The Acolyte has been nothing if not divisive, but make no mistake about it, the latest Star Wars TV series is an important addition to the wider franchise.
While today's season finale addressed many of the biggest questions we had heading into the episode, it also created some new ones and left a handful to be addressed in a future story. With any luck, despite the noise online, a second season is in the works at Lucasfilm!
In this feature, we've rounded up all the main unanswered questions we have after watching "The Acolyte" (yes, that is the finale's official title). Plus, we delve into how they could be addressed and what all this means for Star Wars moving forward.
Join us on this deep dive into The Acolyte by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
7. What's The Deal With Darth Plagueis?
We don't even have to wait 15 minutes before Darth Plagueis shows up. As Qimir and Osha leave the unnamed planet, the Sith Lord - who doesn't appear to be a young Muun at this point in the timeline - is shown watching them from The Stranger's cave.
In the Expanded Universe, Plagueis murdered his master, Darth Tenebrous, on a cortosis-rich world called Bal'demnic. Now, it seems safe to say that's where The Stranger - and potentially his Master - call home.
Regardless of whether Plagueis is stalking Qimir from afar or The Acolyte's secret big bad, he's likely here to further his goals when it comes to immortality. His EU counterpart was obsessed with cheating death and creating life, so where better to start than with Mae and Osha?
6. Is The Stranger "Real"?
This is a pretty wild theory and one which hadn't occurred to us until today's finale. During this episode, The Stranger vanishes and reappears on at least two occasions, and while that might just be a sign of how powerful he is, what if he isn't real?
In the Star Wars sequels, Rey and Kylo Ren both use Force projection powers, as does Luke Skywalker when he battles his nephew in The Last Jedi. What if the monstrous Plagueis is doing the same, using Qimir as a front to manipulate Mae and Osha?
This could explain why he appears to grow angry when Osha refuses The Stranger's offer to become his pupil. The main problem with this is we've seen Qimir physically interact with those around him!
5. Will Mae Remember Her Past?
The Stranger wipes Mae's mind to stop the Jedi from discovering where he and Osha are. Now, she remembers nothing beyond the age of 8 when the Jedi inadvertently killed her mother and the coven she was so committed to.
That gives Mae a fresh start, all while her "twin" embraces the Dark Side as Qimir's new Acolyte. Vernestra Rwoh clearly believes she can be of use, though, and we'd bet on Mae's memories returning.
After all, what Qimir did to her can't be entirely foolproof and could fade with time. Osha also seems pretty adamant that they'll one day reunite, though we have a bad feeling that neither of them is getting a happy ending.
4. Can Vernestra Rwoh Be Trusted?
Some feel that The Acolyte has depicted the Jedi as "villains." That's an overly simplistic view of what the series has done; instead, we're simply seeing how the Order's arrogance eventually led to their downfall, just as Senator Rayencourt predicts.
Vernestra Rwoh covers up what happened on Brendok and allows everyone to believe Sol was a killer to protect the Jedi and stop the Senate from investigating them and potentially interfering in how they choose to police the Galaxy.
We believe Rwoh has good intentions, but the fact she once taught Qimir raises a whole new set of questions. She claims he turned to the Dark Side, but that scar on his back suggests the Jedi violently attacked him. Are we looking at another Luke Skywalker/Kylo Ren situation?
3. Is There ANOTHER Sith Master?
Qimir never explicitly states that he's a Sith and seeks an Acolyte, not an apprentice. He also wants the Power of Two, something that could be altogether different from the Rule of Two (which means there can only be two Sith at any one time).
With that in mind, it's possible Plagueis is his Master and Qimir is now looking to betray him and use the Force how he sees fit. Alternatively, Tenebrous may be alive and Emperor Palpatine's future Master has been sent there to kill a potential usurper.
Until we get a second season, there are lots of ways to read this ending. Disney has established that more than just the Jedi wield the Force, so that could extend to the Dark Side as well. The simplest answer is that Qimir is Plagueis' pupil several decades before the Muun finds Palpatine!
2. Why Was Kylo Ren's Theme Used?
Kylo Ren's theme has been used sporadically throughout the second half of The Acolyte, leading to theories The Stanger may be the founder of the Knights of Ren. That's still possible, though we now think it's because his Master betrayed him just as Luke did to Ben Solo years later.
Lucasfilm has played deliberately coy when it comes to The Stranger's identity. Qimir was a cover, and while Vernestra knows who he really is, there has to be a reason why we've been told so little about him.
It's worth noting that Darth Tenebrous, Plagueis' Master, also had a second, unofficial apprentice, "Darth" Venamis. We don't think that's Qimir, but as we're referring to EU storytelling, who knows how those characters will be reinterpreted? It may explain Plagueis' apparent anger!
1. Where Is This All Leading?
Tenebrous also coveted immortality and, when Plagueis killed him, he secretly transferred his "maxi-chlorians" into his apprentice. With his consciousness hidden in his fellow Sith's body, the plan was to lay in wait and eventually possess the Chosen One.
However, his plan backfired when Palpatine - during the events of The Phantom Menace - murdered Plagueis, leaving him trapped in a Force purgatory of sorts. Many years later, the Emperor utilised a similar power to transfer his mind into a series of unsuccessful clone bodies.
The Acolyte appears to be setting the stage for a Sith Lord to study Mae and/or Osha so they can create the Chosen One, a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker. That makes this his origin story and an exploration of how, decades later, Palpatine will use that to rise to power.