Is Qimir the first knight who inspired Kylo Ren?

Fans who saw The Acolyte I have to wonder if Qimira.k.a The strangeris the First Knight of Ren who inspired Kylo RenThe fifth episode of the new Star Wars series revealed that Qimir was actually Mae’s mysterious dark side master, and the latest episode revealed a bit more about his origins and backstory. However, Qimir, who wore a mask eerily similar to Kylo Ren’s before his reveal, has fans wondering if he inspired Adam Driver’s character in the sequel trilogy.

So, is Qimir the first Knight of Ren? What is the connection between the Stranger and Kylo Ren? Here are your answers.

Is Qimir the first knight of Ren?

The Acolyte does not explicitly refer to Qimir as the First Knight of Ren. However, the fifth episode contained a few instances that seemed to suggest that he was likely the First Knight of Ren or at least a precursor who would eventually lay the foundations of the group.

The first example is his insistence on wearing a mask and refusing to take it off, when Master Sol asked him to. Qimir threatened to kill the Jedi when his mask was broken by Jecki Lon and his anonymity was ruined. In Star Wars canon, the Knights of Ren were known to wear masks because they believed it made them more anonymous and therefore more frightening.

The second example is the appearance and design of Qimir’s mask. Each member of the Knights of Ren, including Kylo Ren, had a unique design on their mask, as seen in their brief appearances in the sequel trilogy.

The third example is that Qimir does not present himself as a Sith. Additionally, the last episode also saw him reveal that he was a former Jedi. Given that he is proficient in the ways of the Force and is currently neither a Jedi nor a Sith, this makes him a Force user similar to the Knights of Ren. This raises the possibility that he could eventually find a group that would likely become the first iteration of the Knights of Ren or a precursor group whose ideologies would meld into them.

What is the connection between Qimir and Kylo Ren?

Qimir has no explicit connection to Kylo Ren. However, his mask, his use of Force healing, and the Kylo Ren theme music playing in the background when he Force-heals Osha in the fifth episode seem to suggest some sort of connection.

But Qimir explicitly stated in Episode 5 that he didn’t play by the rules. This would make him similar to Ren, who Nerdist said lived a lawless, rule-less life and did whatever he wanted. He was eventually killed by Kylo Ren himself before Kylo Ren usurped his leadership position within the Knights of Ren.