Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 5

Summary

• The new Sith Lord in The Acolyte can deactivate Jedi lightsabers during combat with rare cortosis ore.
• The Sith Lord in The Acolyte uses cortosis in his helmet and gauntlet to overpower the Jedi.
• Cortosis ore is rare and breaks easily despite its unique power, leading to the Sith Lord being unmasked during combat as Qimir.

The new Sith Lord in The Acolyte has revealed a key new advantage with the ability to deactivate Jedi lightsabers during combat. As seen in The Acolyte episode 5, all eight Jedi Knights on Khofar find themselves face to face with this new Sith Lord. However, it's revealed that he's armed with more than just his lightsaber and the dark side of the Force alone.

In The Acolyte episode 5, the new Sith Lord is revealed to be none other than Qimir, the trader who helped Mae poison Master Torbin in The Acolyte episode 2. This unmasking comes mid-battle when Master Sol and his Padawan Jecki Lon break his intimidating helmet. This is because the mask had already received some major damage as it was used to deactivate several lightsabers, confirming it's made from a very rare Star Wars metal.

The Sith Lord's Gauntlet & Helmet Are Made Of Cortosis Ore

Providing A Lethal Advantage

The Star Wars galaxy contains various metals that can resist lightsaber strikes, the most notable in recent years being Mandalorian beskar. However, cortosis is particularly notable due to its ability to temporarily deactivate lightsabers upon , rendering them useless for a short time. This is seen for the first time in live-action thanks to The Acolyte episode 5 with Qimir brutally headbutting lightsaber strikes from the Jedi and blocking with his gauntlet, both seemingly made from the same cortosis ore.

As established in the Star Wars canon, cortosis has a very high energy absorption rate. This means that the energy of an incoming blaster bolt can be dissipated, as well as lightsaber strikes. Cortosis can also short out a ligthsaber blade temporarily, as seen whenever Qimir uses his helmet and/or his gauntlet.

Cortosis Is So Rare, Jedi Don't Really Know How To Fight It

It Isn't Seen In Star Wars Very Often

In the established Star Wars canon as well as in Legends, cortosis is quite rare. As such, it makes sense that the Jedi would struggle to combat against it in The Acolyte episode 5. Thanks to his helmet and gauntlet, Qimir was able to effectively take on eight Jedi at a time, eventually murdering seven of them before the episode's end. By the episode's end, Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) was the only survivor along with his former Padawan Osha. Qimir's pupil Mae also survived as well.

That being said, it's also implied in The Acolyte that cortosis holds another impressive ability to defend against Jedi attacks. In The Acolyte episode 5, it's suggested that Qimir's cortosis mask helped block the Jedi's ability to read his mind. As such, This new Sith helmet is not unlike Magneto's from Marvel Comics which he wore to block his thoughts from the X-Men's Professor Xavier. However, cortosis is not without its flaws in the Star Wars canon, even with this newly revealed ability.

Cortosis Ore Is Brittle, So Easily Broken

It Didn't Take Long For Qimir To Be Unmasked

The trade-off is that cortosis is quite brittle despite its unique ability to deactivate lightsabers. It's why cortosis armor isn't really a thing in the Star Wars canon, even if it wasn't so rare to begin with. As such, this explains why Qimir's mask eventually breaks while dueling Sol and Jecki, as it had already taken quite a bit of damage throughout the battle in its entirety.

At any rate, it's very exciting to see such a classic and unique Star Wars metal finally make its way to live-action. Likewise, it's even more exciting that it's in the hands of a Sith Lord who used it to fashion his dark and intimidating mask. While likely not meant to last for any long duration, the mask and gauntlet did provide the lethal advantage Qimir needed as he battled eight Jedi single-handedly in this new episode of The Acolyte.

The Acolyte episode 4 is now streaming. New episodes release Tuesdays on Disney+.