Star Wars Strips Off Another Sith, This Time For a Good Reason

Episode 6 of ‘The Acolyte’ offered little excitement or advancement in the overall story this week. While a few mysteries, such as The Power of Two and Qimir’s Jedi background, were teased, the show returned to a slow pace.

If you’ve perused social media for fan reactions to the episode, you’ve likely seen fans buzzing about the steamy and provocative scenes featuring Qimir, also known as The Master or The Stranger.

We’re well aware of the Star Wars fandom’s penchant for bad guys, particularly shirtless ones. We’ve seen the reactions to shirtless Kylo Ren in ‘The Last Jedi,’ and ‘The Acolyte’ seems to continue this tradition, albeit with a significant narrative purpose.

In Episode 6, we witness Qimir preparing to swim in the ocean. As Osha stalks him, presumably to confront him, Qimir undresses. When he becomes aware of Osha’s presence, he emerges from the water completely nude and approaches her, seemingly unconcerned that she’s holding his lightsaber and possibly unaware of how to wield it.

This scene wasn’t just for admiring the physique of the newest Sith Lord in the franchise; it symbolized several crucial points, besides the obvious effort Jacinto put into his physique.

Firstly, Qimir shows he isn’t afraid of Osha and doesn’t think she genuinely wants to kill him. He’s confident she’ll uphold Jedi principles, despite no longer being part of the order.

Secondly, he aimed to expose his vulnerable side to her. Qimir opens up while defenseless, letting her see that he carries past traumas. Whether his disclosure was sincere or a tactic to gain her sympathy remains uncertain.

There’s another reason Qimir spends much of the episode nearly naked, something Headland clearly wanted to highlight—Qimir’s scars. Based on what we’ve learned in this episode, it’s likely Qimir was mistreated by his Jedi master, and fans are speculating that Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip might have inflicted those notable scars on his back.

Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!