One of the stars ofThe Acolytehas revealed a new deleted scene, confirming that the Disney era’s best lightsaber duel was originally a lot more intense. Set duringStar Wars’High Republic Era, the Jedi Order believed the Sith were extinct. However, the dark side was still strong in"The Stranger", an apparent Sith in the shadows whose murder of several Jedi could’ve been far more brutal.
ScreenRant was in attendance at the Denver Fan Expo, whereThe Acolyte’sManny Jacinto revealed some new insights into hisStar Warscharacter while speaking with Victor Dandridge, editor-in-chief at Vantage: Inhouse Productions.Referencing the incredible lightsaber duel where The Stranger dueled multiple Jedi Knights at once, Jacinto confirms the confrontation was originally more graphic:
“Star Wars has always been PG, but you want to find some brutal aspects of these fights… There was one moment, I think, where I just take one Jedi and keep slamming his head on to a rock, because we wanted to show how brutal this guy could be, without any remorse.”
Even without this particular scene, the character’s murder of so many Jedi Knights is still very intense and incredibly well-choreographed, particularly withThe Stranger’s unique cortosis helmet and gauntlethe used to deactivate his opponents' lightsabers.
This Scene Was Probably A Bit Too Much Even For The Acolyte
It’s Still Full Of Other Intense Moments
As it stands, the Stranger’s lightsaber duel inThe Acolyteis one brutal murder after another. This includes Manny Jacinto’s Sith warrior running multiple Jedi Knights through one after the other, headbutting lightsabers to deactivate them before killing his suddenly vulnerable opponents, and repeatedly stabbingDafne Keen’s Jecki Lonwith a secret shoto saber. He even broke the neck of Charlie Barnett’s Yord Fandar with his bare hands.
It’s likely that continually bashing a Jedi’s head against a rock was probably one brutal act too far. Even without the newly revealed deleted scene, it’s made clear in the actualAcolyteepisode that The Stranger is remorseless. Determined to maintain his anonymity and remain in the shadows, it darkly makes sense that he was so focused on killing every single Jedi who saw his face.
Our Take On The Stranger’s Incredible Combat Prowess
The New Gold Standard For Lightsaber Duels
Without a doubt, The Stranger’s battle with so many Jedi is easily one of the best lightsaber duels. It’s certainly the best since Disney purchased theStar Warsfranchise in 2012. Likewise, it’s also a major piece of proof of the potential for moreStar Warsstories set earlier in the timeline, when there were more active Sith Lords (like during the Old Republic Era).
The Acolyteisn’t without its controversies. However, The Stranger was a breakout character from theStar Warsshow, and many would like to see his story continue in some way.Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen to Manny Jacinto’s character, few fans would disagree with the opinion that Lucasfilm should use his most impressive duel as a primetemplate for future lightsaber sequences.
