People Are Crushing Hard On Qimir's Sith Lord
Star Wars: The Acolyte has been a bit of a divisive series. But the newest episode has brought everyone together. The Acolyte episode 5 finally revealed the mysterious dark side user as Qimir (Manny Jacinto), and fans can't get enough of him. The episode's intense fight sequence and character development made the slow-burn buildup worth it for viewers. Qimir was the obvious choice for the secret identity of the Sith Lord, known officially as "The Stranger." But his reveal was still a shock.
What was most shocking was just how quickly The Acolyte viewers would take a liking to him. The Stranger had already gotten people's attention with his menacing arrival in The Acolyte episode 4. But seeing him in action, and then seeing his face, changed everything. It's following a Star Wars pattern that's been ongoing for decades.
Viewers Already Can't Get Enough Of The Stranger
The internet has been in a frenzy since Qimir's Sith Lord reveal. Social media posts about him have been going viral, and fans have been making fancam video edits of him faster than ever before. The shift Jacinto was able to make from the silly Qimir to the menacing Stranger, as well as the costuming that put his arms on display, captivated audiences in a way that many dark side Force users in Star Wars often have. People are really into this Sith Lord!
The impact of The Stranger has moved beyond the mere audience of The Acolyte that has already been tuning in ever since its premiere. There's a further reach these posts and fancams have that is, at last, giving The Acolyte the promotion it truly deserves. This Sith Lord is taking the world by storm!
This Crush Is Convincing New Viewers To Watch The Acolyte
Fans are really going crazy over The Stranger, so much so that it's getting new viewers to watch The Acolyte. For example, a fancam made by jeronandor has close to 10,000 likes, 2,000 reposts, and nearly 1,500 bookmarks. Many people are replying to it saying they're finally checking out The Acolyte. It seems the power of a good-looking Sith Lord is real.
The consensus seems to be that watching The Acolyte will be more than worth it for these new viewers. This isn't the first time such a phenomenon has happened in Star Wars. Adam Driver's Kylo Ren motivated many new audiences to watch the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin also led many non-Star Wars enthusiasts to watch The Mandalorian. Star Wars is clearly following a familiar pattern with The Acolyte. The show is getting a big boost from this Sith Lord.
Star Wars Has A Pattern With Its Dark Side Villains
The Acolyte has been a slow burn. But episode 5 proves that it's worth sticking around for. It seems that Star Wars has a pattern when it comes to dark side villains. Many villains from the franchise have attracted the attention of audiences, and even those who have done terrible things have become fan favorites. For example, Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker, and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren are both beloved characters, even though they were villains.
Many viewers have said that The Stranger is now following in the footsteps of these other villains. This is especially ironic considering that The Acolyte is already drawing a connection between The Stranger and Kylo Ren with its score, which subtly played Kylo Ren's motif at the end of episode 5. That's an interesting choice, and it's clearly working.
The Acolyte Episode 5 Makes The Buildup Worth It
The Acolyte has been a slow burn. But now that many viewers are checking out the show because of Qimir, they're going to be hooked. The four episodes building up to The Stranger's debut were worth it. The Acolyte is a well-made show, and the reveal of Qimir's Sith Lord was a great climax for the slow-burn narrative. The fight sequence in episode 5 is incredible, and it showcases The Stranger's power.
The Acolyte is clearly sticking around. The series has been getting some great buzz lately thanks to Qimir's Sith Lord. Manny Jacinto's performance is excellent, and he's definitely a fan favorite now. While the primary motivation for many new viewers will be their crush on The Stranger, it's hard to imagine that the other aspects of the story won't draw them in further.
