The Acolyte’s Sith Lord mystery goes on – and there are two new frontrunners according to some fans

Carrie-Anne Moss as Master Indara in The Acolyte
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

The Acolyte’s core mystery has rumbled on this week: just who is the Sith Lord hiding behind the mask?

The flashbacks to Brendok in the third episode haven’t offered up any answers, but they have given Star Wars fans a pair of new frontrunners when it comes to the identity of the obscured figure.

The first idea – and one of the more compelling we’ve seen in recent days – is that the masked Sith is Mother Koril, played by Margarita Levieva.

When we first see her, she’s at odds with Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her more hands-off approach when it comes to parenting.

Remarkably, that could prove to be the basis for the popular fan theory. As one wrote on Twitter, "What if SHE destroyed the coven because she felt like it was becoming weak and Aniseya was not a strong leader? What if Mae and the Jedi are innocent and it was her this whole time?"

Throw in the fact that Koril is a Zabrak, the same species as Darth Maul, and there’s plenty to chew on for the next week or so.

But there are others who are considering different possibilities. Among the most curious fan theories so far is the idea that Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) is the one pulling the strings, despite seemingly being killed at Mae’s hand during the premiere’s opening scene – and it all revolves around the unseen reason behind how everyone suddenly died thanks to what was (frankly) a pretty minor fire in the witches’ compound.

"Why were all of the Coven suddenly dead? Mae did burn their temple, but never said she was the one who killed the witches. Mae would need some serious assistance in killing the witches off [en masse]," one Redditor wrote.

"My theory is that Indara is there for the twins, but primarily for Mae, being the more temperamental, and dark side aligned of the twins, compared to Sol trying for both, but mostly Osha."

There you have it. We’ve already had Qimir and Aniseya earmarked as potential candidates for the Sith Lord. Now, two more contenders have emerged.

For more on The Acolyte, check out these explainers, guides, and our interviews with the cast:

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.