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The Acolyte is a 2024 Disney+ series that serves as the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise. Even after the finale, one of the most enduring mysteries that remains is the identity of the Stranger.
The story is a distant prequel to The Phantom Menace and covers the closing moments of the High Republic era. The plot kicks off when Jedi Master Sol, played by Lee-Jung-jae, investigates a series of murders, he comes across a much deeper plot than he expected.
Following an unexpected reunion with his old Padawan "Osha" Aniseya, played by Amanda Stenberg, the two face off against Osha's estranged twin sister, Vera, who's become adept at using the dark side of the force.
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However, the Stranger, who also operates under the alias of Qimiri, is an even more powerful and sinister force user. He has been serving as Vera's master, to the point that he could very well be a Sith lord himself.
Though The Acolyte didn't give any definitive answer on who the Stranger really is, it did drop a lot of hints regarding his background and prior history, allowing fans to theorize on who he could be.
The most prominent theories speculate that the Stranger might be Vernestra Rwoh's former Padawan, Darth Plagueis's apprentice or rival, or a renegade Sith who isn't beholden to the Sith order at all.
Disclaimer: This article is speculative in nature and contains spoilers from the show.
The Acolyte implies The Stranger has a prior history with Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh
In episode 6 of The Acolyte, the Stranger tells Osha that he was once a Jedi Padawan just like her until he was stabbed in the back and betrayed. Furthermore, the same episode shows the Stranger shirtless and shows a scar on his back consistent with the shape of Vernestra's lightsaber whip.
The finale deepens the implication that Vernestra Rwoh was the Stranger's former master. When she arrives on Brendok, she's quick to sense the Stranger through the force and immediately recognizes him despite him wearing his helmet.
Vernestra did have a padawan in the prior High Republic canon, namely Imri Cantaros. The two had a fraught relationship and Imri's story arc ended with him relinquishing his lightsaber to focus on humanitarian work.
However, given that they parted ways on much more amicable terms than what the Stranger indicated happened to him, it's hard to definitively state that Imri Cantaros really is the Stranger. There could just as well be another padawan we don't know about yet, who really did part from Vernestra on bitter terms.
Does The Stranger have ties to Darth Plagueis?
Darth Plagueis was a renowned dark lord of the Sith first spoken of in Revenge of the Sith, where Palpatine told of his story to tempt Anakin to the dark side. In The Acolyte, Darth Plagueis is revealed to be active during the High Republic era, and is aware of the Stranger's existence, as he watches him take off with Osha.
However, it's left ambiguous whether the Stranger is aware of who Plagueis is, and whether or not the two have actually worked together. The Stranger being the apprentice of Darth Plagueis could explain his proficiency with the dark side, and possibly how he turned Osha to his side too.
However, Revenge of the Sith also makes it clear that the apprentice who eventually killed Darth Plagueis was none other than Palpatine. So did Palpatine upstage the Stranger as Darth Plagueis's apprentice at one point, or is the Stranger not the apprentice of Darth Plagueis after all?
Another possibility is that the Stranger is a rival to Darth Plagueis rather than his apprentice. After all, the Sith in Star Wars are notorious for their infighting, and Sith Lords constantly get into power struggles with one another.
Darth Plagueis himself had a Bith Sith master known as Darth Tenebrous, who broke the Rule of Two by having another apprentice.
While this other apprentice was established to be Darth Venamis, who's Bith, not human. Could the Stranger be yet another apprentice or associate of Darth Tenebrous who's enemies with Darth Plagueis?
The Stranger could be a renegade Sith
There are hints throughout The Acolyte that the Stranger isn't beholden to the same rules of discretion that the rest of the Sith order is.
During the High Republic era, the Sith used the Rule of Two so they could plot their power plays in secret without exposing themselves. Palpatine himself primarily relied on deception and subterfuge to undermine the Republic during the prequel trilogy.
However, the Stranger's actions in The Acolyte end up putting this secrecy in jeopardy. His attempts to turn Osha to the dark side and everything he did in Khofar ended up alerting certain Jedi masters to his existence.
Indeed, the closing moments of The Acolyte show Jedi master Vernestra making a report to none other than Yoda himself, strongly implying that he will be tipped off about the Stranger's actions. Could Darth Plagueis's appearance imply that he plans to hunt down the Stranger as a potential loose end who could jeopardize the Sith order?
The Acolyte finale is sure to fuel considerable speculation about the Stranger's true identity until the next season comes along. Viewers in the United States can stream the first season on Disney+, and viewers in India can stream it on Hotstar.
