the acolyteThe fourth episode saw Mae's mysterious dark master emerge from the shadows. Who is this sinister Force user who wields a red lightsaber and sends his student to assassinate Jedi? This unknown masked figure has kept their identity a secret even from their disciple, but could we already know who they really are? Here are the four most likely War of the galaxies suspects for the acolytethe unknown Master.
Mother Koril and Mother Aniseya
We're combining these two under one banner because they're both obvious candidates to be Mae's Master for the same reasons. The Jedi tracked a hidden coven of powerful witches because the Jedi did not want any unauthorized people training young children in the ways of the Force. (Especially in ways some consider “dark.”) The Jedi Knights didn't stop Mae from ascending, but they did stop Osha. They then tested both girls in the ways of the Force for possible acceptance as Padawan Jedi. That unwanted intrusion led to the destruction of the coven. An angry Mae, who already had dark side tendencies, started a deadly fire as her sister was about to leave with the Jedi.
Master Sol said that everyone died in that fire, but there is every reason to doubt that the Jedi were completely honest about what happened at Brendok. Even if Sol is telling the truth, though, he thought that Mae only died so that she would reappear years later. What if someone else also survived? Someone like the leader of the group, the girl's powerful mother Aniseya? Or the stern but loving witch who carried the twins. Mother Koril? Both would make a powerful teacher, both literally and thematically.
If the Master is indeed Mother Aniseya or Mother Koril (no other witch we've ever met makes sense as a serious possibility), it will mean that Jedi arrogance about who can use the Force will have created the very enemy that will destroy them. They could have left those witches to live their lives in peace. Instead, they were given a reason to hate the Jedi.
Of course, someone else on the show who also has close ties to Mae also hates the Jedi.
Qimir
The Master's number one most obvious suspect, we'd bet, is Mae's partner, Qimir. He helped her kill Jedi and already seemed to be hiding a big secret before episode four made his activities even more suspicious. Manny Jacinto's soft-spoken ex-smuggler is too capable and knows too much to be a random trader. His introduction to the show had us wondering if he really is a dark side user like Mae.
Our suspicions only grew during episode four. Qimir, who easily stopped a surprise attack from Mae in episode two, somehow fell into a basic trap. He was then bound and left behind just before Mae decided to turn her back on her Master and surrender to the Jedi. Except that was when he found Master Kelnacca already killed. How someone cut a Jedi Wookiee? And at home? No one, not even his fellow Jedi, knew exactly where Kelnacca lived.
Except Qimir. And he wasn't seen after Mae left him hanging on that tree.
The strangely capable and brilliant Qimir is an unknown figure who aids and abets the killing of the Jedi. He also (correctly) talks about Jedi arrogance and knows things about the Order that no one else does. And in episode four he disappears right before a powerful Jedi is killed and the Master reveals himself to the Jedi.
That's a pretty big series of coincidences, enough to make us believe that Qimir is the Master. But we still can't be entirely sure, especially when there's a fourth notable candidate. He is a “wise” figure. War of the galaxies fans heard about the most famous Sith Lord in history for the first time.
Darth Plagueis
In Revenge of the Sith Chancellor Palpatine emotionally manipulated Anakin, worried about Padmé's death, with a story the Jedi would never tell him. Palpatine told the story of the Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis the Wise.
“Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence midi-chlorians to create life. He had such great knowledge of the dark side that he could even prevent those he cared about from dying.“
War of the galaxies he later confirmed what the scene only suggested, that Darth Plagueis was Palpatine's master. Palpatine said Anakin Plagueis taught his apprentice “everything he knew.” Unfortunately for Plagueis, who had become obsessed with immortality and saving those he loved, he could not be saved when Palpatine murdered Plagueis in his sleep.
War of the galaxies has further expanded Plagueis' off-screen story, if only a little, and showed what it looked like. But he has never appeared in a movie or TV show. That is unless he already has because Mae's masked Master, the one who will put the Sith on the path to power in the galaxy far, far away, is Plagueis. That would do connect the twins to Anakin even more…
It's also possible that our third and fourth candidates are the same, because Qimir is Plagueis. That would be quite a revelation, but it might not be the show's biggest secret. Because while we will inevitably learn the identity of Mae's Master, the show he might be hiding something even more important behind that zippered mask: the master is actually the acolyte of the show's title, which means they have an even more powerful master.
To find out why read our article Who does the title of acolyte really refer to??
Mikey Walsh is a Nerdist writer who can't wait for Darth Plagueis to finally show up. You can follow it Twitter i Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
