Qimir’s Lightsaber

Who is Qimir?

Qimir was a Force-sensitive human male Sith, known as “the Stranger” because he claimed to have no name, active during the High Republic Era. He began as a Padawan under Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh but was eventually expelled from the Jedi Order.

Following his expulsion, he was trained as a Sith by Darth Plagueis and started seeking an acolyte of his own. After murdering a coven of witches on Brendok, he encountered Mae-ho “Mae” Aniseya and began training her as his apprentice. Throughout her training, he never revealed his name or face, and she knew him only as “the Master.”

The Master tasked Mae with killing a Jedi without a weapon, disguising himself as “Qimir,” a former arms smuggler for the Hutt Clan. He provided her with the intelligence and equipment needed to defeat her enemies while secretly monitoring her progress.

However, in 132 BBY, Mae discovered her twin sister, Verosha “Osha” Aniseya, was alive and decided to betray the Master, turning herself in to the Jedi to reunite with her sister. This forced the Master to reveal himself, leading to the deaths of most of the Jedi investigation team sent to Khofar, including self-exiled Jedi Master Kelnacca, as he targeted Mae.

Though he failed to kill Mae, the Stranger captured Osha and became determined to train her instead. Upon discovering that Osha’s former Jedi teacher, Master Sol, was responsible for the murder of her mother and coven, Osha killed Sol and embraced the dark side of the Force. She agreed to the Sith’s offer of training in exchange for erasing Mae’s memories and allowing her to live.

Qimir wielded a red lightsaber, which could be separated into two individual lightsabers, one of them being a shoto.

How Does Qimir’s Lightsaber Work?

The Star Wars canon remains sparse on details about the Sith Master’s lightsaber. All known information about Qimir’s lightsaber comes from The Acolyte TV show. Nevertheless, we do know the essentials. The Sith Master, also known as Qimir or The Stranger, designed his lightsaber hilt with a detachable handgrip. When separated, this section functions as a dagger-sized lightsaber. This feature allows the Sith Master to unpredictably shift his combat tactics, catching his opponents off guard.

So, how does that work? While schematics are unavailable, general lightsaber lore helps us hypothesize the workings of the Sith Master’s weapon. All lightsabers require a kyber crystal, a focusing lens, an emitter, and a power cell. The Sith Master’s saber, therefore, contains two complete sets of these components – one for the main hilt and one for the mini-hilt. This likely accounts for the smaller size of the second saber, as its compact power cell may be insufficient for generating a full-sized blade.

Are There Any Lightsabers Like Qimir’s in Star Wars Canon?

No, although various lightsabers from both current and “Legends” Star Wars canon share similarities with the Sith Master’s weapon. For instance, Darth Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber is essentially two single sabers combined. When Obi-Wan Kenobi slices Maul’s saber in half in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the less damaged half still functions. This is similar to the Sith Master’s lightsaber breaking apart in The Acolyte, with both halves remaining operational.

Shoto lightsabers predate The Acolyte as well. For example, the lightsaber Master Yoda wields in the Star Wars prequels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars is technically a shoto, as the diminutive Jedi would struggle with a standard saber. Additionally, Ahsoka Tano uses a shoto in The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka, incorporating it as an off-hand weapon in her Jar’Kai fighting style, similar to the Sith Master.

External Sources

• The Stranger | Wookieepedia – Fandom
• The Stranger (Qimir) – The Acolyte | Star Wars Databank
• The Stranger’s lightsaber | Wookieepedia – Fandom