Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 6.

Star Wars: The Acolyte’s latest episode confirms a major theory about the new Sith Lord’s mysterious past. In Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 6, “Teach / Corrupt,” Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Qimir (Manny Jacinto), and Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) deal with the consequences of the Jedi’s massacre on Khofar. Osha has been captured by Qimir because he wants an apprentice, while Sol is stuck on board a ship in dire need of maintenance with Mae, who is both desperate for Sol to admit to what happened on Brendok and lusting for vengeance.

After the heightened action of The Acolyte episode 5, “Night,” this episode dialed down the intensity in favor of some much-needed character development and backstory. As it turns out, Osha and Qimir have much more in common than she ever could have imagined. Though Qimir’s status as a Sith Lord remains uncertain, one massively important part of his backstory was finally confirmed.

The Acolyte’s Sith Lord Is A Former Jedi

The Acolyte episode 6 confirmed that the franchise’s new Sith Lord is, in fact, a former Jedi. When Osha asks why she’s never heard of him, he emphasizes that his tenure with the Jedi Order happened “a long time ago.” It’s possible Sol was there at the time, though, as the Jedi Master said that he sensed a familiar presence when Qimir finally revealed himself on Khofar in the previous episode. Still masked, Qimir even asked Sol why he didn’t recognize him. What if they were younglings together?

Qimir cleverly uses his past to bond with Osha, suggesting that they were both cast out of the Jedi Order for wanting to embrace the Force in a way that was different from the Jedi. Qimir mentions anger, loss, fear, and desire as powerful motivators, and though Osha is quick to remind him – and the audience – that those emotions lead to the dark side, it’s clear that she senses an uncomfortable kinship with him. This is made all the clearer when she decides to put on Qimir’s helmet and surrender herself to the Force at the end of the episode.

The Acolyte Set Up This Origin From The Start

Though the reveal that Qimir is a former Jedi has massive implications for his story and the show as a whole going forward, it didn’t necessarily come as a surprise. The Acolyte has been setting up this origin from the very beginning. After Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) was killed in The Acolyte’s opening scene, Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) was convinced that Mae had been trained by someone skilled in the Jedi arts. That is why Osha became their number one suspect – she, too, had been trained in the Jedi arts during her time with the Order.

Though both the Sith and the Jedi use the Force, they approach it very differently. Master Vernestra making such an assumption would only make sense if there were clear signs that Mae was using techniques taught by the Jedi. Since Mae, unlike her sister, never joined the Order, it stands to reason that while Qimir may favor the dark side, his fighting style has nevertheless been influenced by his time with the Jedi.

What Does This Mean For The Sith?

Famously, of course, the Sith managed to decimate the Jedi Order once and for all by essentially infiltrating it and gaining the Jedi’s trust. Palpatine hid himself away in plain sight, using his political power as a means of influencing the Jedi’s role in the galaxy, pushing a desperate Anakin Skywalker ever closer to the dark side. Before Palpatine revealed his true self, however, the Order believed that the Sith hadn’t been seen for over a thousand years, secure in the knowledge that the Jedi were the major Force-wielding presence in the galaxy. What if that wasn’t true, though?

Qimir’s history as a former Jedi could have major implications. It’s unlikely Qimir just decided to pursue the dark side of his own accord. With all the major Sith and dark side characters, it’s clear they were pushed to embrace the dark side of the Force. Palpatine manipulated Anakin by convincing him he could save Padmé Amidala, and he eagerly encouraged Dooku’s distrust of the Jedi Council. Similarly, the franchise’s Inquisitors were influenced to become dark siders as well, starved, tortured, and beaten into submission until they relented and embraced their anger.

Is it possible that the Sith have been hidden within the shadows of the Jedi Temple all this time? Have they literally infiltrated the Jedi Order? Having a Sith spy, or at the very least another Acolyte within the Jedi’s ranks would explain how and why Qimir decided to embrace the dark side. If someone encouraged his desires and his need for freedom – and the Jedi certainly wouldn’t have done that themselves – his leaving the Jedi makes sense. There are so many more mysteries Star Wars: The Acolyte needs to solve, but Qimir’s backstory may be the most important one.

Episode 6 of The Acolyte is available to stream now. New episodes premiere Tuesdays exclusively on Disney+.