One year after the release ofThe Acolyte, a key parallel between “The Stranger” andAhsoka Tanohas been confirmed in theStar Warscanon. In the 2024Star Warsseries,Qimir aka The Strangerwas a dark side user played by Manny Jacinto, seeking a new pupil to train. However, it’s been confirmed that he does serve as a dark mirror to Ahsoka in one big way (though there may be more).
Lucasfilm Publishing is set to releaseStar Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guideby Pablo Hidalgo later this month. However, a handful of preview pages have already been revealed.This includes a page aboutThe Acolyte’s"Stranger", and the confirmation that his fighting style darkly mirrors Ahsoka Tano’s in one major way.
The Stranger’s Second Lightsaber Is A Shoto Blade, The Same Kind Of Weapon As Ahsoka
The Shorter Saber Revealed When Qimir Killed Jecki Lon
As seen in the preview pages forStar Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide, a breakdown can be found covering The Stranger’s unique lightsaber. Taking on multiple Jedi Knights at the same time inThe Acolyteepisode 5, The Stranger was largely successful due to his helmet and gauntlet made from cortosis, a rare mineral that can temporarily disable lightsabers upon contact. However, the final trick up The Stranger’s sleeve was his secret lightsaber mechanism he didn’t unleash until the end of the battle while dueling Master Sol’s apprentice Jecki Lon.
While dueling Jecki, The Stranger caught the Jedi apprentice by surprise when the bottom half of his lightsaber split from the top.This revealed a smaller hidden lightsaber blade which he used to repeatedly stab Jecki to death. Thanks to the preview pages from the newAcolytevisual guide, it’s been confirmed that this hidden blade was indeed a shoto,the same kind of smaller lightsaber wielded by Ahsoka Tanoalongside her more standard-sized blade.
This Explains Some Similarities Between Ahsoka’s Fighting Style & The Stranger’s
Similar Stances And Styles
The Stranger’s secret use of a shoto saber helps explain why his stances appear similar to Ahsoka’s, especially her live-action appearances inThe Mandalorianand her own 2023 series.This makes sense, especially if the Stranger’s fighting style is derived from the duel-wielding lightsaber form known as Jar’Kai (a big part of Ahsoka’s overall fighting style along with Djem So). While many Jedi have been known to duel-wield, fewer use both a standard-sized and a shoto lightsaber simultaneously, making both Ahsoka and The Stranger’s preferred weapons of choice more unique among lightsaber wielders, be they of the light or dark.
It’s also worth noting that the end ofThe Acolyterevealed that The Stranger was trained as a Jedi byVernestra Rwohbefore he left the Jedi Order. It was also revealed via interviews followingThe Acolyte’scancellation that The Stranger was trained in the dark side by Darth Plagueis before potentially leaving him as well.As such, perhaps Qimir was trained to practice Jar’Kai as a Jedi before he was encouraged by his new master to create a more unique variation based on deception with his new Sith weapon.
Are There Even More Parallels Between The Stranger & Ahsoka?
“I Have No Name…”
It’s important to note thatThe Acolytestrongly implies that The Stranger does not consider himself to be a Sith. This suggests that he may have rejected both the Jedi and the Sith in favor of wielding his power in the Force as he saw fit. On the other hand, the Stranger might still fit into the line of theRule of Two, given that Plagueis is shown watching both him and Osha near the series' end.
Because The Stranger was seeking an acolyte of his own, it feels more likely that, like Ahsoka, The Stranger is a FORMER Sith - someone who left his master. This would certainly make him even more of a dark mirror to Ahsoka, who for years rejected the Jedi Order and didn’t consider herself to be a Jedi. With any luck, Qimir aka The Stranger’s story will somehow continue, even afterThe Acolyte’scancellation.
