A thrilling new Star Wars theory reveals The Acolyte‘s Sith have been hiding in plain sight all along – because the witches of Brendok are in fact a Sith offshoot. Led by Jodie Turner-Smith’s Mother Aniseya, the witches of Brendok are a powerful Force cult whose unpredictable dark magic makes them a threat even to Jedi. Their true origin is purposefully concealed; even the Jedi just refer to them as witches, speculating they’re connected to the Nightsisters, but swiftly concluding otherwise.

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland has hinted she knows the origins of Mother Aniseya and her witches. In her view, Mother Aniseya is tied to some pre-existing Force cult – either from canon or Legends – but she deliberately chose not to spell out the details. Is it possible she’s hiding her Sith in plain sight?

The Acolyte’s Witch Coven Clearly Use The Dark Side

The witches of Brendok possess a wide range of Force powers, including some that are typical to the Jedi and Sith – notably telekinesis. When they use these powers, they do so aggressively, out of a strong sense of self-preservation. Even more importantly, though, there’s a decidedly dark side tint to the additional abilities they have mastered. They are able to penetrate even a Jedi Master’s mind with shocking ease, subjecting Torbin to haunting visions and Kelnacca to Force knows what.

Philosophically, the witches of Brendok appear to believe there’s no such thing as the light or dark sides of the Force; there are similarities between their views and the so-called “Potentium Heresy” of Star Wars Legends. This idea was born of the Sith, and became a useful way for the Sith to make inroads among the Jedi Order. Those who deny the reality of the dark side are easy prey to it, after all.

Could This Be A Sith Faction Who Don’t Follow The Rule Of Two?

Looking beyond the witches’ views on the dark side, though, there are surprising similarities between their belief in the “Power of Two” and the Sith “Rule of Two.” Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker revealed the Rule of Two was a corruption of the far older Doctrine of the Dyad, of two beings joined in the Force who would become an ultimate conduit of its power, and it’s possible the Power of Two is the same kind of corruption of the Dyad. All these similarities are striking, and seem to suggest Mother Aniseya has some sort of link to the Sith.

The interesting question, though, is whether they are tied to the line of Darth Bane – or to something far older. Darth Bane believed he had wiped out rival Sith factions, but this wasn’t true in Legends, and there’s no reason it has to be true in canon either; this could be a breakaway group who have existed for generations, subtly influenced by Sith lore. Alternatively, it’s possible Mother Aniseya was herself once a Sith Acolyte, who chose a different path – but remained influenced by their teachings. There’d be just the right degree of poetic irony to that idea for it to work well in Star Wars.

Could Mother Koril Be Linked To The Stranger?

This may well establish the link between the witches of Brendok and the mysterious Sith Lord named the Stranger. The Acolyte episode 7 confirmed that Mother Koril survived the massacre at Brendok, and one line of dialogue hints she’s been with Mae all these years; at one point Mae told Osha that she had left “us,” not just “me.” If that’s the case, then Mother Koril may well have her own connection to the Stranger.

It seems unlikely that Mother Koril is in fact the Stranger’s master; it wouldn’t make sense for her to recruit Qimir when she’s already seeking to train Mae. But their interests could well coincide, meaning she has taken Mae to the Stranger for the next step in her education. Mother Koril clearly wants revenge on the Jedi, and Mae would be the perfect tool to accomplish this, especially if she were trained by the Sith.

How Would The True Baneite Sith Respond To This Crisis?

This theory assumes that, although the witches are Sith, they are not the Baneite Sith. Their teachings and doctrines appear related, but not identical, most notably in the fact the Baneite Sith would never be willing to allow their teachings to spread so widely. It’s reasonable to assume the Baneite Sith would not take kindly to the continued existence of a Sith coven being revealed to the Jedi.

If this is the case, then The Acolyte‘s finale is setting up a very different confrontation to the one viewers are expecting; not between the light and the dark, but between the dark and the darker still. The true Sith will surely emerge from the shadows to shut these pretenders down before they draw any more attention, and presumably that is how they also learn the secret of Mae and Osha’s birth – an origin that feels suspiciously close to the powers coveted by Darth Plagueis, known to be active around this point in the timeline. The Acolyte could be headed in a very exciting direction indeed.