Star Wars: The Acolyte finally revealed the identity of the masked villain presumed to be a Sith, but I believe he is something much better—and it will fix a major Star Wars sequel trilogy problem. The Acolyte episode 5 was absolutely full of shocking moments, but perhaps the biggest reveal in the episode was the identity of the masked master Mae answers to, officially called the Stranger. Although episode 4 had already dropped some major hints, episode 5 confirmed that Mae’s odd accomplice, Qimir, was the villain all along.

Many believe, based on the Stranger’s incredible skill with the Force, use of a red lightsaber, and search for an Acolyte, that he is a Sith Lord. However, episode 5 notably did not confirm that Qimir/the Stranger is a Sith; rather, the Stranger said that the Jedi may perceive him that way. Although subtle, this is one of many clues that the Stranger is not a Sith, and, if my theory is correct, it’s going to fix a glaring issue in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Qimir Should Be The First Knight Of Ren

One prominent theory is that the Stranger is not really a Sith at all; rather, he may be the first Knight of Ren. Alongside his comment that the Jedi may consider him a Sith (rather than saying he is one), numerous things about Qimir make him an unlikely Sith Lord. For one, he has neither the classic Darth name nor the Sith yellow eyes. For another, he seems to be breaking the Sith Rule of Two, as he currently has no apprentice and doesn’t seem to have a master.

Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon also held her own against the Stranger in battle and, while he did ultimately kill her, it would be quite odd for a Padawan to be able to fight a Sith Lord. Even outside the hints that Qimir isn’t a true Sith, though, making the Stranger the first Knight of Ren (or even an ancient Knight of Ren) would be so much more compelling. In truth, Star Wars has struggled to identify villains who aren’t Sith in recent years, as made evident by Emperor Palpatine becoming the ‘big bad’ in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

In part, this could be because it’s difficult to make the Sith story continually feel new. Yes, it would be cool for Qimir to be a brand-new Sith or be revealed as a major Sith’s apprentice, such as Darth Plagueis (another popular theory), but it would feel so much more innovative for The Acolyte to break away from the old story of the Sith versus the Jedi. This would especially make sense, as the show has prided itself on and billed itself as something completely new to Star Wars movies and TV shows.

It would feel so much more innovative for The Acolyte to break away from the old story of the Sith versus the Jedi.

The Stranger Not Being A Sith Makes Much More Sense

One of the biggest complaints about The Acolyte that started circulating before the show even premiered was that it seemingly retconned the prequel trilogy. From the moment the first trailer dropped, audiences were concerned that the introduction of a new Sith Lord would contradict what had been said about the Sith in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. In The Phantom Menace, Ki-Adi-Mundi stated that the Sith had been extinct for a millennium.

While this was not true, as Palpatine and Sith before him had clearly been working in the shadows, Star Wars audiences have begun to argue that it is the Jedi’s awareness of the Sith, not the Sith’s existence, that would be the retcon. After all, when Ki-Adi-Mundi made that assertion, no one on the Jedi Council contradicted him, suggesting they also believed the Sith to be eradicated (or, more ominously, were concealing the truth for some reason). Thus far, this remains an unaddressed problem in The Acolyte.

It is the Jedi’s awareness of the Sith, not the Sith’s existence, that would be the retcon.

Although the Stranger did kill countless Jedi in episode 5, witnesses still remain, most notably Master Sol and Osha, who would undoubtedly report their discovery to the Jedi. In fact, while episode 5 concluded before Sol’s next steps could be revealed, presumably, he will immediately tell Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, spreading the message that the Sith have returned even further. It sadly seems likely that Master Sol will not make it out of The Acolyte alive, but unless Qimir kills everyone, it’s still unclear how the Jedi would have been oblivious to the Sith’s return.

If Qimir were not a Sith at all, this problem would be resolved. Although Sol may believe the Stranger to be a Sith right now, if he ultimately discovers he isn’t—perhaps because he is instead a Knight of Ren—then no retcon would be necessary. The Jedi would still believe the Sith were extinct and, likely, that Qimir was only a pretender. Moreover, whether another Sith is revealed in The Acolyte would almost be irrelevant, so long as the Jedi never encountered or discovered them.

A Knights Of Ren Origin Story Would Solve My Biggest Sequel Trilogy Complaint

Most important of all, in my view, is that Qimir being the first Knight of Ren would address the major issue I still have with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker in particular. Specifically, I believe Kylo Ren/Ben Solo’s arc was one of the biggest issues in the sequels. The introduction of Kylo Ren was fascinating, and many found him to be the best part of the sequel trilogy. He also represented an entirely new type of villain in Star Wars movies, which should have given the sequels plenty of new material to work with.

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo’s arc was one of the biggest issues in the sequels.

Sadly, the Knights of Ren were barely shown on screen throughout the sequels, and their role in Kylo Ren’s story was minimal at best. Moreover, I found Kylo Ren’s redemption arc in The Rise of Skywalker disappointing, as it didn’t feel new; it felt like a recycled version of Darth Vader’s story. Making Kylo Ren the true villain of the sequels and having him only grow more evil with time (as Adam Driver has indicated was originally the plan) would have been much more compelling, and it could have meant the Knights of Ren being front and center.

Now, The Acolyte can do right by the Knights of Ren. While only a few episodes remain, showrunner Leslye Headland has already expressed interest in additional seasons, meaning the history of the Knights of Ren could be laid out in much greater detail. This would also be an incredible connection to the sequels and would further legitimize them, which Star Wars still needs. While it remains to be seen precisely what the Stranger is, I’m hoping Star Wars: The Acolyte confirms that he is indeed the first Knight of Ren.

New episodes of The Acolyte release on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.