Why The Acolyte's Sith Lord Kept Turning His Lightsaber Off
This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5.
Summary
- The Acolyte episode 5 reintroduces the forbidden Trakata lightsaber technique, used by Sith Lord Qimir.
- Qimir’s unique lightsaber style and dark side Force powers overwhelmed Jedi, leading to a brutal defeat.
- Trakata, a dishonorable Jedi technique, uses deception and misdirection in combat.
The Acolyte just brought back a 30-year-old Legends lightsaber technique, one the Jedi forbade. The mysterious Sith Lord was finally unmasked in The Acolyte episode 5, confirming everything viewers had long since suspected. “The Stranger” is in fact Manny Jacinto’s Qimir, and he is a true force to be reckoned with; the Sith Lord cut a swathe through an entire squad of Jedi.
The Stranger had many advantages. The Sith Lord’s lightsaber is a new one, and he can split it apart with a twist. This gave him the upper hand against Jecki Lon, who he cut down brutally. That wasn’t the only thing in his favor, though; he also had an unusual lightsaber style, one that confused the Jedi because they’d never faced anything like it. He tended to switch his lightsaber on and off during combat, leaving his foes unbalanced as their swings failed to connect. It’s a concept lifted straight from Legends – and it’s incredibly dangerous.
Related
Star Wars: All 7 Lightsaber Combat Forms Explained (& Who Used Which)
The Jedi and the Sith use seven different forms of lightsaber combat in Star Wars – here’s all you need to know about them, and who uses which.
Trakata Is A Forbidden Lightsaber Combat Technique
Introduced 30 years ago in the Star Wars: Dark Empire audio-drama, Trakata is the perfect lightsaber technique for the Sith, because iit involves deception – activating and deactivating a lightsaber during combat, creating openings the Sith can exploit. It’s particularly effective when combined with another lightsaber technique called Jar’kai – the use of dual lightsabers. The Stranger’s unusual lightsaber means he can use both techniques in concert.
The Jedi considered Trakata to be a forbidden form.
In Legends, the Jedi considered Trakata to be a forbidden form. It is, after all, the ultimate “dirty fighting” – a way of deceiving your opponent during combat. A practitioner of Trakata feigns one move, misdirecting their opponent, then kills them. It’s easy to see why the Jedi thought Trakata to be dishonorable, and so discouraged it. It’s likely the same is true in Legends as well, meaning the Jedi who fought the Stranger struggled to adapt.
The Stranger’s Force Powers Helped Him Do Battle Against The Jedi
The Stranger’s unusual dark side Force powers gave him another edge. Like the witches of Brendok, he possessed the ability to get inside the minds of the Jedi, confusing them and leaving them uncertain how best to respond to his attacks. Their uncertainty, their wild swings, combined with the deceptive technique of Trakata to leave them utterly unbalanced. Little wonder The Acolyte episode 5 swiftly devolved into a Jedi slaughter.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes – all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
- Cast
- Dafne Keen , Lee Jung-jae , Amandla Stenberg , Jodie Turner-Smith , Joonas Suotamo , Carrie-Anne Moss , Margarita Levieva , Charlie Barnett , Dean-Charles Chapman
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Writers
- Leslye Headland , Charmaine De Grate , Kor Adana
- Directors
- Leslye Headland , Alex Garcia Lopez
- Showrunner
- Leslye Headland
