5 Best Moments From Disney+'s Newest Star Wars Series "The Acolyte"!

Almost 5 years ago, the idea of a live-action Star Wars show was completely unheard of. There were several popular/beloved animated series in the Galaxy Far Far Away, but none of them had been done with physical actors and sets. That is, not until November of 2019 when "The Mandalorian" debuted alongside Disney+. As a first for both Star Wars and Disney, "The Mandalorian" was a massive success and then some, breaking the internet with Baby Yoda (now known as Grogu) and marking the beginning of a new era for one of pop culture’s most historic franchises.

Ever since "The Mandalorian" launched, the direction of the Star Wars shifted vastly into overdrive to world of television, in part due to the show’s accomplishments and the mixed reception of the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker. With shows devoted to historic characters within the Star Wars galaxy, including "Obi Wan Kenobi", "The Book of Boba Fett", "Ahsoka", and "Andor" — alongside new seasons of "The Mandalorian" — the franchise has been on a continual journey of expansion, and on June 4th, the folks over at Lucasfilm decided to pave a new road (or lightspeed lane?!) in the form of "The Acolyte".

Set roughly 100 years before The Phantom Menace, the main premise of the show involves a Jedi Master reuniting with a former Padawan to investigate a series of crimes that start to become emblematic of a growing new power on the Dark Side of the Force. Critically, the show has been received very well, with an 80% certified fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes from a collected 235 reviews. However, the audience score is far on the other end with a low 16%. Yes, a large portion of the backlash comes from toxic fans on the internet, though the divide is surprising to say the least. Nevertheless, no matter if you loved or hated the show, it’s safe to say that there were still some pretty awesome moments for any Star Wars fan, so we thought it would be fun to break down the 5 most memorable moments of "The Acolyte". (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

1. Cool New Lightsaber Stuff!

I don’t know a single Star Wars fan that doesn’t enjoy whenever a new lightsaber element is added into the canon. Whether it be a new color, type of lightsaber, or even a really really cool lightsaber move, lightsabers are just the coolest things in the universe. Seeing as how "The Acolyte" takes place in a prime era for the original Jedi Order, it only makes sense to see a lot of lightsabers on-screen, and oh we sure did. The choreography of every fight sequence was off the charts as they managed to incorporate quite a lot of new tricks that we have never seen before. When “The Stranger” makes his first attack, I remember making an audible gasp when his helmet was immune to lightsaber blows and his lightsaber could be split into multiple pieces —  even if his blade is “cut in half”, he still has a fighting chance. As for a different lightsaber ability, Jedi Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) marks the first time we’ve ever seen a lightsaber that acts as a long-ranged whip (and, oh yeah, she’s also our second purple lightsaber Jedi as well). 

2. Terrific Ensemble of Actors Acting Their Butts Off!

Star Wars has no shortage of awesome characters, and to bring those characters to life, top-notch actors have always been in-demand. In this area, "The Acolyte" does not disappoint. First off, Carrie-Anne Moss. End of sentence. Need we say more? Oh, you already know how amazing she is in everything? Good, let’s move onto the sole actor (no pun intended... maybe) who is in every single episode with Lee Jung-jae as Sol. You might remember him from that little Netflix show called "Squid Game". Even if you don’t, Jung-jae is acting his butt off throughout the entire series with one of the most human portrayals we have seen of a Jedi to date. On top of that, you have Amandla Stenberg killing it as, not one, but TWO characters (that was a big surprise during the first episode). Dafne Keen also proves she will always be a badass no matter what. And, of course, Manny Jacinto is great as an unexpected choice to play the primary villain of the series… Yes, we know you're thinking of that scene!

3. Characters Were Allowed To Die!

Back when Disney bought Lucasfilm, people were worried that it would make all Star Wars content neutered for a younger generation (despite George Lucas saying that Star Wars was always meant for kids, but I digress). Flash-forward to Rogue One where everyone died and people were like, “Oh, never mind.” In a similar vein, "The Acolyte" is not afraid to kill off characters as early as the first episode. Carrie-Ann Moss’s character's death acted as the inciting incident, so that didn’t catch me off-guard. What did, however, was the amount of bodies that started piling up as the series went on. Particularly in Episode 5, “Night”; I figured some Jedi were going to be killed by this new Sith Lord, but I never expected it to be pretty much all of them except for Sol. Oh, and cut to the finale where Sol himself gets killed by his former padawan — which in turn completes Osha’s journey to the Dark Side — and I have nothing else to say other than a big fat DAMN! It’s one thing to create characters that you care about and another to have the guts to kill them off when you need to, and "The Acolyte" is a wise follower of that principal.

4. Episode 5 “Night” Across the Board!

Whoa, we’re already going back to Episode 5, crazy, right?! Well, for anyone who has seen the show, you know why. Every episode leading up to this point was loaded with questions, especially with regards to the identity of Mae’s master (who even she was lost on). Upon the cliffhanger of “Day”, viewers are left with this master finally showing up to handle business, and with “Night”, they waste no time in dropping us in the middle of the action. The entire episode is basically one long stretch of action sequences as characters are constantly put to the test in trying to defeat this dangerous Sith Lord or capture Mae. Were the episodes leading up to this long stretches of no action? Yes. Could that have made this episode feel bloated with how much action there is? Also yes! But did I shout “No!” when characters like Jecki and Yord got killed, while simultaneously feeling amazed at the quality in this episode? Absolutely!

5. New Elements of The Force Are Explored!

Last but certainly not least is how "The Acolyte" explored new territories with the Force. Whenever a new Star Wars movie or show comes out and tries to introduce a new element to the Force, fans are expectedly hesitant. It could be as cool as Kylo Ren stopping a blaster shot in mid-air, or as confusing as midichlorians. With that in mind, "The Acolyte" explores an era of this universe where the Jedi are at the top of the food chain in the Force. Yet, even they are surprised at the possibility of a Vergence in the planet of Brendok. As they understand it, a Vergence is essentially an area where the Force is highly concentrated within, and thereby it has the power to create life. The Vergence is why there is life on Brendok when there shouldn’t be, and it is also why Osha and Mae are more than just twins -- they are the same person created through the force. GASP! With fascinating developments like this, alongside the Coven of Witches featured in the series (that are similar to the Night Sisters from "Clone Wars" but are distinctly different), it makes Star Wars nuts like us incredibly excited for a Season 2. #RenewTheAcolyte!

You can stream all episodes of "The Acolyte" now on Disney+!