The 10 Most Exciting Theories About The Acolyte’s Mysterious New Sith Lord

Summary

• The Acolyte introduces a new Sith Lord to Star Wars from the High Republic Era, sparking theories about their identity.
• The Sith in The Acolyte may be a Jedi Master in disguise, posing a threat to the Jedi Order from within.
• The masked figure in The Acolyte trailer could be linked to Darth Plagueis, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, or even Palpatine.

Star Wars: The Acolyte will be introducing a new Sith Lord to the Star Wars franchise, and 10 exciting theories suggest who it might be. The Acolyte represents a thrilling new era in Star Wars movies and TV shows, moving into the High Republic Era. Set about 100 years before the prequel trilogy in the Star Wars timeline, the High Republic Era—considered the golden age of both the Jedi and the Republic—will begin to crack and crumble in The Acolyte, setting the stage for the devastation to follow during and after the Clone Wars.

Now, it seems a Sith may be to blame for at least some of these fractures (and a number of dead Jedi) after a recent trailer for The Acolyte revealed a masked figure. However, the identity of that Sith remains under wraps, and, because The Acolyte is brand-new territory, the possibilities are endless. Even so, 10 exciting theories suggest who the new Sith Lord could be, and all of them seem quite plausible.

10 The Sith Could Secretly Be One Of The Jedi Masters

The Acolyte Could Have Revealed The Face Of The Sith Already

Although many mysteries remain with The Acolyte, Star Wars has released a fair bit of information about the Jedi Masters at the forefront of the show. Jedi Masters Sol, Kelnacca, Indara, and Rwoh have all been featured in various trailers, and each character has a Star Wars databank page. While they are confirmed as Jedi, though, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t secretly a Sith.

After all, deception is the way of the Sith, and Palpatine alone has made it clear how effective infiltration can be. It’s possible that one of these very Jedi Masters is the Sith in disguise, using the trust of the Jedi and their proximity to the Order to murder other Jedi. Especially because so many of The Acolyte’s characters are brand-new, this would be rather easy for Star Wars to pull off.

It’s possible that one of these very Jedi Masters is the Sith in disguise.

9 The Sith Could Be Darth Plagueis (Or Connected To Him)

One Sith Who Came Before Palpatine Is Already Canon

One very prominent and popular theory is that Darth Plagueis, Palpatine’s own Sith Master, is the Sith in disguise. Plagueis has already been mentioned in Star Wars, with Palpatine asking Anakin Skywalker if he’d ever heard the story of Darth Plagueis in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Timeline-wise, this would also make sense and leave plenty of time for Palpatine to come along by Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

This would also offer continuity between The Acolyte and The Phantom Menace, which would work well for The Acolyte as a prequel to the prequel trilogy. Given that Plagueis’ obsession was stopping death, this would also be an interesting arc and connect directly to Anakin’s story. However, The Acolyte may want to avoid too direct a line to the prequels.

8 The New Sith Could Be Possessing Mae

The Trailer Suggests Mae Might Be Acting Against Her Will

In a recent trailer, Mae, the assassin who appears to be on the dark side of the Force, seems to be in distress. In some scenes, she can be seen committing acts of violence, such as holding a knife to the throat of a Jedi. However, in the same trailer, Mae is pleading with the Jedi to believe that she is not the one going around and killing Jedi.

It’s possible that Mae is falling victim to the Sith Force ability of possessing another. This would certainly explain her distress and the confusing contradictions between her attacking the Jedi and begging the Jedi to believe she isn’t the killer. This would also be an incredibly interesting plot line, as that ability hasn’t been seen on-screen and is one of the most terrifying Sith powers. Of course, Mae could also be lying.

It’s possible that Mae is falling victim to the Sith Force ability of possessing another.

7 The Sith Could Have A Connection To The Nightsisters of Dathomir

The Acolyte Trailer Already Revealed Witches

The Acolyte trailers have also revealed the existence of witches, highly reminiscent of the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Although they do not seem to be the Nightsisters themselves, it’s conceivable that, as another coven, there would be some level of connection there. It would also be thrilling to see the Nightsisters of Dathomir not only return to Star Wars but also do so in the past.

Getting to see more of the Nightsisters’ history, especially after so many of them were massacred in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, would be amazing. Although they weren’t featured in the Skywalker Saga, they have become increasingly important to the Star Wars franchise, most recently appearing in both Ahsoka and Star Wars: Tales of the Empire. Seeing them interact with a Sith, whether on the same side or not, would be an incredible update to these intriguing characters.

6 The Sith Lord Will Kill Every Jedi Who Discovers Them

The Prequel Jedi Believe The Sith Are Extinct… But How?

Part of the confusion (and tension) around The Acolyte has stemmed from the trailers hinting that a Sith is behind the Jedi murders. Some have bristled at this idea, arguing that it means a Phantom Menace retcon. In The Phantom Menace, the Jedi Council discussed the possibility that the titular menace was a Sith Lord, but Ki-Adi-Mundi insisted that the Sith had been extinct for a millennium—and no one disagreed with him.

However, there are a number of ways to explain this. One of the bleakest but perhaps most likely explanations is that, if The Acolyte does include a Sith, every Jedi who uncovers this truth may die. After all, the villain of the trailers is clearly a Jedi killer, and that would explain why no memory of the Sith was passed down to the prequel trilogy’s Jedi Order. Whatever the case, The Acolyte won’t be retconning The Phantom Menace; there’s sure to be an explanation.

The Acolyte
won’t be retconning
The Phantom Menace
.

5 The Sith Is Preparing The Way For Palpatine

This Sith May Foresee What Is To Come

Another exciting possible connection to The Phantom Menace and the other prequel movies would be the Sith in The Acolyte intentionally laying the groundwork for Palpatine to eventually rise. The gift of foresight has long been a Force power, seen throughout the prequels in Anakin’s nightmares, and someone powerful in the dark side of the Force would surely have access to that power. In light of that, it’s entirely possible that this Sith is simply making way for Palpatine’s future.

If that were the case, it could explain why the Jedi Council didn’t think the Sith existed any longer. Perhaps this Sith remained in the shadows, killing Jedi but prioritizing setting up Palpatine’s eventual grab for power. Of course, this would contradict the nature of the Sith to a large degree. It would be unusual for a Sith to be interested in the pursuits of another; they tend to only be invested in their own power.

4 The Sith Could Be Darth Tenebrous

Darth Plagueis’ Master Could Be The Masked Villain

If the Sith isn’t Darth Plagueis, as many are expecting, then Darth Plagueis’ own Sith Master, Darth Tenebrous, could be the masked figure. Darth Tenebrous has had a complex Star Wars history. He was designated as Legends in 2014 but then re-entered the canon soon after, in 2015. However, little has been revealed about him in canon, and his Legends story may not match his role if he is the Sith in The Acolyte.

This would be another interesting choice, as it would be a connection to the Sith of the Skywalker Saga but reach even further back. This may also open the door for a rumored season 2 of The Acolyte to jump forward significantly in time. Given there are 100 years between The Acolyte and The Phantom Menace, it wouldn’t be surprising for a second season to leap ahead.

3 The Masked Figure Isn’t The Sith Master—It’s The Sith Apprentice

With The Rule Of Two, Another Sith Must Be Somewhere

The Sith Rule of Two is a complex part of Star Wars. In The Phantom Menace, Yoda told Mace Windu, “Only two there are… no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.” However, this became confusing over time, as it seemed there were many Sith at a time multiple times. This began in The Clone Wars when Darth Maul was revealed to still be alive following his presumed death in The Phantom Menace, but it became even more convoluted with Palpatine’s shocking return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

However, Star Wars has since amended the explanation, stating that the Sith are often led by two but can be many. Even so, if a Sith is running around killing Jedi, The Acolyte will likely introduce a master and apprentice pair, in keeping with Star Wars tradition. Thrillingly, it isn’t clear from the trailers whether the Sith is the master or the apprentice. If it’s the apprentice, an even more terrifying villain could be on the way.

2 The Sith Could Be Trying To Find An Apprentice

Every Sith Master Needs An Apprentice

Given the Sith Rule of Two (even the adapted version), if the masked figure from the trailer is a solitary Sith, it might mean that, in addition to killing Jedi, that Sith is on the hunt for an apprentice. This would be a thrilling plot point, as it could mean an exploration of various dark side Force-users and a look into how Sith master and apprentice pairs are established (outside of Palpatine’s decade-long pursuit of Anakin Skywalker). This would also make sense in light of the show’s title.

The Acolyte seemingly refers to someone beneath the level of an apprentice. In that case, the show’s acolyte (presumably Mae) may either be working for a Sith apprentice or be attempting to prove herself as the best choice for the next apprentice. In either case, witnessing a Sith Lord attempt to select an apprentice would be a fascinating addition to the franchise.

1 The Sith Will Be The First Ren

The Knights Of Ren Are Still Mysterious

Based on the Sith mask in the recent trailer for The Acolyte, many are speculating that this Sith could be the very first Ren, connected to Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren from the sequel trilogy. This would be an incredible twist, as the sequels still receive significant criticism in the franchise. This could be an excellent way to connect these two eras and legitimize one of the major concepts from the sequel movies.

Many are speculating that this Sith could be the very first Ren.

Moreover, this would provide yet another Star Wars group with considerably more history, as has happened with the Nightsisters of Dathomir and myriad other Star Wars groups as well. At present, it remains to be seen exactly who this Sith Lord is and what their other connections are. However, each of these 10 theories is a thrilling possibility for the new Sith seemingly emerging in Star Wars: The Acolyte.

The Acolyte premieres on June 4 on Disney+.

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