The Sith Lord of The Acolyte decimated the Jedi, and he used a devastating new type of lightsaber to do it. The Acolyte episode 5 finally revealed the long awaited identity of the show’s Sith Lord, and it was none other than Qimir, Mae’s trusty helper. That wasn’t the only surprise the episode had in store, though, as Qimir also had a very unusual – and surprising – lightsaber at his disposal. He used it to rip through a big chunk of The Acolyte‘s cast of characters, which gave his lightsaber a devastating first appearance.

There are several types of lightsabers in Star Wars canon, from the standard single blade used by most Jedi and Sith to more unique types like double-bladed and the lightspear. Some types of lightsabers are significantly more common than others, and the Sith Lord of The Acolyte has a particularly unique one. His type of lightsaber has never been seen in any Star Wars movie or show, and its first live-action appearance caught all the Jedi by surprise. Though Qimir’s blade was surprisingly game-changing and rule-breaking, there is a bit of information about it that can be parsed from The Acolyte.

The Sith Lord’s Lightsaber Can Be Split Into Two Blades

In a particularly high-adrenaline moment, Qimir separated his lightsaber at the hilt and turned it into two smaller blades. In the heat of battle, this helped him surprise Jecki Lon and kill her before she could react to the new configuration. This type of dual-wield lightsaber has been used in Star Wars canon before, by Cal Kestis in the Star Wars Jedi games. There are a few key differences between Cal’s and Qimir’s lightsabers, though, and it seems Qimir’s was specifically designed to deceive his opponents, among other things.

How Does This New Version Of A Double Lightsaber Work?

While Cal’s lightsaber seems to be different from Qimir’s, it can still offer some insight into how it works. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order showed that Cal’s lightsaber was powered by a kyber crystal that had broken in two. That was a key factor in allowing Cal’s lightsaber to split into two blades, and Qimir’s likely also required two kyber crystals. The need for two crystals likely applied doubly to Qimir, since his second blade was completely hidden within the hilt of his full lightsaber. Since Qimir’s blades were facing the same direction, the second blade’s emitter also separates the two crystals.

Cal Kestis’ dual-wield lightsaber broke away from his double-bladed lightsaber, meaning each blade was facing a separate direction, and his enemies could tell he had two blades.

Qimir’s lightsaber also differs from other types already seen in live-action Star Wars. Characters like the Inquisitors have used double-bladed lightsabers in the past, and Ahsoka Tano is well-known for using two separate lightsabers to dual-wield. Those lightsaber types typically use a single kyber crystal, but there are other lightsabers that use two kyber crystals. Darth Vader’s blade, for example, had two crystals so he could change the length of his blade at will. Darth Maul, as well, had two crystals to ignite either or both ends of his saber. Using two kyber crystals seems to often be a mark of the dark side.

The Two Blades Are Separated With A Twist

Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore

A very important part of Qimir’s lightsaber is the fact that he needed to twist the second blade off the handle of his main weapon to separate them. This seems like a small feature meant to keep the lightsabers together, but it also connects Qimir to a different character from The Acolyte: Vernestra Rwoh. Vernestra famously wielded the lightwhip, a type of lightsaber that could lose its rigid blade-like shape and act more like a rope, or whip. She could cycle between both forms, and the way she did so was by twisting part of the handle, just as Qimir did.

The Acolyte will almost certainly bring another new lightsaber into live-action with the lightwhip, but its connection to Qimir’s dual-wield blades could run even deeper. A major goal of The Acolyte has been to examine and critique the Jedi, especially as they relate to the Sith. The fact that Qimir uses a “trick” lightsaber seems like a dirty way to fight, but Vernestra’s lightsaber may be similarly deceptive. It seems The Acolyte could be setting itself up to assert that the Jedi aren’t as different from the Sith as they seem, and Qimir’s lightsaber could be the first sign of that.

New episodes of The Acolyte premiere on Tuesday nights on Disney+.