This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5.
Summary
The Acolytejust brought back a 30-year-old Legends lightsaber technique, one the Jedi forbade. The mysterious Sith Lord was finally unmasked inThe Acolyteepisode 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. TheSith 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.
Star Wars: All 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 theStar Wars: Dark Empireaudio-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 anotherlightsaber 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 sideForce powersgave 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 wonderThe Acolyteepisode 5 swiftly devolved into a Jedi slaughter.
Tricks like Trakata, Qimir’s unique new Sith lightsaber, and his Force powers all combine to show just how dangerous it is to go head-to-head with the Sith. The Jedi are bound by their rules, by their codes of conduct, but Sith care little for such niceties. In their view, victory is all that matters, and they will deploy any tricks they need to win. Qimir certainly proved that, and he confirmed that a single Sith can take on an entire squad of Jedi - and win.
Star Wars Has Been Setting Up Trakata’s Return For Quite Some Time
Star Warshas actually been setting up Trakata’s return since September 2021, when it was seen in the most unlikely place. It made an appearance in theStar Wars: Visionsseason 1 episode “The Elder,” with a Jedi Master named Tajin using it against a powerful Sith Lord known as the Elder. Tajin sidestepped an attack and switched his blade off, pressing the lightsaber hilt against the Elder’s body and then activating it again. While it’s trueStar Wars: Visionsis non-canon, this served as a nice reminder of the controversial lightsaber technique.
In canon, there have been hintsDarth Vader modified this techniqueto defeat Jedi opponents. Anakin Skywalker was always a tinkerer, andDarth Vader modified his blade, giving it two kyber crystals; he could switch between the crystals, adjusting the length of his blade. The lightsaber would deactivate for a moment when he triggered the switch, then reactivate at a completely different length, wrong-footing his enemies and giving him an opening. Trakata is perfect for this kind of treacherous subterfuge.
Nonetheless,The Acolyteis the first time Trakata has actually been seen in canon - and the technique is officially named as part of the episode guide. No doubt it will appear again in future now, because it’s been used so spectacularly. But it will always surely be mostly used by the Sith, rather than by the Jedi.
The Acolyte
Cast
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.
