The Acolyte's Sith Lord closes his fist, edited over a blurred image of the Jedi Council in The Phantom MenaceThe Acolyte episode 5 just revealed the identity of the mysterious Sith Lord, and it threatens to break Star Wars canon. After the Sith’s helmet took repeated hits, it was revealed that Qimir was the Sith Lord all along. This was theorized since the first time Manny Jacinto’s character appeared onscreen, and the reveal came in heartbreaking fashion with Jecki Lon’s (Dafne Keen) lifeless body initially obscuring the view of Qimir’s face.

Qimir referred to himself as a Sith when asked, and this may create issues moving forward in The Acolyte. It was theorized leading up to The Acolyte episode 5 that this Sith Lord wasn’t actually a Sith at all and was instead just a dark side user. While it’s safe to assume that this Sith Lord doesn’t go by “Darth Qimir,” it’ll be interesting to see if The Acolyte retcons this character as another Sith Lord audiences have heard of before, or adds a new name to the Sith Order.

The Jedi Now Know The Sith Have Survived

Qimir Failed To Kill All The Jedi

Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) wielding their lightsabers to fight against the Sith in The Acolyte season 1 episode 4Image via Disney+

After Qimir was unmasked, he told Master Sol that he only revealed himself because Mae exposed him. Because Sol and the other Jedi had seen his face, he was left with no other choice but to kill them all. Due to Osha’s quick thinking, Sol and who he thought was Osha (but really was Mae) escaped and made it back to the Jedi’s ship. It’s unclear what kind of message, if any, made it out from the other Jedi on Khofar before or during their battle with Qimir.

Because Sol was able to survive, it’s likely that he has revealed that the Sith had survived. It’s unclear if he reports directly to Master Vernestra Rwoh, or if he’d go right to the Jedi High Council. When Qui-Gon Jinn encountered a Sith in Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he reported directly to the High Council. However, it’s already been established that Master Vernestra does not want to report to the High Council because they have to report to the Republic Senate – and then politics come into play.

Sol & Mae Have Left Khofar… & Are Surely Headed To Coruscant

Where They Will Definitely Tell Other Jedi Of The Sith

A Jedi Temple in Coruscant in The Acolyte Season 1, episode 1Image via Disney+

It’s unclear why Mae decided to take on her sister’s identity and join Sol on the trip back to Coruscant, but both of them definitely know of Qimir’s identity and the fact that he is a Sith. It’s hard to imagine that news of a dark side user, never mind a Sith, wouldn’t spread quickly in the Jedi Temple. While it’s possible that Master Vernestra will be able to keep a lid on these developments, it’d be hard to think that she’d be the only other Jedi to learn of such news.

Whether or not Sol and Mae make it back to Coruscant, Master Vernestra will be left with explaining the deaths of so many Jedi. When it was just Master Indara and Master Torbin who had been murdered, it was easier to keep things quiet, but with the death count now sitting around ten or so Jedi, it will be a lot harder to manage. Mae and Sol’s survival complicates a lot of things, not just because of Qimir and the Sith being able to stay in the shadows, but because it’s led to a Jedi massacre.

Will The Jedi Learn The Sith Still Exist?

This Is Certainly The Biggest Question From The Acolyte

Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) and other Jedi in The Acolyte season 1 episode 4Image via Disney+

Before The Acolyte premiered, many Star Wars viewers questioned how a Sith could have appeared nearly 100 years prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, when it had been asserted that the Sith had been extinct for almost 1,000 years. One of the theories was that none of the characters from The Acolyte would live to tell the tale and reveal that the Sith still survived. While this still seems to be Qimir’s idea, it may no longer be an achievable goal.

The Acolyte’s final three episodes will have to address whether the Jedi find out about the Sith’s survival or not. If they do find out about their survival, it will be imperative that The Acolyte fills in the holes and shows audiences why the Jedi Council didn’t remember this incident during The Phantom Menace. The show must reconcile the conclusion of The Acolyte’s storyline with the events of The Phantom Menace, otherwise it may break Star Wars canon.

The Acolyte episode 5 is now streaming. New episodes release Tuesdays on Disney+.