Following the premiere of Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 4, the viewers want to know if Mae and her mysterious master are Sith. The Acolyte takes place a hundred years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, a time known as the High Republic Era. The plot follows twins Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg), as they find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict between the Jedi and a user of the Dark Side of the Force. There has been considerable speculation on the identity of Mae’s master and whether he is a Sith. Episode 4, titled Day, depicts the apparent first meeting between him and the Jedi.
Here is what we believe on whether Mae and her master are Sith.
Are Mae and her Master Sith in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
As of episode 4, it is not known whether Mae and her master are Sith or just another variation of the users of the Dark Side of the Force.
Toward the final moments of the episode, Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) realizes too late that a user of the Dark Side of the Force has succeeded in flanking them. He turns around, followed by other Jedi in the group. They notice Mae’s master as the latter floats down. He approaches Osha and ignites his red lightsaber, before removing her from his path and launching a Force attack on the charging Jedi. Given that the red lightsaber is generally associated with the Sith, it’s possible that the master is one himself. The Jedi clearly recognize the threat he poses. Moreover, earlier in the episode, Mae discovers the body of the Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca and realizes that her Master did this. He has to be far above an ordinary Dark Side user to be able to kill someone like Kelnacca.
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However, during the High Republic Era, the Sith were canonically the practitioners of the Rule of Two, which stipulated that there must only be two Sith Lords at any given time: the Master and the apprentice. This was the time period when Darth Tenebrous and Darth Plagueis were likely active. The former is a Bith, and the latter is a Muun. Given that Mae’s master has a human-sized head hidden behind his mask, he can’t be either of them. Accordingly, neither Mae nor her master are probably part of the mainstream Sith movement. Instead, they are perhaps from a Sith offshoot, pretenders, or members of a sect that doesn’t adhere to the Sith tenets. Alternatively, Mae’s master can be a rogue Jedi, who has lost his way and succumbed to the Dark Side.