Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 5, “Night.”
The Acolyte just unmasked unassuming ex-smuggler Qimir as Mae Aniseya’s Sith teacher – while also hinting at his ties to another Dark Side outfit, the Knights of Ren. So, how exactly is Mae’s Sith Master connected to the Knights of Ren in The Acolyte?
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Qimir’s Knights of Ren Connection, Explained
It’s currently unclear how (or even if) Qimir is associated with the Knights of Ren. Mae’s ex-instructor doesn’t even mention the shadowy cabal – who first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 5. Instead, Qimir (or whatever his real name is) identifies as a Sith Lord, although his wording is slightly ambiguous. “Jedi like you might call me a Sith,” Qimir says, which isn’t quite the same as declaring himself a Sith outright. What’s more, audio and visual clues littered throughout Episode 5 hint that Qimir is part of the Knights of Ren, not the Sith.
Notably, The Acolyte samples Kylo Ren’s musical motif when Qimir approaches the unconscious Osha Aniseya in Episode 5’s final scene. While this is hardly concrete proof that Qimir is aligned with the Knights of Ren, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland surely didn’t recycle the theme tune of the group’s one-time boss by mistake. Another detail linking Qimir and the Knights of Ren is their similar attire. In particular, Qimir’s cortosis helmet bears a striking resemblance to the headgear sported by the Knights.
That said, there are several counterarguments to the apparent Qimir/Knights of Ren connection. For starters, Qimir is a highly skilled Force user. By contrast, the Knights of Ren were (aside from Kylo Ren) notoriously ill-trained Dark Side practitioners. Then there’s the fact that Qimir doesn’t simply name himself a Knight of Ren. After all, he’s got little to gain from throwing the S-word around! There’s also a potential conflict with the Star Wars timeline, which we’ll unpack in the next section.
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Did the Knights of Ren Exist During The Acolyte’s High Republic Era Setting?
Nope – and (as noted above) that could cause continuity problems if The Acolyte does introduce the Knights of Ren further down the line. According to the current canon, the Knights of Ren weren’t active until around the same time as Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – more than 100 years after The Acolyte‘s High Republic era setting.
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As such, Qimir naming himself a Sith and not one of the Knights of Ren makes sense, since the latter don’t exist yet! There’s a possible loophole here, however. Star Wars canon also alludes to another, far more ancient incarnation of the Knights of Ren. Could The Acolyte reveal Qimir is in league with them, instead? Don’t rule it out.
The Acolyte Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Tuesdays.
