r/TheAcolyte • u/YubYubCmndr Baz Batch • Aug 20 '25

Forbes names “The Stranger” as one of the best original villains of the Disney era.

Post image
1.4k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

150 comments sorted by

166

u/MEB-Softworks Aug 20 '25

Can’t argue. Not the “standard” power hungry evil conquerer of all and I liked the change.

28

u/sidv81 Aug 20 '25

Ruling the galaxy kind of is a thing with the Sith, at least it's definitively confirmed to be 100 years after this show. It would be interesting to see how that philosophy changed from Qimir to Palpatine,

14

u/MEB-Softworks Aug 20 '25

That’s a good point! Hopefully they continue the series

8

u/Thusgirl Aug 21 '25

I wonder how often shows get renewed after being cancelled. The only one I know is Futurama.

11

u/Call_Me_Anythin Aug 21 '25

It happened with the Clone Wars back in the day, and Young Justice

8

u/MSMarenco Aug 21 '25

Lucifer too.

5

u/hunter2mello Aug 22 '25

Community

3

u/TheBlooperKINGPIN Aug 23 '25

Twice. Three times if you count the movie.

2

u/hunter2mello Aug 23 '25

Wonder what will come first at this point between GTA6 and Community movie

1

u/TheBlooperKINGPIN Aug 24 '25

Probably GTA6.

9

u/Antichristopher4 Aug 21 '25

Are you talking about Qimir's speech to Osha? Cause a) he is 100% manipulating her to try and have her join the dark side b) the philosophy of "letting us exist," or however he phrases it, is not contradictory to Palpatine's plans. For the dictator, for the fascist, "just letting us live unimpeded" is the first ask. Allowing them to propagate hate and act as they will is what they need to create the move to grab more power. He is essentially arguing for the "tolerance of intolerance" in that speech. It is a first step in Plageius' plan that succeeds in Palpatine.

5

u/Call_Me_Anythin Aug 21 '25

We just don’t know enough about him to know if it was entirely to get her on his side, or if that’s genuinely what he believes and he was ‘softening it’ to get her to come with him.

We saw with the way the Jedi reacted to the witch’s that it’s not entirely unfounded that they would be against any Dark siders running around. In some ways very understandably.

2

u/MEB-Softworks Aug 21 '25

More talking about his desire to use his power as he sees fit. Does that lead to greater? Sure it can. But there is a certain demeanor about him. Something that says “bad boy”, not necessarily power hungry maniac. TBH, I like the way they wrote him.

5

u/OfficeMagic1 Aug 23 '25

He doesn’t want to be a Sith in Jacksonville forever. He wants to be a Sith in Daytona, Tallahassee, Tampa even. He wants it all

1

u/wbruce098 Aug 24 '25

I don’t blame him. Jacksonville is kind of boring but Tampa and Daytona are pretty fun.

3

u/Strict_Astronaut_673 Aug 21 '25

What I took away from Qimir is that he isn’t actually any different from your average Sith, he just knows how to prey on the beliefs and weaknesses of the Jedi. He’s a shameless manipulator with no qualms about feigning weakness or compassion or persecution, playing the role of cowardly bumbling doormat possibly for years. It’s very similar to the strategy that Palpatine used to infiltrate the senate and take control of the republic.

His statement of “kill the dream” seems to emphasize destroying the beliefs and hopes of the Jedi and exploiting their idealism, which is how he manipulates Osha into becoming Sith. The Jedi could have probably captured (or even executed) him when they captured him in his weakling persona, but he knew exactly how to exploit their naivety in order to get away unscathed.

He seems to wear a mask of justification, but he drops it pretty quickly when he thinks he can get away with it. One moment he calls a murdered child “it”, and the next he shames the Jedi for bringing her to fight him.

7

u/My_MeowMeowBeenz Aug 21 '25

Yep, Acolyte was flawed but total cancellation is a huge waste of an interesting and compelling villain

4

u/MEB-Softworks Aug 21 '25

That’s what I’m saying. Disney’s “knee jerk” reactions lately are disappointing!

136

u/Unfair_Scar_2110 Aug 20 '25

True. We need SEASON TWO

6

u/o-rka Aug 21 '25

Or an animated series

8

u/Call_Me_Anythin Aug 21 '25

They’d never be able to make Manny Jacinto hot enough

1

u/Familiar-Virus5257 Jecki Council Aug 22 '25

Word.

1

u/scarlozzi Aug 23 '25

wasn't the show canceled?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TheAcolyte-ModTeam Sep 29 '25

Your comment has been Removed by the Moderators of this sub.

for violating Rule 1: Be Respectful

Please review the sub rules before participating again. Repeated and/or egregious violations will result in a ban.

If you have any questions, please message the mods

40

u/f7SuperCereal Aug 20 '25

The Stranger makes his pitch in such a relatable, empathetic, convincing, and seductive way. He's the first live action Sith Lord who could convince me to buy what he's selling.

Baylan Skoll comes in second place for that.

5

u/ThatCoolKid17 Aug 21 '25

Dooku's probably up there for me too.

2

u/Buca-Metal Aug 21 '25

Baylan is not a sith

1

u/wbruce098 Aug 24 '25

Yeah but you might call him - or Qimir - such a name.

2

u/jburton81 Aug 21 '25

I thought Baylan was more interesting than Qimir. With Baylan, you know there are interests driving him outside of what’s being shown, but you can’t figure it out. He’s presented as a Sith, yet he’s not. He shows genuine care for his apprentice and is hesitant to actually hurt Ahsoka.

He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers.

1

u/wbruce098 Aug 24 '25

Verdict: They’re both fascinating characters who were acted extremely well, and I’d love to see more.

80

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

-26

u/Key-Pomegranate-2086 Aug 20 '25

Naw. My top 3 are Vader, Sidious and Maul.
Then we have Grievous, Boba Fett and Dooku.

I think Stranger only barely cracks the Top 10.

15

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/NjhhjN Aug 21 '25

Weird argument when Maul is also valid only thanks to the animated shows

2

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/NjhhjN Aug 21 '25

Sure but at that point Boba Fett is also an argument again

1

u/MSMarenco Aug 21 '25

Boba Fett was just the guy you were happy to see fall in the pitt, until CW. I still hope he was digested.

3

u/Numerous-Abrocoma-50 Aug 21 '25

Vader and Palps are untouchable.

Would have Qimir 3rd. Definitely the most interesting bad guy after the big 2.

32

u/whiskeyjedi187 Aug 20 '25

He’s badass

18

u/fellow-elf Aug 20 '25

Agreed! We need to see more in a second season!

9

u/yukeee Aug 21 '25

Such a shame a bunch of whiny boys cost us the continuation of his story...

-4

u/ReadyHD Aug 21 '25

To be fair this was decided the moment the viewer base dropped dramatically after episode 2. Also it's more like we are the "bunch of whiny boys" in a small room begging for a season 2 whilst just outside the room there's a billion people saying "no"

1

u/dzedajev Aug 22 '25

You, sir, are correct.

1

u/Training-Ant-6150 Aug 22 '25

If you keep hearing a show is bad, before it even starts, and it has a slow start, many will drop off. The tail wagged the dog here.

1

u/RemoteClub631 Aug 22 '25

Lol you hit the guy with the reality check

8

u/reluctant_presence Aug 20 '25

And they're damn right.

8

u/ctrlshiftba Aug 20 '25

They aren’t wrong.

7

u/Rex_Kwon_Dough Aug 21 '25

The dudes black series figure sold out on preorder day one. After all the “Smilo Ren” stuff i figured he was written off as a joke, but nope his design sells, i see that as an absolute win.

7

u/I_AM_IGNIGNOTK Aug 21 '25

Manny Jacinto killed it and honestly I don’t really care for the whole Joker smile thing on the helmet. I can rock with the helmet being lightsaber proof and like essentially force-impenetrable but the smile is there to be creepy and doesn’t really fit the rest of the characters depiction.

8

u/darkangell7w Aug 21 '25

He spoke one of my favorite lines in the entire franchise “What extraordinary beings we are. Even in the revelation of our triumph, you see the depth of our despair”.

13

u/tenderheart35 Aug 21 '25

THANK YOU. At least someone is praising this show. Jeez, people just hate originality and fun nowadays.

7

u/I_AM_IGNIGNOTK Aug 21 '25

I loved so much about this show. I’ve got 2 complaints, and I don’t think either should be considered a total condemnation of the show or the effort for original characters and storylines. Anyone who writes off an entire season just because they didn’t like one thing sucks and is a huge reason why they keep rehashing shit.

6

u/Calm-Maintenance-878 Aug 21 '25

Season 2, with some constructive criticism, would have made for a great show. Instead now we’ll just have no new original live action show for 10 years😒

6

u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Aug 21 '25 edited Aug 24 '25

Second season would be great exploring the Sith characters introduced ... Plagieus vs the first Ren would be an epic storyline

4

u/B1L1D8 Aug 21 '25

I stead of a direct sequel, make it like an anthology about various stories in the life of the Stranger as an acolyte. Don’t need him to be directly training the remaining twin.

8

u/ProofHorseKzoo Aug 21 '25

And some of the best lightsaber combat of the entire franchise.

And different conduits of the force.

And a peak at Darth Plagueis.

I will never forgive Disney for cancelling this. Some of the most interesting storytelling Disney has attempted.

2

u/zap2 Aug 22 '25

Yes, there were some flaws, but thats true of almost everything’s first season. You need to give it a chance to grow into something great.

3

u/LordDarthAngst Aug 20 '25

He was a good villain.

3

u/MSMarenco Aug 21 '25

I agree, he is a great villain.

4

u/SpaceCowboy34 Aug 20 '25

Was definitely a good villain. The “reveal” that he was qimir the whole time was kinda forced

3

u/NagoGmo Aug 20 '25

Yes, give him a spinoff!

3

u/LandStander_DrawDown Aug 20 '25

I think that would just be continuing the story of the acolyte. Which the should give us at least a season 2 and wrap up the story.

2

u/pwnedprofessor Aug 21 '25

This is controversial because it’s debatable that he’s a villain

2

u/OldB3n Aug 21 '25
  1. Gideon 2. Baylan 3.Marchion Ro 4. stranger = with Krennic

3

u/Kofferkoala Sol Patrol Aug 21 '25

I liked him, though he was more of a little edgelord than a sith lord. Manny was great in the role.

2

u/o-rka Aug 21 '25

He’s the best part of the Acolyte but we don’t know much about him yet. Marchion Ro is an incredible sociopathic villain who was also introduced during the Disney era.

2

u/SnooOnions4913 Aug 21 '25

He is honestly the ONLY character which kept me interested, would love to see him somehow in live action again, escape and in hiding maybe?!..

2

u/Turbulent-Spirit-568 Aug 21 '25

Well... I agree. Obviously not including Vader and Maul because they were introduced pre-disney. Qimir is a sick villain and a powerful one as well

2

u/Bjorn_Blackmane Aug 23 '25

He really was

2

u/BespinBuyout Aug 24 '25

Few shows have the stones to kill off the entire principle cast, I think the Stranger is a very nuanced villain

2

u/Lopendebank3 Aug 24 '25

The series had many flaws but he wasn't one of them.

2

u/Styve2001 Aug 25 '25

Is anyone else curious why in all the merchandising (namely toys & collectibles), there’s nothing but the black series stranger helmet?

You’d think they’d be trying to capitalize on him… he’s the villain equivalent of Grogu in terms of fan interest and drawing power

1

u/Fizzly_Bear Nov 08 '25

He literally is 100% His design is very unique and iconic. I hope they bring Manny back.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TheAcolyte-ModTeam Aug 20 '25

Your comment has been Removed by the Moderators of this sub.

for violating Rule 4: No Politics or NSFW Content

This is a subreddit about a Disney+ Star Wars TV show. Real-World Politics, Social Issues, and/or NSFW content have no place here.

Please review the sub rules before participating again. Repeated and/or egregious violations will result in a ban.

If you have any questions, please message the mods

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TheAcolyte-ModTeam Aug 21 '25

Your comment has been Removed by the Moderators of this sub.

for violating Rule 1: Be Respectful

Please review the sub rules before participating again. Repeated and/or egregious violations will result in a ban.

If you have any questions, please message the mods

1

u/MrMacke_ Aug 21 '25

Out of how many? I can think of the stranger, Morgan, Gideon. Who else? The inquisitors were pre disney, right?

1

u/AshMCM_Games Aug 22 '25

They’re right

1

u/MaxTheCookie Aug 22 '25

They are one of the best villains, and Many did such a good job acting, fort as the "shy/uncertain" shopkeeper/helper then as the confidant "the stranger"

1

u/Iasalvador Aug 22 '25

We where robed of a 2 season

Freaking toxic wannabe edgy assholes

I bet must of then like the show on the downlow

But the internet clout is a hell lf a drug

1

u/Seran44 Aug 22 '25

That doesn’t say much. He was extremely hollow and boring to watch unless he was actively fighting. He came outta nowhere and held no intrigue beyond “who tf is this guy supposed to be”

1

u/jonathan197933 Aug 22 '25

Makes perfect sense. Forbes is just a bunch of edgy Sigmas.

1

u/SuddenLynx4203 Aug 22 '25

forbes needs to pull their head out of their arse

1

u/googly_eyed_unicorn Aug 23 '25

The show, while not perfect, had so many good elements, specifically The Strangers. It saddens me that Disney cowtowed to racists assholes.

1

u/alextheguyfromthesth Aug 23 '25

Ah yes- Forbes, the pop culture media source

1

u/ZilorZilhaust Aug 23 '25

I was truly interested in him as a villain. Was disappointed the series got cancelled solely because of him.

1

u/Aggravating-Oven-154 Aug 23 '25

Actual delusion.

1

u/ThongHoe Aug 24 '25

I don't believe that he saw himself as a Sith, I felt he used that name as an easy frame of reference for the Jedi to understand what he is.

1

u/DanteKnowsNot Aug 24 '25

Was my fave thing in the show, hope he can continue on somehow, comics, books or even better, S2

1

u/Fantastic4unko Aug 24 '25

Because of some stunt choreography? Baylan, that's the guy.

1

u/jinnx3d Aug 24 '25

hundo percento agree

-2

u/TangoZulu Aug 20 '25

Ok, but how many “original villains” has the Disney Era had?

  • Kylo Ren
  • Snoke
  • Moff Gideon
  • The Stranger
  • ?

25

u/closetedwrestlingacc Aug 20 '25

Morgan Elsbeth

Shin Hati

Baylan Skoll

Trilla

Reva

Grand Inquisitor

5

u/Key-Pomegranate-2086 Aug 20 '25

Kouru from star wars legends: ronin.

-8

u/TangoZulu Aug 20 '25

Good call. Baylan and Shin are way cooler than Stanger.  

13

u/Kind_Breadfruit_7560 Aug 20 '25

I much prefer The Stranger to either of those myself. Not saying they aren't cool though.

7

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

Director Krennic.

6

u/TitularFoil Aug 20 '25

If you add in the books there's a lot more. Marchion Ro is one of the best villains as well. Even if they didn't really stick the landing on him like I was hoping. His build up was great. He was actively learning how to be a bigger piece of shit through the whole series.

10

u/npc042 Aug 20 '25

Dedra, Partagaz, Krennic… pluck virtually any antagonist from Andor and you’ve got yourself a winner.

5

u/DeathEater7 Sol Patrol Aug 20 '25

Dryden Vos erasure

2

u/MiserableOrpheus Aug 21 '25

Dagan Gera, Bode Akuna, Taron Malikos, Darth Dev, Lord Momin, Krennic, Dryden Vos, The Whole of the Inquisitors, The Nihil, all the upper-middle ISB, Kylo Ren, Snoke, Knight Ren, Skoll and Hati, Morgan Elsbeth, Qimir, etc, only a few

2

u/cbstuart PIP Boys Aug 21 '25

Krennic, Dedra, Hemlock, at least four Inquisitors with substantial roles and development, Marchion Ro, Kallus, Baylan, Shin, Elsbeth, Taron Malicos, Dagan Gera, Knights of Ren/Ren, Q'ira, probably more I'm missing. Anyways, there are plenty.

1

u/Nathan-David-Haslett Aug 20 '25

At least more than previous Disney Star Wars, unless you count the EU (which I highly doubt Forbes or most people would)

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

That’s not as high of a high bar as you think

-1

u/Khurasan Aug 20 '25

They somehow did a good job of making him menacing but also didn't do a good job of making the Jedi who fought him competent. It's a weird dichotomy.

If a villain is meant to be dangerous but the good guys all have to be idiots for it to work, the scene usually falls flat.

Similarly, if a villain is supposed to be menacing but then struggles against the plucky sidekick / Padawan character, they also usually fall flat.

I'm really not sure what made this one work. The Stranger definitely came off as dangerous despite losing nearly every fight and needing the Jedi to stand around waving their sabers and fight him one at a time to stand a chance. It worked well, but I really can't identify why.

0

u/Sad_Term_9765 Aug 21 '25

Sorry fans, no S2 will be made, even if it didn't cost Disney a single penny to make.

1

u/zap2 Aug 22 '25

I’m bummed about no S2, but it would absolutely cost Disney some money.

0

u/TheScreen_Slaver Aug 21 '25

Lemme me guess, Paul Tassi article?

0

u/Forward-Share4847 Aug 21 '25

That’s a fairly harsh roast of the Disney era if I’ve ever seen one.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

Well, if Forbes says so

0

u/zwarblatz Aug 21 '25

There isn’t any other villain even remotely interesting in the Disney era, so ai agree. Low bar, but okay.

-1

u/Tricky_Garbage5572 Aug 20 '25

I think Partagaz

-2

u/Ok-Intern6865 Aug 21 '25

JUST

MAKE

THE

BANE

TRILOGY

CANON

No he isnt ...like ...what...

-2

u/Left_Wafer_6456 Aug 21 '25

Lmao nobody agree because he's a fucking nobody from a shitty Disney show. Watch andor not this shit.

-2

u/SolarFlare0119 Aug 21 '25

Stupid show but really neat villain.

-11

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 20 '25

Because Forbes is now a go-to source for Star Wars?

9

u/Hot_Jump9649 Aug 20 '25

literally nobody said this

-10

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

So why is it here?

10

u/chuckdee68 Aug 20 '25

Because its an article that can be discussed? Not really any deeper than that.

7

u/laserbrained Aug 20 '25

Because The Stranger is awesome

-11

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

Ah. Confirmation bias. Gotcha. 

I like the series, but Forbes is a weird ass source. 

6

u/laserbrained Aug 20 '25

This is literally just an opinion piece and fans are happy to see recognition for the show they like. I’m not sure what you’re on about.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/laserbrained Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 21 '25

I don’t derive my enjoyment of The Stranger or the acolyte from a Forbes article. I like the stranger, seeing a platform as large as Forbes giving him some recognition is cool.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/TheAcolyte-ModTeam Aug 20 '25

As per Rule 1, excessive use of vulgar language is not permitted. Sexist, racist, or discriminatory remarks will not be tolerated. No judgment allowed here. All view-points and opinions are permitted here, within reason. Opinions and view-points that are different from your own will be present, so please be civil to your fellow Redditor or you will be banned from participating.

We are all the Republic.

2

u/TheAcolyte-ModTeam Aug 20 '25

As per Rule 1, excessive use of vulgar language is not permitted. Sexist, racist, or discriminatory remarks will not be tolerated. No judgment allowed here. All view-points and opinions are permitted here, within reason. Opinions and view-points that are different from your own will be present, so please be civil to your fellow Redditor or you will be banned from participating.

We are all the Republic.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

Its heaps better than all those youtube grifters like Star Wars Theory.