Star Wars: The Acolyte has certainly been utilizing a lot of lore from the furthest reaches of the galaxy far, far away. Be it the inclusion of worlds fans have seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars or the reintroduction of the lightwhip, there are plenty of Easter eggs fans can enjoy throughout the show. One of the most notable ones is utilized extensively by the Stranger, the unnamed Sith Lord, who acts as the show's primary antagonist. In the show, he uses a helmet and arm brace made from the metal cortosis, which is resistant to lightsaber attacks and can even short them out.

While his use of the metal in combat was a cool concept and nod to the metal's previous uses in Legends, it also does something unexpected. Cortosis has a long history associated with the Jedi and Sith in Legends, and its implementation in such a prominent way could create opportunities to reintroduce two major figures from Legends: Darth Desolous and Starkiller. Both are connected to cortosis, and considering its connections to the Sith, it would be a waste not to use it.

The Stranger Used Cortosis to Slaughter the Jedi

• The Stranger makes use of cortosis in his helmet and arm brace.
• It was how he bought himself time to kill off the Jedi one by one.
• Cortosis has a long history connected to the Sith.

The main property of cortosis is its ability to disperse energy. When utilized properly, it can withstand blaster fire without harming the wearer, and in the right hands is an effective means of temporarily taking away one of the Jedi's best means of defense: their lightsabers. Cortosis is one of the few metals that can resist the legendary weapons of the Jedi. That being said, it is not on the same level of durability as beskar. If cortosis isn't properly reinforced, then a lightsaber can cut through it before it is shorted out. That is the principal advantage, though. When a lightsaber makes contact with cortosis, the blade fizzles out, being rendered useless for a few seconds. While this might not sound very dangerous, if the cortosis wielder is a trained fighter, then those few seconds without having to worry about being cut down by a lightsaber could seal a Jedi's fate.

This was on full display when the Stranger battled the Jedi team on Khofar. He went after a team of Jedi all by himself, and while his considerable skill as a duelist and Force user deserves most of the credit for his victory, the cortosis helmet and arm brace he wore also provided an unexpected advantage. More than once, the Jedi were denied the use of their lightsabers because of the helmet, forcing them to step back and wait for the sabers to reignite. This gave the Stranger breathing room while he dealt with the Jedi, who still had a saber to spare, allowing him to pick them off one by one.

As a side note, cortosis was also invaluable to the Sith of the Rule of Two Era. Not just for its properties as a lightsaber resistant weapon, but also because its rarity provided them with vast resources to spend on their conspiracy to conquer the galaxy. The Stranger having these items at his disposal connects him even more to the Sith. More than that, cortosis connects the past and future of the Sith in the forms of Darth Desolous and Starkiller.

How Cortosis Was the Signature of Darth Desolous

• Darth Desolous made a unique fighting style incorporating cortosis shields.
• He led an army of trained fighters against the Jedi Order.
• He managed to kill two thousand Jedi before he was defeated.

Now, Darth Desolous is not a character who has the comprehensive backstory of more prominent Sith, such as Naga Sadow or Tulak Horde, even in Legends continuity. That being said, he was prominent in that he developed a unique form of fighting that hadn't really been seen in other Sith until what the Stranger did on Khofar. In Legends, the story was that Darth Desolous was a Pau'an Jedi Master who craved battle. He began studying the Sith to sate his lust for combat and, as a consequence, fell to the Dark Side of the Force. When the Jedi discovered this, he was expelled from the Order.

Enraged, he returned to his homeworld and raised an army made of his people. He taught them his unique form of martial arts and, most importantly, incorporated the use of cortosis shields into their combat forms. Becoming the Dark Lord of the Sith of his time, Desolous' claim to fame was essentially creating an army of Jedi killers. He would make good on his vengeance, too. By the time the Jedi managed to defeat him on the planet of Yaga Minor, Desolous had killed nearly two thousand Jedi before he was stopped. While the exact number of the Order fluctuates over the years, considering that there were an estimated ten thousand Jedi active before the Fall of the Republic, that would mean Desolous wiped out a fifth of the Order purely out of spite.

This would certainly explain why he has been partially reincorporated into canon. While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker doesn't get a lot of love from the fans, it did make a lot of people happy by subtly reintroducing famous Sith Lords such as Revan, and of course, Darth Desolous. One of the Sith Eternal's forces, the 44th Legion of Sith Troopers, was known as the Desolous Legion. While they were destroyed along with their master at the Battle of Exogol, it stands to reason that they were named such because they were also trained to kill Jedi. Regardless of the reasoning, it is the first hint that Desolous could return in a more prominent form in the future. An irony considering he was created as a one-off character for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

How This Could Tie Into Starkiller's Return

• Starkiller fought a simulation of Darth Desolous in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
• Desolous could be reintroduced as a member of the Era of the Sith.

Darth Desolous isn't a character who was introduced as a major villain or some other prominent figure. He was a boss in the PlayStation version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. In the game's lore, the Jedi had created a simulacrum of the deceased Dark Lord to test prospective knights in the Trial of Skill. A program of Desolous would manifest and attack the Jedi, spewing all the same vengeful hate Desolous had in his true form. This combat program was activated by Starkiller while he was exploring the Jedi Temple and would become a part of his first introduction to the teachings of the Jedi.

All of this is made possible by cortosis, giving the Sith an advantage over their Jedi foes. While Starkiller himself never used it, he did have to face it, a foe that was made far more dangerous to him because he was primarily a melee fighter at that point in his life. Desolous was a challenge, but one he overcame. Both their stories, though, are connected through this metal and could be used to bring both back into the lore.

Desolous has already been established as canon, so it's not impossible for him to reappear in some new form. Perhaps he could be brought in as part of the Era of the Sith when the Dark Lords ruled the galaxy in the ancient past. Cortosis was used prominently back then, so it would be a good way to introduce Darth Desolous and potentially explain why he is so revered as to have a legion named after him by Sidious. Perhaps his prowess in combat and training Jedi killers was a large part of how the Sith dominated the galaxy back then. Starkiller himself was almost introduced in Star Wars: Rebels, so fans know he is popular enough to be brought back if producers find the right way to do so without making him too broken. Desolous, even a simulation of him would be a good way to balance out that potential power trip.