Have We Already Identified ‘The Acolyte’s Shadowy Sith Lord?

In The Acolyte, Jedi are being killed — but who’s doing the killing? That appears to be one of the central mysteries of the show… and believe it or not, the answer might already be right in front of us. Here’s why we think we might’ve unmasked The Acolyte’s Sith Lord.

A Key Sith Phrase

In The Acolyte’s second trailer, there’s either an obvious clue about the Sith Lord’s identity or a massive misdirect. When we see Manny Jacinto’s character, Qimir, he tells Mae (Amandla Stenberg) that “peace is a lie.” That particular choice of words pricked up the ears of many a Star Wars fan, who recognized it as the first line of the Code of the Sith. (For those who might not know, the Code of the Sith outlines basic Dark Side ideologies, much as the Jedi Code outlines the guiding principles for the Jedi.)

As far as we currently know, Qimir isn’t affiliated with the Jedi or the Sith. At the Star Wars Celebration last year, Jacinto said that his character is “just a regular guy, trying to have a good time.” Since then, we’ve also learned that Qimir is, according to StarWars.com, “a former smuggler who now makes his living as a trader, procuring unusual things and enjoying a life of leisure.”

Supposedly.

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We’re Watching You, Qimir…

We also know that there’s a Sith Lord out there with a red lightsaber and a scary-looking mask who hasn’t been identified. It’s implied that that person is Mae’s teacher. If Qimir were to be that Sith Lord, and Mae his apprentice, it would make sense for Mae to have been interacting with him in the trailer.

So far, the only main character we’ve seen interact with Qimir is Mae, and unlike the various Jedi characters, he’s not appeared in many scenes from the trailers. Plus, many casual viewers would likely know Jacinto from NBC’s beloved sitcom The Good Place, where he played lovable goofball Jason Mendoza. To reveal Jacinto as a Sith Lord would shock fans who are most familiar with Jason, a Molotov-cocktail-throwing, dance-crew-leading Jacksonville Jaguars fan with a heart of gold. It all seems somewhat suspicious…

There’s also the possibility that Qimir’s line about peace is a misdirect, meant to throw fans off who would recognize it as part of a key tenet of the Sith. After all, his complete line — which might have been rearranged for the trailer — is “The Jedi justify their galactic dominance in the name of peace… but that peace is a lie.” Not quite the same as the Code of the Sith. At this point, it’s more than possible that Jacinto’s character is exactly who the actor claims he is, and someone else is behind that sharp-toothed mask. We’re confident showrunner Leslye Headlund would be aware of the significance behind those words; but whether it’s a nod for devout Star Wars fans to pick up on or a red herring to throw them off, we’ll have to wait and see.