The Acolyteintroduced Manny Jacinto as the mysterious Sith Lord known as the Stranger, and Jacinto has just dropped a massive clue about his true identity. Theend ofThe Acolyteleft so many unanswered questions about the Stranger, not least becauseit also showed the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis watching in the shadows. It’s unclear whether we’ll ever get the answers we need, givenThe Acolytewas canceledby Disney last year.
Manny Jacinto attended Megacon Orlando over the weekend, and he dropped a few tantalizing hints about the Stranger’s true identity. According to attendees such asLianna, he confirmed that"Qimir" - the name Jacinto’s character first used - is just an alias. Curiously, Jacinto noted that he was also given hints about the Stranger’s true name. That suggestshe’s playing an already-established character inStar Warslore.
I Think I Know Who The Stranger Really Is
He’d Be The Perfect Darth Venamis
There’s been intense discussion about howThe Acolyte’s new Sith Lord fits into canon. He doesn’t really fit into the line of Sith, given Plagueis is famous as the one who trained Palpatine - not this Stranger. Jacinto’s hint suggests the Stranger is an established character, though, and that changes everything; it means we need to look to the oldStar WarsExpanded Universefor clues.
There’s one likely candidate from Legends lore: Darth Venamis, who was previously a Bith but has presumably been reinterpreted. In Legends, Darth Venamis was actually Plagueis' rival; Plagueis' own master had trained two potential successors, a direct violation of the Sith Rule of Two.The Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland had always teased that her show was an exploration of the Rule of Two, and this would be the perfect fit.
Our Take On The Acolyte’s Sith Lord
A Character I Desperately Want To See More Of
There’s some evidenceThe Acolyte’s cancelation may have been a mistake; while the show didn’t have the viewership to justify its budget, it has had a surprising longevity for Disney+. The story isn’t quite over yet, because a number of tie-in novels are known to be in the works, and it’s possible Justina Ireland’sWayseeker- whose starring character Vernestra Rwoh has a strong tie to the Stranger - could be an essential read. We’ll hopefully get some more clues toThe Acolytesoon.
