led to her, Mae, and Master Sol’s survival. While Osha didn’t kill anyone, she still succeeded in completing Qimir’s lesson.

In The Acolyte episode 4 Mae explained that the final lesson wasn’t necessarily about killing someone, but it was a lesson you teach yourself. Osha had been very disconnected from the Force for much of her time onscreen; however, in episode 4, she told Jecki that she was able to sense beings and audiences could see her learning how to tune back into the Force. Osha was able to trust herself and make the play to defeat Qimir, thus completing the lesson—her success doesn’t come from Qimir’s approval, but from Osha’s confidence in herself and her abilities.

Could Osha Be the Real Acolyte?

Mae Could’ve Been the Real Red Herring All Along

The confirmation that Qimir is the Sith Lord and is actively looking for an Acolyte poses the question of who that Acolyte actually is. For a while, it seemed obvious that the title of the show was referencing Mae, but with The Acolyte‘s twins switching places, it’s possible that Osha was the real Acolyte all along. While this may not have been what Qimir thought would happen, it seems obvious he has an interest in the Aniseya twins.

Considering Qimir vowed to kill anyone who saw his face, then let Osha live at the end of The Acolyte episode 5 and even went so far as to place his cloak over her, it seems he’s found his pupil. It seems the debate over the Sith Lord’s identity was a trick, meant to distract audiences from the real question — the identity of the Acolyte. With Mae being on the outs with Qimir, his next logical step is to try to recruit Osha in The Acolyte’s remaining episodes.