Warning! This post contains spoilers for The Acolyte.
Summary
Rey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: New Jedi Order,now faces a massive problem, and it’s all to do with the recent successes ofStar Wars: The Acolyte.The Acolyteis the newest addition toStar Warsmovies and TV shows, and although it initially received significant backlash (much of it before the show even premiered),The Acolyteepisode 5has changed the game. Not only didthe Jedi deaths in episode 5shock viewers, but also, this episode finally unmasked the unnamed villain presumed to be a Sith.
While this is great news forThe Acolyte, it may bode poorly forNew Jedi Order. LikeThe Acolyte,New Jedi Orderis already receiving scrutiny, long before its release date. In fact, Rey Skywalker actress Daisy Ridley has revealed in multiple interviews that she has yet to see a script, and the movie does not yet have a confirmed release date. Despite how early on in the processNew Jedi Orderclearly is,one major update inThe Acolytejust made the movie’s job much more difficult.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Cast, Story, Timeline & Everything We Know
Rey’s Star Wars return is happening in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Here’s what is known about the story, cast, and release of Daisy Ridley’s film.
Every Star Wars Movie Tries To Do Something New With Lightsabers
Although lightsabers may have begun with only red, blue, and green options in the originalStar Warstrilogy,lightsaber colors and their meaningshave expanded exponentially over the franchise’s nearly five decades, as have their designs. The prequel trilogy was the first to truly shake things up, with Darth Maul’s incredible double-bladed red lightsaber. However, General Grievous' use of four lightsabers at once wasn’t far behind.
Since then,Star Warsmovies and TV shows have continued to get more and more creative with lightsaber colors and designs. InStar Wars: The Clone Wars, Ahsoka was shown wielding two lightsabers at once, one of which was a smaller shoto saber. InStar Wars Rebels, Ezra Bridger had a fascinating combination blaster and lightsaber, which was similar to Jocasta Nu’s lightsaber rifle in theStar Warscomics. The movies, too, have added to lightsaber types, with Kylo Ren’s iconic crossguard lightsaber and the reveal of Rey’s yellow saber inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
While this has been fascinating to see, it has created a bit of a challenge for newStar Warsshows and movies. Because this pattern has already been set, audiences will undoubtedly be waiting to seeNew Jedi Orderbring additional new concepts to the table. However,The Acolytemay have just made that much more difficult with the reveal of the Stranger’s brilliant lightsaber dagger. The dagger is concealed inside the Stranger’s lightsaber and can be pulled out by separating the hilt, giving him the element of surprise. Sadly, this is precisely how he killed Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon.
Audiences will undoubtedly be waiting to seeNew Jedi Orderbring additional new concepts to the table.
Star Wars Reveals How Its New Sith Lightsaber Really Works
The Star Wars databank page gives additional insight into how Star Wars: The Acolyte’s new Sith lightsaber works, revealing why it is so dangerous.
The Acolyte Episode 5 Just Raised The Bar For Lightsaber Combat
In addition toThe Acolyteintroducing an incredible new lightsaber design (with Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip still on the way), episode 5 revealed one ofthe best lightsaber battles inStar Wars. The Stranger proved himself to be a formidable opponent, taking down multiple unnamed Jedi before fighting Jecki Lon and Jedi Master Sol. Tragically, the Stranger did end up killing Jecki in their battle; however, prior to her death, Jecki put up a tremendous fight.
Truly,the choreography of this battle was highly reminiscent of the fights in theStar Warsprequel trilogy. Both the Duel of the Fates battle inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceand the battle between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithrank highly amongStar Warslightsaber fights. Impressively,The Acolyteepisode 5 fight between the Stranger and Jecki was comparable.
The Acolyte Episode 5 Had The Best Lightsaber Fights I’ve Seen Since Revenge of The Sith
The Acolyte episode 5’s action-packed story delivered lightsaber fights in spades - the best ones I have seen since the iconic Battle of Heroes.
The Stranger then went on to battle Master Sol, with Sol reinvigorated and giving the fight his all after witnessing his Padawan brutally cut down in front of him. In fact, the Stranger added to the cruelty of the moment by referring to Jecki as"it"after killing her. Because of this, Master Sol was briefly driven by anger and revenge, nearly killing the Stranger, although he ultimately let him go because Osha said not to kill him. Before that, though,the lightsaber duel between Master Sol and the Stranger was downright epic.
How Can Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie Be Better Than The Acolyte?
Again, while this is excellent news forThe Acolyte, which has seemingly combated some of the harsh criticism with its brilliant episode 5,it spells trouble for Rey’s newStar Warsmovie. So far, little is known aboutNew Jedi Order, including whether that is truly the movie’s title. However, Daisy Ridley will be returning as Rey Skywalker, and the movie is confirmed to take place 15 years afterThe Rise of Skywalker. Already, this putsNew Jedi Orderon the back foot.
TheStar Warssequel trilogy faced significant criticism from the very beginning, with many viewing them asStar Wars’worst movies.The Rise of Skywalkerin particular was disparaged, especially because many found the shocking resurrection of Emperor Palpatine to be a flimsy plot line at best. Now,New Jedi Orderwill need to draw audiences in within that context, and the movie has already become controversial because of it.
The Acolyte’sbrilliant lightsaber designs and battles will only make this even more complicated. While it remains to be seen exactly whatNew Jedi Orderwill include, the rumored title and comments from those working on the movie suggest Rey will be establishing her own Jedi Order, which will inevitably mean brand-new lightsaber duels. WithThe Acolyte(and previousStar Warsmovies and shows) as a point of comparison,New Jedi Orderhas a steep hill to climb.
WithThe Acolyte(and previousStar Warsmovies and shows) as a point of comparison,New Jedi Orderhas a steep hill to climb.
The sequels also faced criticism specifically regarding their lightsaber battles, making this an even trickier act to pull off. Of course, it’s certainly not impossible forNew Jedi Orderto put forth something impressive and new; after all,Star Warshas proven time and again that there is always something more to bring to the table. However, for now,Star Wars: The Acolytehas madeStar Wars: New Jedi Order’sjob much more difficult by producing some of the best lightsaber battles in all ofStar Wars.
New episodes of The Acolyte release on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
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.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order
The tenth mainline installment in the Star Wars franchise is the first movie to follow the sequel trilogy, where Mark Hamill’s Luke, Carrie Fisher’s Leia, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo gave their final farewell. After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, development on a direct sequel had become dormant as Disney shifted focus on other parts of the galaxy, namely, Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. However, a movie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
