The Acolyte's Sith Lord: A Force to Be Reckoned With
The Acolyte has introduced a new character who brutally cut down seven Jedi in his first appearance - The Stranger. The Stranger, or Qimir, as he was known before The Acolyte episode 5, has instantly made ripples in the Star Wars community. The Stranger's action scenes have gained a lot of attention, but one of his most prominent Sith connections actually has to do with his armor.
As seen during the fight sequence, The Stranger wears a distinct helmet and gauntlet that allows him to short out Jedi lightsabers and deflect their blows. This armor is made of a copper-colored metal called cortosis. Cortosis has appeared in tons of Star Wars books, games, and comics, but this is its true live-action debut. Interestingly enough, cortosis actually does have a connection to the Sith in Star Wars Legends - to Darth Bane particularly.
Darth Bane and the Cortosis Connection
As a Sith during the High Republic era, The Stranger is part of the "Banite Sith." These are Sith Lords, masters and apprentices, that are descended from Darth Bane's line of Sith succession, following the Rule of Two. Before he was the only remaining Sith master in the galaxy, however, and long before he was ever aligned with the Sith, Darth Bane worked in a Cortosis mine.
Since this is from the old Star Wars Legends timeline, particularly Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane novels, it's no longer canon. With the introduction of Cortosis in live-action, however, this backstory could be leaned into. At just 16, Darth Bane worked in a cortosis mine on the planet Apatros during the New Sith Wars era, before joining the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness as a foot soldier.
Did the Sith Use Cortosis Before In Star Wars Canon?
While Darth Bane has this distinct connection to cortosis, did any Sith ever actually use the material? Not in canon, but interestingly, cortosis was used by a group fighting against the Sith. The Ascendant was a dark side cult that the Sith sought to destroy, and thus created a sword of cortosis alloy in order to fight them, but it was never completed.
In the Legends timeline, though, cortosis was a bit more prominent. Old Republic era Sith were even known to use it. The Jensaarai group in Legends also wore cortosis armor and were directly inspired by Sith teachings found in the Jedi Archives. Either way, the connection between cortosis and Darth Bane is very clear following the most recent episode of The Acolyte, which will certainly make its future even more interesting.
The Acolyte: A Star Wars Thriller
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
The Acolyte episode 5 is now streaming on Disney+. New episodes are released Tuesdays at 9 PM ET.
