The Acolyte episode 5 reveals the secret ingredient to great Star Wars lightsaber battles: it's all about personality

EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsStar Wars TV ShowsThe AcolyteThe Acolyte episode 5 reveals the secret ingredient to great Star Wars lightsaber battles: it’s all about personalityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsStar Wars TV ShowsThe AcolyteThe Acolyte episode 5 reveals the secret ingredient to great Star Wars lightsaber battles: it’s all about personalityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Disney+) Warning - the following features spoilers for episode 5 of The Acolyte… The Acolytejust aired its most action-heavy episode to date,unveiling Qimir(Manny Jacinto) as Mae’s mysterious Dark Side master. Arriving in a Knights of Ren-style helmet at the end of episode 4, he quickly proves his strength against a whole squad of Jedi warriors. From then on, it’s a fight to the death in the forests of Khofar. A fight toseveral deaths, in fact, as Qimir kills off two fan-favorite characters: the lovable padawan Jecki (Dafne Keen) and the uptight Jedi knight Yord (Charlie Barnett). The show’s cast havedrawn comparisonsbetween this episode and The Phantom Menace’s Duel of the Fates - a bold claim, since that’s one of the most iconic fight scenes in the franchise. But The Acolyte does actually manage to hold its own. Episode 5’s lightsaber fights blend the elegant choreography of the prequels with the brutality and emotion of the sequel trilogy’s Rey/Kylo Ren duels. These sequences also remind us that the best combat scenes are always rooted in characterization. Before the fighting kicks off, the show establishes a crucial difference in outlook between the Jedi and darksiders like Qimir - a Jedi should never attack an unarmed opponent, while a Sith is happy to grab the upper hand. With these moral stakes in mind, episode 5 makes sure to give each character a distinctive combat style that reflects their personality. Rules of combat (Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm) It goes without saying that Qimir is strong, fast, aggressive, and well-trained. He out-fights multiple Jedi, killing three in the episode’s opening scene. You get the impression that these complacent High Republic-era Jedi are unprepared to fight such a skilled enemy - especially one armed with a helmet and gauntlets made from cortosis, a substance that temporarily disrupts their lightsaber blades, leaving them unarmed. “He doesn’t follow the rules of combat” Yord tells Osha (Amandla Stenberg), looking unnerved. “There’s no method to his movements, it doesn’t make sense.” To a consummate rule-follower like Yord, Qimir’s combat style is confusing and unfamiliar. But it’s not as if Qimir is just waving his blade at random. He’s obviously spent years training for this exact scenario, learning lightsaber forms designed to fight several Jedi at once. In an era when the Sith lie dormant and the Jedi are a dominant force, he’s expecting to be outnumbered. Theofficial episode guidealso highlights a notable detail: Qimir employs an ancient lightsaber technique known as Tràkata, switching his blade on and off mid-fight (plus he has a real sense of showmanship - an important trait for any cinematic villain). Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox During his first confrontation with Qimir, Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) fights defensively and tries to extract information from his opponent, a strategyestablished in earlier episodes. However, he’s clearly not in control of the situation, as Qimir pushes him back to the point of defeat. Meeting your match (Image credit: Disney) The episode ends with Mae disguising herself as Osha and leaving the planet with Sol. But before that, Osha does something sneakily important. She defeats Qimir (albeit temporarily) without a weapon, essentially passing a mirror image of the test he set for Mae. After Qimir’s duel with Sol, Osha jumps in and attaches her droid Pip’s light fixture to Qimir’s back, attracting a flock of umbramoths that carry him off into the trees. And so we learn that even without a lightsaber, she may be the one character who can face up to Qimir’s abilities. The Acolyte airs weekly onDisneyPlus worldwide. 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the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret 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fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”