Is wanting freedom so wrong? The Acolyte‘s Qimir tempts us to think very deeply about that question as he swings into the Star Wars universe with style and charisma. The series has been teasing the identity of its villainous Sith Lord master since its first episode. And finally, in episode five of The Acolyte, the villain’s mask flew off, and below it was the initially unassuming smuggler Qimir. Although many fans were already leaning toward Qimir as the Sith Lord “Master” on The Acolyte, few could have predicted Manny Jacinto’s complete shift in temperament, voice, attitude… and, dare we say it, magnetism.
Of course, Jacinto’s Qimir looks good. (We all see and agree with those posts about his very muscular arms.) But the character’s powers of seduction hit on an even more existential level than that. “I’ve accepted my darkness,” Qimir tells Sol. And never has following in his dark side footsteps seemed like such a compelling offering.
Qimir says that the Jedi might call him a Sith on The Acolyte. But whether he is a Sith in the Star Wars universe isn’t exactly confirmed yet. Qimir notes, “He has no name.” Regardless, while the Sith are all about passion, they still have a codified set of rules that orders them to follow it. Of course, the Jedi love to put restrictions on the use of the Force and want emotions and desires to be as tamped down as possible.
The Acolyte‘s Qimir seems very uninterested in all of that. Instead, his use of the Force and his fighting skills verge on many of the seven deadly sins—gluttonous, wrathful, and full of lust. He cuts a row of trees down because he can. Qimir murders Jedi after Jedi on The Acolyte because they’re in his way. He headbutts lightsabers, draped in the rare, powerful metal cortosis, to fizzle them out. All the while, he turns the Jedi’s absurd trainings right back on them. Yord says of him, “He doesn’t follow the rules of combat; there’s no method to his movements. It doesn’t make sense.” And it’s an apt description.
In these ways, Qimir brings something primal to the depiction of Star Wars‘ dark side that feels new. He moves and acts like a force of nature, hungry and consuming. Qimir’s powers seem barely controlled by even himself, dancing along his whims as they fluidly shift and change. And yes, the fact that Qimir’s arms are carelessly bare in the middle of battle has something to do with it, as does the sensuality of Jacinto’s portrayal of the character.
There’s a primordial sense to the power The Acolyte‘s Qimir has. And this godliness infects everything from how he fights to the very construction of his eloquent speeches about the nature of humanity and Jedi throughout the season. Of course, his desire for an Acolyte, a worshipper, and not an Apprentice or Padawan, only bolster the idea of of Qimir as a god… or a devil. Qimir makes the dark side feel more intimate and yet expansive than ever before.
Star Wars Sith have sought to rule the galaxy in previous franchise outings, often speaking of creating a “new order” in the universe. But Qimir’s desires aren’t about control; they’re about the complete surrendering of it. “Freedom.” He notes, when Sol asks him what he wants. “The freedom to wield my power the way I like.” Qimir’s version of darkness is heady. It doesn’t involve Imperial Marches or the building of an Empire. Qimir simply wants to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to do it. He wants to manipulate and pretend, to raise his eyebrows snarkily with one breath and bring death in the next. He doesn’t make any sense, as Yord points out, and he doesn’t have to. Qimir moves beyond a rational understanding and transforms into a greater force.
And so, as we watch Qimir dance through battle after battle on The Acolyte, taking in the way he defeats everyone in his path, outsmarts them, and seemingly has a great time doing it, we really do find ourselves asking: Is wanting freedom so wrong? The dark side has truly never looked so good.
Rotem Rusak is Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist and a pop culture enthusiast. She’s always here to find the beauty in a villain.