The Acolyte’s core mystery has rumbled on this week: just who is the Sith Lord hiding behind the mask?
The flashbacks to Brendok in the third episode haven’t offered up any answers, but they have given Star Wars fans a pair of new frontrunners when it comes to the identity of the obscured figure.
The first idea – and one of the more compelling we’ve seen in recent days – is that the masked Sith is Mother Koril, played by Margarita Levieva.
When we first see her, she’s at odds with Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her more hands-off approach when it comes to parenting.
Remarkably, that could prove to be the basis for the popular fan theory. As one wrote on Twitter, "What if SHE destroyed the coven because she felt like it was becoming weak and Aniseya was not a strong leader? What if Mae and the Jedi are innocent and it was her this whole time?"
Throw in the fact that Koril is a Zabrak, the same species as Darth Maul, and there’s plenty to chew on for the next week or so.
But there are others who are considering different possibilities. Among the most curious fan theories so far is the idea that Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) is the one pulling the strings, despite seemingly being killed at Mae’s hand during the premiere’s opening scene – and it all revolves around the unseen reason behind how everyone suddenly died thanks to what was (frankly) a pretty minor fire in the witches’ compound.
"Why were all of the Coven suddenly dead? Mae did burn their temple, but never said she was the one who killed the witches. Mae would need some serious assistance in killing the witches off [en masse]," one Redditor wrote.
"My theory is that Indara is there for the twins, but primarily for Mae, being the more temperamental, and dark side aligned of the twins, compared to Sol trying for both, but mostly Osha."
There you have it. We’ve already had Qimir and Aniseya earmarked as potential candidates for the Sith Lord. Now, two more contenders have emerged.
For more on The Acolyte, check out these explainers, guides, and our interviews with the cast:
- The Acolyte episodes 1-4 review
- A guide to The Acolyte
- 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?
- Who is the masked villain in The Acolyte? What we know about the Star Wars Sith explained
- 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"
