The Kylo Ren Easter egg in The Acolyte is "there on purpose," teases showrunner

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Leslye Headland talks the mysterious Kylo Ren reference in The Acolyte episode 5

Kylo Ren
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland has talked about that mysterious Kylo Ren reference in episode 5 – and, though she's pretty tight-lipped on what it all means, it is there for a reason. 

At the end of the episode, Qimir, unmasked as the Sith Lord, takes Osha as a student. But, as he uses the Force to heal her wounds, Kylo Ren's theme plays. 

"Ah, wish I could," Headland told Inverse when asked if she could talk about the moment. "It is there on purpose, but I can't tell you why, and I can't go into what it is. But you shall see."

That's certainly very enigmatic, and the moment has already spawned plenty of theories, including the possibility that Osha is part of a dyad in the Force – or that Qimir is actually not a Sith at all, but is instead the first of the Knights of Ren.

The Acolyte episode 5 was the Star Wars show's most shocking yet. Not only was Qimir finally unmasked, but Jecki and Yord were both tragically killed by the Sith Lord, and Mae switched places with Osha and is now leaving the planet with Master Sol, while Osha is in Qimir's care. 

For even more on The Acolyte, check out our deep dives on: 

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.