The Acolyte: What is the master’s helmet made of?

The Acolyte Episode 5 solved the show’s biggest mystery yet, and we now know who the master is. But what is their helmet made out of?

Regardless of what you think about The Acolyte, there’s no doubt that it’s fully bringing the drama. While Episodes 1 and 2 set the scene for an epic Jedi murder spree, Episode 3 took us back to where it all began before Episode 4 held the biggest cliffhanger of them all.

The identity of Mae’s master has now been revealed in Episode 5, confirming them to be a Sith (although as of writing, it’s unclear whether they have a Sith name).

It was an expected reveal, but there are still many questions about their identity. Here’s what you need to know about the master’s helmet and what it’s made of. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

What is the master’s helmet made of in The Acolyte?

The master’s – aka: Qimir’s – helmet is made of Cortosis ore, which is known to be very rare, but very fibrous.

Lucasfilm/Disney

If you know your Star Wars timeline, you’ll also know Cortosis was largely used in shadowtrooper armor, alongside lining the walls of the Imperial Palace. As the name suggests, C-B3 Cortosis battle droids from The Clone Wars also feature the ore.

It’s a brittle substance, but one that has an almost immediate effect. If anyone was to touch it with their bare skin, they’d die instantly. This poses the question of how Qimir was able to use it as a helmet, even if he had energy-resistant enzymes in his system.

Logic tells us that the helmet is likely lined with something else underneath, though it’s not clear what that could be.

Energy tools are completely useless against Cortosis, with the ore having to be originally mined using pure brute force. It’s unclear how purified Qimir’s helmet is – but if it’s a purified variation, next to nothing (or no one) stands much of a chance as opposition.

While Qimir might not use his helmet much now Episode 5 has unmasked him, he’s also sporting Cortosis on his forearm. Interestingly, Darth Plagueis is also mentioned to use Cortosis, playing into the theory that Qimir is actually him.

Is Cortosis canon?

Yes, Cortosis is Star Wars canon, although it has had non-canon appearances in the timeline too.

Cortosis got its Old Republic beginnings in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, leading to uses and mentions in Darth Bane, The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: Obi Wan.

It’s also mentioned in The Last Jedi and Legacy of the Force. To date, its only non-canon appearance has been in Star Wars: Visions of the Blade. Of course, we can now add The Acolyte to the list.

Star Wars characters such as Riot stormtroopers, Cad Bane, Darth Desolous, Jedi Master Micah Giiett, and Galak Fyyar all use variations of the ore in weapons and protection.

Darth Bane drilled for Cortosis before joining the Sith army, strengthening the ore’s ties to the dark side.

Can a lightsaber stop Cortosis?

Technically yes. But the properties of Cortosis mean that it will cause a lightsaber to temporarily stop working after coming into contact with the ore.

Lucasfilm/Disney

Unless a lightsaber can land repeated strikes, the only type of saber that stands a chance are ones from Mestare, containing crystals that seem to be immune to Cortosis.

As Mara Jade Skywalker describes in the novel Visions of the Future, “I never knew the proper name for the stuff… I gather that if your lightsaber has dimetris circuits anywhere in the activation loop, hitting the rock starts a feedback crash running through the system that takes only a fraction of a second to shut the whole thing down.”

We see this in The Acolyte Episode 5, as Jecki’s lightsaber cuts out after landing blows on Qimir. Eventually, her lightsaber returns to normal, allowing her to Duel Wield against him (though even this doesn’t save her).

Sol’s lightsaber remains unaffected, while Yord sustains injuries after trying to attack Qimir’s helmet himself.

Continue to jump into hyperspace with everything we know about the Andor Season 2 release date and Tales of the Jedi Season 2. You can also read our Star Wars The Acolyte guide for more specific details.

Find even more amazing new movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.