Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5. Make sure you’re up to date before reading on.
Star Wars may have first introduced the concept of the Sith almost 50 years ago, but the new spin-off show The Acolyte has just deepened the lore. In episode 5, the mysterious villain was revealed as Qimir, but before he took his mask off, he shared something very intriguing.
While fighting, Master Sol says to him, "You trained Mae, let me see your face." Qimir then replies, "And let you read my thoughts? No. No. No." Now, we’ve heard a lot of reasons why the Sith cover their faces in Star Wars canon, with the main theory always being that it’s to obscure their identities. However, this is the first time it’s been suggested that the real reason is to stop the Jedi from reading their minds – and it’s kind of genius.
"I love how it’s suggested Sith may wear helmets to stop other force users from reading their thoughts," wrote a fan on Reddit. "What a powerful advantage. Yes, Sith wore helmets for other reasons but this is definitely one of the coolest!" Another agreed, adding that it seems pretty similar to Magneto’s helmet in X-Men.
"I’ve looked a bit and there’s never been an example in Legends I could find," a third commented. "A little surprised as it is some good lore building that’s original to the series."
However, not the entire Star Wars community is convinced, with some pointing out that it doesn’t quite fit with the canon. "I don't fully buy into this," wrote another viewer. "Why did Palps never wear a helmet then?"
"I mean it breaks OG trilogy canon since you know Luke can sense his father's inner conflict through his helmet," points out another.
There could be a way around that one though as the latest episode also brings a Star Wars Legends detail into live-action. The metal cortosis was seemingly introduced in Qimir’s helmet and armor, which causes lightsabers to short circuit. It seems possible this also interrupts other things too.
Food for thought, then. 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
