Star Wars: The Acolyte’s new Sith Lord’s greatest – and most dangerous – strength is also the Jedi’s greatest weakness. The Acolyte episode 5, “Night,” revealed that Mae’s (Amandla Stenberg) bumbling partner, Qimir (Manny Jacinto), was her Sith Master. Brutal, lethal, and incredibly powerful, Qimir managed to easily defeat over a dozen Jedi on Khofar, slaughtering them in a bloodbath unlike any seen before in Star Wars. Clearly, Qimir is powerfully connected to the dark side – but that isn’t the only thing that makes him dangerous.

Where episode 5 revealed just how physically threatening Qimir was, The Acolyte episode 6, “Teach/Corrupt,” showed how clever he was. He hid his true identity from Mae and the Jedi who pursued her well – clearly, he can mask his connection with the Force, just like Palpatine was able to do for all those years during the Star Wars prequel trilogy. But there’s more to Qimir’s Sith Lord than meets the eye, and his past as a Jedi may have given him the greatest advantage of all.

The Sith Are Master Manipulators

Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann

The Sith are, traditionally, masterful manipulators. They get under their opponents’ skin, picking at their most volatile weaknesses, biding their time until the perfect moment to strike presents itself. Palpatine, of course, was extremely clever in this regard; he manipulated the Jedi Order into taking part in an unwinnable war, and he clawed at Anakin’s insecurities and desperate need for love until the young Jedi succumbed to the dark side. Qimir, too, manipulated Mae by hiding his real identity and encouraging her need for revenge. But now, with Osha (Amandla Stenberg), he’s using a different approach.

The Acolyte’s Sith Lord Is Capable Of Empathy – And That Makes Him Dangerous

Generally, the Jedi and the Sith lack an important social skill: empathy. While the Sith are driven by their own emotions and able to recognize them in others, they use those emotions to their advantage – it’s all part of the manipulation. On the other hand, while the Jedi are capable of sympathy, the emotional distance dictated by the Jedi Code doesn’t allow them the space to truly understand why someone is feeling a certain way. They can feel concern for another person’s well-being, but that’s not the same. Qimir, however, doesn’t seem to share the Jedi and the Sith’s lack of empathy.

Qimir knows that Osha isn’t easily deceived. If he wants her to stay, if he wants her to become his pupil, then he needs to be completely authentic with her and connect with her on a deeper level.

Instead, he’s unnervingly open and honest with Osha. He reveals that he used to be a Jedi, too, and that he understands what it’s like to be thrown away by them. He appreciates her need for freedom and connection and tells her all this while still giving her the option to leave. Qimir knows that Osha isn’t easily deceived. If he wants her to stay, if he wants her to become his pupil – and perhaps something more – then he needs to be completely authentic with her and connect with her on a deeper level.

He doesn’t pity her or view her emotions as weak – he values them because he feels them, too. He’s lonely, she’s lonely. Underneath it all, they both want to feel like they belong to something or someone. He is, of course, party seducing her to the dark side – he makes himself vulnerable while bathing so that she knows what he’s telling her is the truth – but he isn’t offering her anything he can’t actually provide. Emotionally speaking, Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Sith Lord is a new, more dangerous type of threat.