One year ago to the day,The Acolyteprovided us with the bestStar Warslightsaber duel since the days of George Lucas.The Acolyteis not considered one ofStar Wars’best TV shows, but none can deny some quality aspects it had. For instance, the exploration ofStar Wars’High Republic erawas exciting to see in live-action.
Seeing thepowerful Jedi ofStar Warsunburdened by their issues from the prequels was fascinating, and that is without mentioning the Sith.The Acolyte’s endingrevealed a major Sith character for the first time in canon, making the show’s cancellation all the more heartbreaking. Beyond all that,The Acolyteexcelled in its combat scenes, as proven one year ago.
1 Year Ago Today, The Acolyte Episode 5 Aired On Disney+
The Peak Of The Acolyte
On July 16, 2025,The Acolyteepisode 5 was released on Disney+.The Acolyteepisode 5, titled “Night,” was a turning point in the series, providing several identity reveals, major character deaths, and big plot twists. The episode took place on the planet of Khofar as day turned to night, with the Jedi confronting the mysterious Sith master of Mae.
Here, it was revealed that the Sith warrior is actually Qimir. Qimir dropped hints about his past, his connection to the Jedi, and what his plans were before being confronted. It was in this confrontation thatThe Acolyteepisode 5 truly shone, providing a franchise-best aspect for the first time inStar Warsin two decades.
The Acolyte Episode 5 Included Some Franchise-Best Lightsaber Fights
Which Many Would Agree With
The Acolyteepisode 5 featured some of the best lightsaber duels in the entire franchise. Not only was the choreography leagues above what was seen in the original and sequelStar Warstrilogies, but it also included some killer aspects, literally and figuratively. The Stranger’s trick lightsaber, for instance, was a never-before-seen aspect that was used perfectly.
The performance from all involved was excellent, allowing free-flowing, quick, intense choreography. This was all bolstered by other trick aspects, such as The Stranger’s cortosis armor that was used to short out lightsabers. TheStar WarsTwitterpage itself even placed a big emphasis on such aspects, proving how good the lightsaber duels were in an episode focused on them.
The Acolyte’s Lightsaber Fights Couldn’t Match George Lucas', But They Came Close
Two Prequel Lightsaber Duels Still Outrank The Acolyte
The Acolyte’s lightsaber duels were excellent and by far the best we had seen in, at that point, 19 years. A year later, this fact remains, but it also rings true thatThe Acolytecould not topple the lightsaber scenes of George Lucas' prequels. The prequel fights were high-energy and featured expert choreography, which Lucas placed an emphasis on.
The Acolytecertainly tried to match these fights for intensity, and almost came close. There were conversations about whetherThe Acolyte’s lightsaber fights were the best the franchise had ever seen at the time, but many agreed the prequel fights still outranked them. Two of the most iconicaction scenes inStar Warsare a testament as to why.
Be itStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’s Duel of the Fates orStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith’s Battle of Heroes, these scenes are still better thanThe Acolyteseason 1, episode 5, “Night.” That does not stopThe Acolyte’s scenes from overtaking action beats fromStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, though.
As far asThe Acolyteis concerned, it was actually a goal of the show for the creators to top scenes from the prequels. An interview withEntertainment Weeklyconfirmed as much, with Dafne Keen stating,“It was very much: We want to top the Darth Maul fight — the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe.“While they did not quite manage to do so, they came close enough.
This, combined with the fact that the lightsaber confrontation on Khofar is better than anything in the other twoStarWarstrilogies, proves thatThe Acolytehad the best laser sword choreography in the franchise in two decades.
