Star Wars: The Acolyte’s abrupt cancelation means the franchise risks wasting its new Sith Lord. Though plenty of theories have circulated as to why The Acolyte was canceled after just one season – too expensive to produce, not enough viewership, too much social media backlash – there’s no denying it introduced some incredibly compelling new characters. As The Acolyte took place near the end of the High Republic era, some 100 years before the events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, these fledgling characters had more room to grow and affect the story; one such character was Qimir, a mysterious Sith Lord.

Once the Sith Lord’s identity was revealed, it quickly became clear Manny Jacinto’s dark side character was a new fan-favorite. Plenty of think pieces popped up comparing his relationship with Osha (Amandla Stenberg) to the one between Rey and Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and dozens of theories circulated regarding his dynamic with Darth Plagueis, a keen immortality enthusiast and Darth Sidious’ eventual Sith Master. The new Sith Lord’s story was set up perfectly, with Osha by his side and Plagueis watching from the wings. Unfortunately, there’s now a chance audiences will never find out what Qimir was truly after.

Manny Jacinto Was The First New Live-Action Sith Lord In 19 Years

One of the reasons Jacinto’s character became such a prevalent talking point online was undoubtedly the fact that he was the first new Sith Lord introduced in over 19 years. The Stranger presented a chance for Star Wars to explore the dark side like never before. The Sith are such an intrinsic part of Star Wars’ lore, but considering just how much Star Wars content there actually is, surprisingly little is known or has been done with this all-important Force-wielding faction.

Darth Sidious was always after more power. Darth Vader was consumed by the dark side because he never got the chance to express his emotions properly. Darth Tyranus became disillusioned with the Jedi Order and decided to join the dark side instead, and Darth Maul was always seeking approval, power, and eventually, vengeance. Relatively little has been revealed about Darth Plagueis canonically, and that’s it. That’s all we really know about the Sith and why they operate the way they do. Qimir could have changed that.

I’m Desperate To See More Of Manny Jacinto’s Sith Lord

Clearly, viewers (myself included) were desperate for a new dark side character to take center stage, and that character has now been taken away from them. I sincerely hope we get the chance to find out more, though it seems increasingly unlikely. Qimir intrigued me because he seemed to be a combination of all the Sith Lords that we had already been introduced to – he was motivated by power, passion, intelligence, and freedom, yes, but he was also clearly in tune with his desires.

His desire (and apparent lust) for Osha and his need for companionship were a driving force behind his character. That made him vulnerable, more vulnerable than any of the other Sith Lords in Star Wars so far. That vulnerability not only made him an interesting character, but a frightful one as well. How far would he be willing to go to save that which was important to him? To what extent would he be willing to open himself up to Osha? We might never know, and that breaks my heart a little.

There are plenty of other unanswered questions as well. Who trained him? What was his history with the Jedi? How did he end up on that island? What was he going to do with the elusive “power of two”? Sure, hypothetically, all these questions could be answered in a novel or a comic book, and at least then we’ll know more about him. In all honesty, though, this strikes me as wasted potential. There was so much room for this character to grow. Why not take a chance and give us all something new?

The Acolyte’s Cancelation Means Star Wars Risks Wasting An Incredible Villain

Part of Qimir’s allure as a character is Manny Jacinto’s screen presence. He’s tender and patient with Osha, and vengeful and bloodthirsty around the Jedi. That’s a difficult balance to strike, and Jacinto did so with gusto. The Sith may not think themselves susceptible, but they are. They, unlike the Jedi, are driven by their wants and needs, but so far, on screen, we’ve never really gotten to see that personal, selfish drive play out. Maul’s desperate story of resurrection in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels comes closest, perhaps. I was hoping to see something similar involving Qimir.

Part of Qimir’s allure as a character is Manny Jacinto’s screen presence. He’s tender and patient with Osha, and vengeful and bloodthirsty around the Jedi. That’s a difficult balance to strike, and Jacinto did so with gusto.

The High Republic was a pivotal era for the Jedi – during this time, they became less of a peacekeeping force and more intertwined with the Republic, imposing their will and struggling to keep the light alive in the fight against several dangerous enemies. Qimir is the perfect Sith Lord for that time in the Jedi’s history – he could have forced them to confront their wrongdoings and their internal politics, the way Jedi Master Sol’s deeds would have done had Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh not interfered, and yet none of that will happen now.

The High Republic publishing initiative is nearing its end, and The Acolyte will not return for season 2. There’s nowhere left for this character to grow and that is, without a doubt, a painful waste. Star Wars can and should be more than the Skywalker saga and the so-called Mandoverse, but now that a show like Star Wars: The Acolyte has been canceled, that feels less and less likely to happen.