Summary
The Sith Lord ofThe Acolytehas already become an iconicStar Warsvillain, and a lot of his popularity is thanks to his mysterious helmet.The Acolyteepisodes 5 and 6revealed quite a bit about the show’s new Sith Lord, from the secrets of his past to the way he fought. Those episodes also had some great information about the Stranger’s gear, like hisnew Sith lightsaberand, most importantly, his helmet. The Stranger’s helmet is one of the most recognizable parts of his character, soStar Warshas fittingly delved quite deeply into it.
The Stranger’s helmet has already served a few purposes over the course ofThe Acolyte. It helped conceal his multiple secret identities - he’s known as Qimir, the Stranger, and the Sith Lord - from the Jedi on Olega. It also proved extremely useful during the battle on Khofar, as the Stranger used his helmet to shut down the Jedi’s lightsabers. Those benefits came as a huge shock to the Jedi ofThe Acolyte, but theStar Warsshowhas since explained how the Sith Lord’s helmet could be so versatile, and all the things that make it so unique.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
The Sith Lord’s Helmet Is Made Of Cortosis
One of the main features of the Stranger’s helmet is that it can shut down lightsabers just by making contact with the blade, albeit temporarily. This gave the Stranger a huge advantage inThe Acolyteepisode 5 during the battle on Khofar, as it allowed him to completely surprise and overwhelm the Jedi.The reason the Stranger’s helmet could shut down lightsabers is because it was made of cortosis ore.Cortosis is a lightsaber-resistant materialthat has been in bothStar WarsLegends and canon for years, butThe Acolytemarked its first live-action appearance.
Every Star Wars Material That Can Block Lightsabers
The lightsaber is the ultimate weapon in Star Wars, able to cut through almost anything, except other lightsaber blades and a few notable materials.
Essentially, cortosis can absorb a huge amount of energy, which allows it to short-circuit a lightsaber for a few minutes. That makes cortosis a great anti-lightsaber weapon, but it also had a few other advantages.As the Sith Lord confirmed inThe Acolyteepisode 5, cortosis could essentially block other Force users from reading the wearer’s mind. That prevented the Jedi from using mind tricks on the Stranger, but it also helped him in a much more subtle way.
The Helmet Helps The Sith Lord Focus In The Force
As the Stranger explained inThe Acolyteepisode 6, his helmet also acted as a sensory deprivation device. It only had a small opening for his eyes to look through, and when Osha put the helmet on, most of the sounds around her were muffled, and only her breathing was audible.That meant the Stranger was completely relying on the Force any time he had his helmet on, as none of his other senses gave him much information. The sensory deprivation aspects of his helmet likely helped him with this, as they cut out distractions and required him to fully trust his connection to the Force.
Kanan Jarrus
A Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 in large part thanks to his master’s sacrifice, Kanan survived during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign and became an important member of the Lothal rebel cell. Kanan sacrificed much over the years, but gained much as well, falling in love with Hera Syndulla. Although he gave his life for his friends, he left a legacy behind in his own Padawan Ezra Bridger, as well as his son Jacen.
While the Stranger’s use of the Force instead of his senses is unusual, it’s far from the first time a character has done so inStar Wars. Jedi younglings often wore helmets that blocked out their senses during their training. Those helmets helped them do exactly what the Stranger did: rely completely on the Force. Additionally, Kanan Jarrus used the Force to see inStar Wars Rebels, but he did so because he had previously been blinded.The Stranger’s lack of senses is hardly unprecedented, but he is unique in that he relied solely on the Force in the heat of battle by choice.
The Sith Lord’s Helmet Is Very Fragile
The Stranger’s helmet proved to be a huge asset in battle, but it also had some weaknesses. Along with its rarity, cortosis ore had another major drawback: it was extremely brittle and weak. Cortosis was capable of absorbing a huge amount of energy, but it was terrible at blocking physical attacks.Even a normal physical attack would often shatter cortosis, which is how Jecki Lon was able to break the Stranger’s helmet off his head inThe Acolyteepisode 5. Since she used the back end of her lightsaber instead of the blade, Jecki took advantage of cortosis' weakness to physical attacks.
Jecki Lon
Jecki is the Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Although she is young, she projects calm and conducts herself with maturity.
The brittle nature of cortosis was also a problem that clearly plagued the Stranger for a long time. His helmet had multiple cracks and signs of damage, andThe Acolyteepisode 6 showed he had to repair it after the battle on Khofar.Based on how often it was damaged and repaired, it seems the Sith Lord’s helmet was meant to be a deceptive trick more than actual armor he relied on. If it broke, as it so often did, the Stranger would simply fall back on one of the several other weapons in his arsenal, like hisforbidden lightsaber combat form.
Why Does The Sith Lord’s Helmet Have A Creepy Grin?
There’s one other aspect of the Stranger’s helmet that stands out quite clearly: the metallic grin on its face. The helmet’s smile remains the most mysterious part of its design, but there have been a few clues as to what purpose it could serve.Given the sensory deprivation characteristics the Stranger’s helmet has, it’s possible the helmet’s grin is actually a cybernetic respirator that helps him breathe. Blocking out all his senses would require a fairly tight fit to the Stranger’s head, and the respirator may be a way to get oxygen into the helmet without requiring ventilation that would let in light and sound.
The immense power the Sith Lord wielded in The Acolyte made him truly dangerous, but his helmet made him truly terrifying.
It’s also possible that the grin on the Stranger’s helmet is entirely aesthetic.The smile certainly gives off a chilling and unsettling feeling, and it’s possible the Sith Lord designed his helmet specifically to intimidate and disorient his opponents. Several of the Jedi, like Sol and Jecki, referred to the Stranger as a thing instead of a person, which could be exactly how he wanted them to think of him.The Acolyte’s showrunner, Leslye Headland, also supported this idea when she toldEntertainment Weeklythat the grin was supposed to be a “smile that lasts too long, and was meant to be really unsettling to the Jedi.”
The Stranger’s helmet is the most obvious sign of his power, but it was far from the only weapon at his disposal. Qimir was a master deceiver and manipulator. His tricks let him slaughter seven Jedi on Khofar, but his lies let him turn Mae, and likely Osha as well, to the dark side. The Stranger also seemed to be extremely powerful in the dark side of the Force - he would have to be to rely on it fully instead of his eyes. The immense power the Sith Lord wielded inThe Acolytemade him truly dangerous, but his helmet made him truly terrifying.
The Acolyte
Cast
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.
