*SPOILER WARNING* – This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episodes 1-5.
Although it received mixed reviews upon release, there are many things about the Star Wars prequels that fans continue to adore nearly 20 years since the trilogy released. The duel between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in Episode I. The Battle of Geonosis in Episode II. Anakin and Obi-Wan’s duel on Mustafar in Episode III. These are some of the most iconic moments in Star Wars, and there’s one thing they all have in common – the lightsabers.
Prequel Era Lightsaber Duels
Beginning with Rey Park’s epic performance as Darth Maul in the duel of fates and ending with Anakin and Obi-Wan’s duel on Mustafar, prequel era lightsaber duels are a thing of beauty that live action Star Wars has never been able to recreate. The speed, precision and skill at which these duels were fought truly evoked the power of a master force-user.
The Sequel Era
For all its money and modern special effects, the sequel trilogy’s duels just feel … lethargic. Kylo’s character is modeled after a traditional European knight, so it fits that he should fight like someone wielding a large sword. But Rey fighting just as slowly, despite consistently showcasing her athleticism and agility in other scenes, just doesn’t make sense.
Original Trilogy Duels
Master versus apprentice, father versus son, the original trilogy duels were charming in their own way. They were intimate and intense but also limited by the effects of their time, never quite managing to demonstrate the full power of a master Jedi.
In fairness, the choreography in the original trilogy or even the sequel trilogy would look fine in a more realistic sword fight where real humans are swinging real swords. But this is Star Wars, lightsabers aren’t real swords and Jedi aren’t real humans.
The Power of the Force
Trained in the force essentially from birth, Jedi are, for all intents and purposes, superheroes. With heightened senses and faster reflexes due to their connection with the force, Jedi are faster, stronger and more precise than even the most skilled humans.
The prequels understood this. The Duel of Fates is one of the most iconic duels in movie history in large part due to Ray Park’s athletic performance as Darth Maul. Hayden Christansen and Ewan Mcgregor’s duel on Mustafar is similarly iconic because of the speed at which the two actors fought. In fact, the two were so fast that in a recent ask-me-anything for GQ, Christansen was asked if stunt doubles were used or if the duel was sped up in any way. To which he replied “That was us. There were no stunt doubles. We were just that good.”
Christansen isn’t wrong, prequel duels were that good and for a long time, were the only duels which demonstrated the heightened speed, skill and power that befits a force user. That is – until now.
Return of the Epic Lightsaber Battle
Premiering back in June, Star Wars’ most recent production The Acolyte has had its ups and downs. The story is fresh and interesting, the set design, costumes and effects have been captivating and immersive. Unfortunately, the editing and pacing of the first few episodes was lackluster and the acting, particularly some of the dialogue, has had some tremendously awful moments. Luckily, these issues seem to have been ironed out after the first few episodes and as the series progresses, The Acolyte has knocked the lightsaber duels absolutely out of the galaxy.
Beginning with Mae and Master Indara’s fight scene in the bar on Ueda to Mae and Master Sol’s faceoff on Olega, the show’s action scenes have been solid. When episode 4 ended on a cliff hanger duel between the mysterious Sith and a team of jedi, the stage was set for episode 5 to give the fans what they’ve been waiting for since 2005 and it absolutely delivered.
The Battle on Khofar
As Osha awakens on the forest floor of Khofar, she rolls over to find a dead jedi next to her. With little time to process her shock, she hears lightsabers clashing in the distance as a group of Jedi are engaged with a mysterious force user with a red lightsaber. Although vastly outnumbered, the presumed sith fights with fury against the Jedi, skillfully outmaneuvering them with prolific speed and brutal aggression. The Jedi put up a strong fight, but most of them never stood a chance as one by one they meet their end by sith’s red saber. Before the last Jedi falls, Master Sol emerges from the dark foliage to defend his company.
The two masters duel in epic fashion trading lightning quick blows that could only be defended by the inhuman reflexes of a force user. After some time, Master Sol is joined by padawan learner Jecki who displays impressive potential reminiscent of a young Ahsoka. Jecki wields two sabers, heroically taking on a foe much more skilled than she with intense speed. As she briefly gains the upper hand and unmasks the Sith with a flurry of strikes, the Sith delivers three gut-wrenching stab wounds right through her chest, making it abundantly clear that The Acolyte is not your average PG-13 production.
What’s Next for The Acolyte?
After an up and down start to the series, The Acolyte had its first stellar release with episode five and has maintained momentum ever since. While things are looking up, many shows have been ruined by a poor ending, so final reviews of The Acolyte will have to wait until the finale on July 16. So far The Acolyte’s biggest problems have been isolated instances of cringe dialogue and poor acting. But if the prequels taught us anything, it’s that epic lightsaber battles go a long way in covering up shoddy acting.