Summary
According toStar Wars: The Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland, the mysterious masked Sith villain Qimir was inspired byElden Ringplayers.Elden Ringtook the gaming world by storm upon its release in 2022, withDark Soul’sdeveloper FromSoftware andGame of Thronesauthor George R.R. Martin joining forces to create a title that brings the former’s notoriously challenging gameplay into a fantastical open-world setting.
Some ofElden Ring’s most persistent players have gone on to become legends in the gaming community, with aprimary example being Let Me Solo Her. The player first rose to prominence by defeating the powerfulElden Ringboss Malenia, Blade of Miquella no less than 2,000 times, armed with only a pair of Katanas and a ceramic pot on their head for protection. The fact that Let Me Solo Her was able to take down one ofElden Ring’s most notorious enemies with minimal armor has been seen as an achievement worthy of renown among the game’s massive fanbase, inspiring countless memes and imitators.
It seems that even theStar Warsfranchise has taken note ofLet Me Solo Her and similarElden Ringplayers, asStar Wars: The Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland recently revealed how they inspired the show’s primary antagonist. In an interview withInverse, Headland explained that Sith warrior Qimir’s design was directly influenced by the “crazy”Elden Ringplayers who tackle the game without armor, just like Qimir himself challenges a squad of Jedi with only a gauntlet and sinister-looking helmet for protection.
Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Qimir Was Inspired By “Naked” Elden Ring Players
Leslye Headland noted that others were initially shocked that Qimir wasn’t going to wear armor. The showrunner countered, explaining that he wouldn’t need armor if he never got hit, drawing comparisons to the nearly nude players inElden Ring. Sure enough,Qimir’s Sith battle attirequickly caught the eye ofStar Warsfans even beforeThe Acolytestarted airing on Disney+, thanks in no small part to his haunting mask that is made of Cortosis - a metal with its own gaming roots thanks toStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Headland went on to describe the feeling ofEldenRing’s punishing combat, offering advice for anyone struggling withthe recently releasedShadow of the ErdtreeDLC. The showrunner explained that players should “go in with an offensive attitude” and roll into a boss’s attacks with unrelenting force.Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Qimir did just that during his now-infamous massacre of the Jedi squad in the show’s fifth episode, becoming an instant fan favorite in the process - just like Let Me Solo Her and theElden Ringplayers that have followed in their path.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
