The first five episodes of The Acolyte leave more questions than answers, but exactly who is Mae’s master?
Of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, The Acolyte has possibly had the most controversy, having been slammed by fans for being too ‘woke’ before episodes had even dropped.
Introducing a brand-new group of Star Wars characters to the franchise, the series follows a series of Jedi murders by a dubious figure, with one Jedi Master intent on getting to the bottom of things.
One of the biggest mysteries in the first four episodes surrounds Mae, played by Amandla Stenberg. But who is her master in The Acolyte?
Who is Mae’s master?
Mae’s master is Qimir, as revealed in The Acolyte Episode 5. He’s been the fan favorite theory since the show began, and now they’ve been proved right.
If you missed it, Qimir is the mysterious aide who was first seen helping Mae create poisonous potions on Olega in Episode 2.
We know little about his background, but he had mentioned that he doesn’t serve Mae’s master… clearly.
He accompanies Mae to Khofar, claiming that he knows where Kelnacca’s hideout is hidden in the forest. Qimir therefore became the most likely suspect behind the mask – he was the only person not present when the Jedi Order surrounded Mae in Kelnacca’s hideout.
There was previously a long-standing rumor that Qimir also had an evil twin, just like Mae. Given what happened in Episode 5, this now feels like an unlikely twist in Episodes 6-8.
How the master was revealed
Episode 1 of The Acolyte established the Master as the dubious figure who appeared to be controlling Mae’s killing spree. The orders are simple: kill four members of the Jedi Order who were all stationed on her home planet of Brendok 16 years before, and one of those kills must be completed “without help.”
It’s also important to note that when Sol clears Mae’s mind in Episode 2, he reveals that even Mae didn’t know who her Master is, and couldn’t tell anyone even if she wanted to.
By Episode 4, things became a bit clearer. Mae begins referring to the master as “he,” later abandoning Qimir in the forests of Khofar to turn herself into Kelnacca for her crimes. When she gets to his hideout, he’s already dead — meaning Mae’s master must already be here.
Sure enough, a masked red lightsaber-wielding stranger emerges out of the forest, ready to tackle the Jedi who have surrounded Kelnacca’s hideout looking for Mae. He engages in an action-packed battle with Sol, Jecki, and Yord during Episode 5, killing the latter two in action.
After killing Jecki, Qimir’s mask falls to the floor, revealing his identity to those left standing. Qimir is a Sith who wants freedom to wield his power in a way he sees fit, rather than adhering to endless Jedi rules.
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Qimir also states he actively wants an apprentice – or Acolyte – claiming that Mae now isn’t fit for the job after betraying him.
So, in order to fulfill his desire for a deserving pupil, Episode 6 revealed that he took Osha to a remote planet in order to entice her to joining his cause.
Past master theories
Other rumors suggested that Mother Koril, Vernestra Rwoh, Darth Plaugeis, and Darth Tenebrous were potential figures behind the master’s mask.
Out of all The Acolyte’s cast, Mother Koril had the most reason to go after the Jedi Order. The chaos with Sol, Indara, Torbin, and Kelnacca in Episode 3‘s flashback dissolved the coven as she knew it, for good.
Fans also spotted that Koril’s body wasn’t seen in the episode’s final shot, potentially meaning that, like Mae, she survived the fire. If the pair worked together afterward to get their revenge, then one plus one equaled two.
Other master rumors were a little more ropey. Vernestra was included merely because her vibe isn’t right, so far intent on keeping the High Council of the Jedi Order unaware of what’s happened in order to protect their reputation against their political allies.
Darth Plagueis linked to The Acolyte because of his life creation powers, first hinted at in Revenge of the Sith. If we’re to follow the same theory that Mae’s master is directly linked to the coven, Plagueis and Mother Aniseya are the only two characters we know to have been able to create life without the inclusion of another being.
Given that Osha references her mother’s power in Episode 5, there’s still a chance that Qimir is indeed Darth Plagueis.
Plagueis was also thought to prevent death, which could answer why the coven — who fans think are linked to the Nightsisters — get their eventual return.
Darth Tenebrous was our wildcard theory. If Mae’s master did end up being Tenebrous, then The Acolyte is his first live-action introduction to the Star Wars canon. He’s the master of Plagueis, which also ties into what we’ve already said about life creation.
Given that Headland has already confirmed that characters from the Star Wars EU will be making an appearance, nothing remains off the table.
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