The end of The Acolyte episode 6 showed Qimir repairing the cortosis helmet he had worn in the previous episode. As he solders the pieces back together, he reveals to Osha that the helmet acts as a sensory deprivation headpiece, and encourages her to try it on. The episode ends with Osha putting on the helmet, showing audiences how this helmet limits visibility and makes Qimir’s actions in The Acolyte episode 5 during the Jedi massacre that much more impressive. However, this isn’t the first time audiences have seen a Jedi go into battle unable to see.
Qimir’s Helmet Blinds Him Out Of Choice
It Acts As A Sensory Deprivation Chamber
Qimir explains to Osha that his helmet is useful in battle, not only because it’s made of cortosis and is effective against lightsabers, but also because it helps him connect to the Force better. Because the helmet dulls all of his senses, it allows it to just be Qimir and the Force while it’s on. This creates a much stronger connection and would allow him to command the Force better than the Jedi he encountered on Khofar. This was a conscious choice by the Sith to dull other senses such as sight to better engage others.
While Qimir wasn’t able to “see” in the traditional sense, he was able to sense every little thing that happened around him.
Being able to engage in lightsaber combat without the ability to see requires deep concentration and an intimate relationship with the Force. While Qimir wasn’t able to “see” in the traditional sense, he was able to sense every little thing that happened around him. It’s especially impressive when thinking of when Qimir turned his head to look at Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen)’s second lightsaber in The Acolyte episode 5; he couldn’t physically see the blade, but he could sense its ignition and was still surprised by it.
Kanan Jarrus Was Blind Due To Circumstance
He Was Blinded by Maul In Star Wars Rebels
One of the protagonists of Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus, was blinded on the planet Malachor after engaging in battle with Darth Maul. The aftereffects of Kanan’s blindness weren’t explored until Rebels season 3, where it was shown that he had isolated himself from other members of the Ghost crew, as well as his Padawan Ezra Bridger. With the help of the mysterious Force user Bendu, Kanan learned how to use the Force in order to see.
As part of his blindness, Kanan Jarrus had to reimagine how he used the Force on a daily basis. It wasn’t the same as it was prior to his blindness, but he instead had to connect to everything and everyone around him in order to “see.” This new and stronger connection in the Force made Kanan a better Jedi and teacher. Because of his blindness, Kanan often let the Force guide him, something that wasn’t done just because he was a Jedi but also out of necessity.
