Star Wars: The Acolyte's Best Villain Was Almost Connected To Kylo Ren

It's been rough going for "Star Wars" fans of late. As if "Andor" ending wasn't enough, we've since learned about some rather exciting projects that will seemingly never see the light of day. First, there was the news that Disney scrapped a Ben Solo/Kylo Ren movie starring Adam Driver and helmed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh — one that had a finished script and the approval of Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy — and did so for the worst reason possible given this franchise's history.

Now, we've just gotten word about an abandoned storyline that would've made the best and most exciting "Star Wars" TV show villain all the more important to the franchise's greater lore and world-building. I'm referring, of course, to The Stranger aka Qimir from "Star Wars: The Acolyte." As played by Manny Jacinto, Qimir is a different kind of "Star Wars" antagonist; he's the personification of the allure of the dark side of the Force, a seductive man who's charming when he wants to be (and utterly terrifying when he's on the attack).

For the "Art of The Acolyte" book, creator Leslye Headland revealed that The Stranger was, at one point, meant to be the founder of the Knights of Ren, which Kylo eventually takes over. "It was in the design of the character, as well as knowing that we were going to introduce Darth Plagueis, who has to end up with Palpatine as his apprentice," Headland wrote. "Following the Rule of Two — a precept that limited the Sith to just two at any given time, a master and an apprentice — one way to keep it going it is if the Stranger is the first Knight of Ren, part of a Sith-adjacent cult that we know eventually survives."

"The Acolyte' hints that Qimir is connected to Kylo Ren, even playing Kylo's theme a few times when Qimir is on screen. Still, it's nice to get actual confirmation that Headland initially considered making Jacinto's character the first-ever Knight of Ren, in addition to further exploring Plagueis' backstory.

The idea that Qimir started his own dark side faction and the Knights of Ren existing before the prequel era would've also fixed an issue that plagues the "Star Wars" franchise: its severe lack of Sith. Sure, there are plenty of dangers and villains that can pose a significant threat to the Jedi (themselves included), but you simply can't beat the visual wonder of a lightsaber duel. The problem is, the Rule of Two (as Headland mentioned) means there can only ever be two living Sith at any given time. Thus, groups like the Knights of Ren, the Inquisitors, and Exegol's Sith cult offer the property a way to work around this obstacle from an artistic perspective.

More than that, the idea of Qimir, a fallen Jedi, being the first Knight of Ren and Ben Solo, a redeemed Sith, being the last is the kind of poetic development that's fundamental to "Star Wars" storytelling.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely we'll ever see this concept made canon. Indeed, now that "Andor" is over, it's hard not to worry about the future of the "Star Wars" franchise in general. Sure, there are several intriguing "Star Wars" projects in the works, but many of them feel doomed to be canceled like the Kylo Ren/Ben Solo movie. "The Acolyte" isn't perfect, but it's the kind of creative and original "Star Wars" story that's in short supply right now.

"Star Wars: The Acolyte" is streaming on Disney+.