With just one episode of The Acolyte left, I’m still not convinced Star Wars’ new Sith master has truly been revealed—and I think I know who it is. The Acolyte episode 5 finally unmasked Mae’s master, the villain officially called the Stranger, revealing him to be the man who had seemed to just be helping her, Qimir. Although he was presented as the show’s Sith, there were plenty of clues Qimir isn’t a Sith Lord at all.

Even if he is a Sith, though, he seems much more likely to be the apprentice, and, as the Sith Rule of Two requires a master and an apprentice, presumably, this means a Sith master reveal is coming. Admittedly, I have no idea how the show will conclude this massive arc alongside the multiple other arcs this season in an episode that is likely to be 45 minutes long or less. Even so, I have a pretty strong hunch about whom the true Sith master is, and The Acolyte episode 7 confirmed it for me.

Mother Koril Didn’t Die With The Other Witches

The Acolyte episode 7 finally revealed what really happened on Brendok, and it was as gruesome and as disappointing (regarding the Jedi and their choices) as I’d expected. I’d accurately guessed after episode 3 that it was really the Jedi, not Mae, who killed the witches, especially because their bodies were notably not burned. However, I didn’t guess that it was Master Indara who wiped out nearly the entire coven herself.

Presumably, she didn’t really mean to do so. Rather, Kelnacca had become possessed, and he was on the brink of killing Jedi Padawan Torbin. It seems as though Master Indara’s only real purpose was stopping Kelnacca and getting him out of his possession—it’s possible she had no idea that her actions would kill the coven.

They did, though, and the entire group working to possess Kelnacca fell to the ground as Indara won out in their invisible battle. However, Mother Koril was not among them. At no point when the bodies of the witches were shown did Mother Koril’s body appear. To me, this suggests she’s still alive, and if she’s still alive, there are many reasons it would make sense for Mother Koril to be the true Sith master.

Mother Koril Was Pushing Mae To Use Her Anger

The Acolyte episode 7 essentially repeated the events of episode 3 but with brand-new perspectives and insights. One of the biggest changes was Mae’s culpability in the fire that nearly killed her sister. In episode 3, it seemed as though Mae had intentionally started the fire, especially because she directly told Osha she was going to kill her, and it still seemed possible (although unlikely, in my view) that she had started the fire.

However, episode 7 revealed that the truth was more complicated. Mother Koril had stated outright that she would rather die than allow the Jedi to take her children, and she seemed to think Mae was up to the task of stopping Osha from leaving. During the intense events of the episode, Mother Koril aggressively threw Mae to the ground and told her to use her anger. Presumably, this is why Mae told Osha she would kill her, which seems very contrary to how much she clearly loves her sister.

More than that, though, this confirms that Mother Koril used the dark side. While the witches of Brendok seemed to mainly fall outside the Jedi/Sith binary, meaning they also likely tapped into both the light and the dark side situationally, Koril was always gruffer, colder, and angrier. To me, this suggests that, unlike the rest of her coven, Mother Koril was fully on the dark side—in fact, I believe her to be The Acolyte’s true Sith master.

We Know Similar Secrets To These Found Their Way To The Sith

The Acolyte’s showrunner Leslye Headland has seemingly confirmed that Mother Koril isn’t The Acolyte’s Sith. However, so many aspects of Koril’s character align with the Sith known to be active prior to the prequel trilogy that I’m hoping this is another example of Star Wars intentionally throwing viewers off when they’re getting too close to guessing the truth. After all, Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor frequently said he wasn’t working on a Star Wars project when Obi-Wan Kenobi was already in the works.

Notably, too, Headland didn’t exactly say no, Koril isn’t the Sith. Instead, she said that Mother Koril and Qimir don’t know one another. Arguably, this doesn’t have to mean she isn’t Qimir’s Sith master. In fact, hasn’t The Acolyte already revealed that one can be a master and conceal their identity? This is precisely what happened with Qimir and Mae, so it follows that Koril could simply be hiding her true identity from her apprentice but still be the Sith master.

My belief is that, in the end, Qimir will not be successful in taking on an Acolyte and overthrowing his master, which the Sith Rule of Two would require. This would make way for Palpatine’s Sith lineage to take hold, as, to stay true to canon, Darth Plagueis needs to take on the role of Sith master at some point. With only 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Darth Plagueis’ Sith master will need to be introduced soon for the Star Wars timeline to make sense.

In Legends, Darth Plagueis’ master was Darth Tenebrous, and while his exact backstory hasn’t been fleshed out yet, canon is following that same lineage, as a Star Wars: Build The Millennium Falcon magazine on Darth Maul’s Sith Interceptor referenced Tenebrous being Plagueis’ master. However, that doesn’t mean that Koril isn’t part of this lineage. In fact, Mother Koril has knowledge of one key power that Plagueis is confirmed to have had: the ability to create life. Could she have passed this information down?

Could Koril Actually Be The Secret Sith Lord?

In a recent interview, Leslye Headland shared where Koril’s story might go next, and she indicated that Koril’s race, Zabrak, is a major hint. While many took that to mean that Mother Koril will go on to connect with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, who are also Zabraks, this could mean a connection to Darth Maul, a Sith and a Zabrak. While this doesn’t have to mean she is directly related to him, it could simply mean that her race is a hint.

Again, this could explain how Plagueis ends up with the knowledge to create life. This is an incredible power, and Osha and Mae seem to suggest that the witches of Brendok, Mother Aniseya and Mother Koril in particular, seemed to possess it. Perhaps Koril ends up killing Qimir and ultimately takes on Tenebrous as her apprentice, passing this knowledge and power down.

Of course, this is just a theory at this point, as the ending of The Acolyte remains firmly under wraps. I am still bewildered that the many mysteries of the show are meant to be wrapped up in the show’s upcoming final episode, but The Acolyte has surprised me before, and, presumably, it will surprise me again. In the meantime, though, I will hold out hope that Mother Koril is shockingly revealed to be The Acolyte’s true Sith master.

The final episode of The Acolyte premieres on Tuesday, July 16th, at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.