The Acolyte's Shirtless Qimir Is A Deliberate Last Jedi Reference
The Acolyte episode 5 included a number of plot twists and major revelations, the identity of Mae's master, the masked villain officially called the Stranger, chief among them. However, what had audiences abuzz was not that the villain was really Qimir, Mae's somewhat goofy accomplice (which many had already accurately guessed), but rather that Qimir was, frankly, hot. The internet was specifically sent into a frenzy over Qimir's muscly biceps, which The Acolyte was presumably well aware of, as Qimir's arms were highlighted multiple times.
This reveal had nothing on The Acolyte episode 6, though, which took things much further. At the end of episode 5, Qimir found Osha unconscious on Khofar and draped his cloak over her, making it clear he now had his sights set on making her, not her sister, his acolyte. At the beginning of episode 6, Osha woke up to find herself on a remote island, so far only identified as Unknown Planet, with Qimir. The internet had already heavily speculated that Qimir and Osha were headed toward an enemies-to-lovers dynamic—which The Acolyte's showrunner Leslye Headland admitted in interviews surprised her by being so prescient—but none could have anticipated what a sharp turn this would take. Despite Osha being poised on the beach seemingly ready to kill him, Qimir took a dip in the ocean without his clothes on. In addition to this being jarring (and delightful to many viewers, based on social media reactions), this ultimately had a much deeper Star Wars connection.
Star Wars Doesn't Really Do References Like This, It Does Rhymes
George Lucas famously explained that Star Wars is like poetry in that it rhymes, meaning that seemingly minor Easter eggs like this actually have massive significance. In fact, while a connection such as this one could be passed off as an allusion, in a franchise like Star Wars, this is instead a major and intentional signal of what is to come. Headland meant to confirm to audiences that the relationship between Osha and Qimir is going to be The Acolyte's own version of 'Reylo.'
In fact, social media swiftly stepped in line, naming the Osha and Qimir ship 'Oshamir.' While the cult following for 'Oshamir' hasn't reached Reylo heights—something that is still prevalent in Star Wars art, fan fiction, and discourse about the franchise—it's clear that the idea is taking hold even before true romance is confirmed between the two. However, while this obviously has implications for The Acolyte, this new Star Wars relationship also retcons Kylo Ren and Rey's story, most notably in The Last Jedi.
The Acolyte's Rhyme Makes Reylo Part Of That Last Jedi Scene
While Headland has already confirmed that Qimir and Osha's relationship is headed in a romantic direction, somehow, the nature of Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship is still heavily debated. Despite their arc ending in a kiss in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, even Rey actress Daisy Ridley has speculated about whether their dynamic was truly a romantic one, saying a kiss can mean many things. However, if the kiss isn't enough of an indication, Kylo Ren carrying Rey bridal style the first time he met her and Rey getting flustered by him not wearing a shirt certainly should be.
However, by mirroring the scene in The Last Jedi, The Acolyte confirms that there were romantic undertones to Kylo Ren's shirtless moment with Rey. Again, Star Wars doesn't really allude to other stories in the Star Wars timeline as much as it rhymes with them, meaning that one half of the rhyme informs the other. In fact, this shirtless scene is far from the only reference to Reylo in The Acolyte. Kylo Ren's mask shares much in common with Qimir's, and Osha jolting awake in episode 6 is a direct callback to Rey waking up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and asking Kylo Ren where she is. Clearly, the parallels go far beyond just an attractive villain attempting to woo the protagonist. While it remains to be seen how far The Acolyte will go with this connection to The Last Jedi (and in its enemies-to-lovers plot), it's nevertheless clear that this newest Star Wars show has spoken when it comes to the nature of Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship.
