Summary
With just one episode ofThe Acolyteleft, I’m still not convincedStar Wars’new Sith master has truly been revealed—and I think I know who it is.The Acolyteepisode 5finally unmasked Mae’s master, the villain officially called the Stranger, revealing him to be the man who had seemed to just be helping her, Qimir. Although he was presented as the show’s Sith, there were plenty ofclues Qimir isn’t a Sith Lordat all.
Even if he is a Sith, though, he seems much more likely to be the apprentice, and, asthe Sith Rule of Tworequires a master and an apprentice, presumably,this means a Sith master reveal is coming. Admittedly, I have no idea how the show will conclude this massive arc alongside the multiple other arcs this season in an episode that is likely to be 45 minutes long or less. Even so, I have a pretty strong hunch about whom the true Sith master is, andThe Acolyteepisode 7 confirmed it for me.
The Witches Are Sith: The Acolyte Theory Turns Star Wars History On Its Head
A chilling new Star Wars theory reveals the witches of Brendok may well have a secret tie to the Sith - one that rewrites the history of the galaxy!
Mother Koril Didn’t Die With The Other Witches
The Acolyteepisode 7 finally revealedwhat really happened on Brendok, and it was as gruesome and as disappointing (regarding the Jedi and their choices) as I’d expected. I’d accurately guessed after episode 3 that it was really the Jedi, not Mae, who killed the witches, especially because their bodies were notably not burned. However, I didn’t guess that it was Master Indara who wiped out nearly the entire coven herself.
Presumably, she didn’t really mean to do so. Rather, Kelnacca had become possessed, and he was on the brink of killing Jedi Padawan Torbin. It seems as though Master Indara’s only real purpose was stopping Kelnacca and getting him out of his possession—it’s possible she had no idea that her actions would kill the coven.
They did, though, and the entire group working to possess Kelnacca fell to the ground as Indara won out in their invisible battle. However,Mother Koril was not among them. At no point when the bodies of the witches were shown did Mother Koril’s body appear. To me, this suggests she’s still alive, and if she’s still alive, there are many reasons it would make sense for Mother Koril to be the true Sith master.
It would make sense for Mother Koril to be the true Sith master.
Mae
The Acolyteepisode 7 essentially repeated the events of episode 3 but with brand-new perspectives and insights. One of the biggest changes was Mae’s culpability in the fire that nearly killed her sister. In episode 3, it seemed as though Mae had intentionally started the fire, especially because she directly told Osha she was going to kill her, and it still seemed possible (although unlikely, in my view) that she had started the fire.
However, episode 7 revealed that the truth was more complicated. Mother Koril had stated outright that she would rather die than allow the Jedi to take her children, and she seemed to think Mae was up to the task of stopping Osha from leaving. During the intense events of the episode, Mother Koril aggressively threw Mae to the groundand told her to use her anger. Presumably, this is why Mae told Osha she would kill her, which seems very contrary to how much she clearly loves her sister.
This confirms that Mother Koril used the dark side.
More than that, though, this confirms that Mother Koril used the dark side. Whilethe witches of Brendokseemed to mainly fall outside the Jedi/Sith binary, meaning they also likely tapped into both the light and the dark side situationally, Koril was always gruffer, colder, and angrier. To me, this suggests that, unlike the rest of her coven, Mother Koril was fully on the dark side—in fact,I believe her to beThe Acolyte’strue Sith master.
We Know Similar Secrets To These Found Their Way To The Sith
The Acolyte’sshowrunner Leslye Headland has seemingly confirmed that Mother Koril isn’tThe Acolyte’sSith. However, so many aspects of Koril’s character align with the Sith known to be active prior to the prequel trilogy that I’m hoping this is another example ofStar Warsintentionally throwing viewers off when they’re getting too close to guessing the truth. After all, Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor frequently said he wasn’t working on aStar Warsproject whenObi-Wan Kenobiwas already in the works.
Notably, too, Headland didn’t exactly say no, Koril isn’t the Sith. Instead, she said that Mother Koril and Qimir don’t know one another. Arguably,this doesn’t have to mean she isn’t Qimir’s Sith master. In fact, hasn’tThe Acolytealready revealed that one can be a master and conceal their identity? This is precisely what happened with Qimir and Mae, so it follows that Koril could simply be hiding her true identity from her apprentice but still be the Sith master.
My belief is that, in the end, Qimir will not be successful in taking on an Acolyte and overthrowing his master, which the Sith Rule of Two would require. This would make way for Palpatine’s Sith lineage to take hold, as, to stay true to canon, Darth Plagueis needs to take on the role of Sith master at some point. With only 100 years beforeStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Darth Plagueis' Sith master will need to be introduced soon fortheStar Warstimelineto make sense.
Darth Plagueis' Sith master will need to be introduced soon for theStar Warstimeline to make sense.
In Legends, Darth Plagueis' master was Darth Tenebrous, and while his exact backstory hasn’t been fleshed out yet, canon is following that same lineage, as aStar Wars: Build The Millennium Falconmagazine on Darth Maul’s Sith Interceptor referenced Tenebrous being Plagueis' master. However, that doesn’t mean that Koril isn’t part of this lineage. In fact,Mother Koril has knowledge of one key power that Plagueis is confirmed to have had: the ability to create life. Could she have passed this information down?
Could Koril Actually Be The Secret Sith Lord?
In a recent interview, Leslye Headland shared where Koril’s story might go next, and she indicated that Koril’s race, Zabrak, is a major hint. While many took that to mean that Mother Koril will go on to connect withthe Nightsisters of Dathomir, who are also Zabraks,this could mean a connection to Darth Maul, a Sith and a Zabrak. While this doesn’t have to mean she is directly related to him, it could simply mean that her race is a hint.
This could explain how Plagueis ends up with the knowledge to create life.
Again, this could explain how Plagueis ends up with the knowledge to create life. This is an incredible power, and Osha and Mae seem to suggest that the witches of Brendok, Mother Aniseya and Mother Koril in particular, seemed to possess it. Perhaps Koril ends up killing Qimir and ultimately takes on Tenebrous as her apprentice, passing this knowledge and power down.
Of course, this is just a theory at this point, as the ending ofThe Acolyteremains firmly under wraps. I am still bewildered that the many mysteries of the show are meant to be wrapped up in the show’s upcoming final episode, butThe Acolytehas surprised me before, and, presumably, it will surprise me again. In the meantime, though, I will hold out hope that Mother Koril is shockingly revealed to beThe Acolyte’strue Sith master.
The final episode of The Acolyte premieres on Tuesday, July 16th, at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
