Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5. Make sure you’re up to date before reading on.
The Acolyte wasted no time this week with a brutal episode that saw several favorites killed off. Not only that, but we finally got the reveal of just who the mysterious Sith hiding under the mask was. But that doesn’t mean that all of the mysteries have been resolved, as a musical Easter egg has led to some big theories.
During his confrontation with Master Sol, Qimir tells him that he’s searching for an "acolyte" to train under him, revealing that Mae did not live up to his hopes. In the final moments, though, it seems he may have found the one he’s looking for in Osha, who has been left behind by Mae after she stole her identity.
We see Qimir approach her as what’s described as "uneasy music" plays, before he Force heals her wound. More intriguing though, as he uses the ability, Kylo Ren’s theme from the sequel trilogy plays behind his dialogue. This could be a reference to the importance of Force healing to Ren’s storyline, but it’s also spawned a whole load more speculation too.
The main theories revolve around whether Qimir is actually not a Sith after all, but the first Ren. As established in the Star Wars comics, the Knights of Ren existed long before Ben Solo came into existence, so could this musical nod be setting that up?
"Kylo Ren theme played MULTIPLE times during the episode so I’m thinking that Qimir isn’t a Sith but maybe the OG Ren," wrote one on Reddit. Meanwhile a second pointed out that there’s still ambiguity about his character. "He said the Jedi might call him a Sith but he made it sound like he’s unaffiliated," they added. "He hasn’t even claimed any grand plan of universal take-over. He’s just a dude who wants to use his Force powers the way he wants."
Not everyone is so convinced though. "I don't think he's Ren," another pointed out. "The Knights of Ren are really low-level fighters. They don't even understand the Force. They call it the Shadow and they legit don't seem to understand anything about it."
Could this Kylo Ren Easter egg mean something different then? There are plenty of options, from indicating another Force dyad or just being a little nod to a prominent Dark Sider. We’ll have to wait and see…
The Acolyte airs on Disney Plus on Tuesdays in the US and Wednesdays in the UK. For more on the Star Wars show, check out our guides to:
- The Acolyte release schedule
- What is The High Republic? The Acolyte's new Star Wars era explained
- When does The Acolyte take place on the Star Wars timeline?
- New Star Wars show The Acolyte's sets were so big and detailed, the actors needed a map to get around and were literally “tripping on mushrooms”
- Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae on joining The Acolyte, making history as a Jedi, and why he thinks Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland has a "fresh take" on Star Wars
- The Acolyte creator talks pitching The High Republic – and the biggest challenge behind the new Star Wars era
- Star Wars' cute new droid has an incredibly wholesome inspiration behind it
- The Acolyte crew built lightsabers for the new Star Wars show that could be used "the way Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn use them"
- Upcoming Star Wars movies
- Star Wars timeline
- How to watch the Star Wars movies in order
