Yesterday's episode of The Acolyte finally pulled the curtain back on The Master, confirming Qimir is the Sith villain who instructed Mae to murder the Jedi Masters she crossed paths with as a child.
While "Qimir" claimed to have no name, the villain has been given an official moniker by Lucasfilm. Despite being dubbed "The Master" up until now, StarWars.com - and some upcoming merchandise - labels him "The Stranger."
"With a specialized cortosis gauntlet and a mask permanently twisted into a frightful grin, the Stranger with a red-bladed lightsaber appears as if out of thin air," reads an official character description. "While some may call him a Sith, little is known of this dark sider who has been training Mae Aniseya in secret, hiding his face from his pupil."
"When needed, he has adopted the alias Qimir, acting as a shiftless drifter and supplier with seemingly no cares at all other than his own amusements."
Like the Stranger himself, it appears Lucasfilm is deliberately stopping short of confirming that he is indeed a Sith. There could be a good reason for that, of course, though what it is likely won't be revealed until a future episode.
There are also details on the Stranger's helmet. It's said, "Twisted metal forms a sinister smile on the cortosis helmet that masks the identity of the Stranger and keeps Force-sensitives from peering into their thoughts. With no name and no allegiance to the Jedi, this dangerous creature seeks freedom to wield their power as they like."
As for his lightsaber, "The Stranger’s red-bladed lightsaber conceals a secret: a hidden dagger that can be deployed when the hilt is separated into two parts."
Take a closer look at the Stranger's helmet from The Acolyte below.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems...
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The next Star Wars TV series comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
Five episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.