The Acolyte Star Manny Jacinto Reveals The Inspiration For Star Wars' New Sith Lightsaber

Summary The Stranger's unique lightsaber in The Acolyte was a collaboration between Manny Jacinto and showrunner Leslye Headland.

The lightsaber's design paid homage to Jacinto's Filipino cultural roots by referencing Filipino martial arts, which sometimes use two weapons.

His lightsaber symbolized the Stranger's ability to hide his true power and willingness to win at any cost, and it was perfect for a Sith Lord.

Manny Jacinto, the actor behind the Stranger's cortosis mask in The Acolyte, recently revealed how the idea for his unique lightsaber came about. The Stranger introduced himself in epic fashion when he massacred seven Jedi in The Acolyte episode 5, and one of the most iconic parts of his character design was his new Sith lightsaber that could be separated into two smaller blades. That trick lightsaber, combined with the Stranger's cortosis helmet and his unique lightsaber combat form, made the Stranger very deceptive and exceptionally deadly. While the Stranger's lightsaber was cool by itself, the inspiration behind it adds yet another layer to The Acolyte's Sith Lord.

While speaking to GQ, Jacinto explained that he worked with The Acolyte's showrunner, Leslye Headland, to come up with a lightsaber that was both cool and paid homage to his cultural roots.

And if a Jedi or Sith is only as cool as their lightsaber, the Stranger’s pair of blades — one long, one short and dagger-like — also deserve mention. “I’m so proud of how those turned out, because it was very much a collaborative effort,” Jacinto says. “Leslye and I had the same idea of having a sneaky weapon to come out, because this guy plays dirty. And then it just so happens that having two blades is very much an ode to Filipino martial arts. It was a lot of work [to master], but I think it definitely paid off as a shout-out to my culture.”

Jacinto was born in Manila, Philippines, before moving to Canada as a child, and the lightsaber he used in The Acolyte serves as a nice homage to his place of birth. As Jacinto mentioned, some forms of Filipino martial arts, such as the Sinawali technique in Eskrima, focus on a fighter using two weapons at the same time for both blocking and attacking. The Stranger's own fighting style is a clear homage to Eskrima, and Jacinto's past. That Filipino influence wasn't just an homage to Jacinto's culture, though, it also worked perfectly for the Stranger as a character.

Related Star Wars' New Lightsaber Weakness Explained: What Is Cortosis Ore? The mysterious Sith of The Acolyte wears a helmet made of the rare metal cortosis, which has a fascinating history in both Star Wars timelines.

The New Lightsaber Is The Perfect Weapon For A Sith

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As Jacinto mentioned in the interview, both he and Leslye Headland wanted to give the Stranger a lightsaber that helped show he was willing to fight dirty, and they achieved that goal perfectly: The moment the Stranger separated his blades and used them to kill Jecki Lon, he cemented himself as one of the most ruthless Sith Lords in Star Wars. His lightsaber embodies the core values of the Sith: power and victory at any cost. The Stranger hid his greatest weapon until the perfect moment to strike, like so many other Sith Lords have, he just did it in battle instead of on the Senate floor.

Jecki Lon Jecki is the Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Although she is young, she projects calm and conducts herself with maturity. Created By Leslye Headland Cast Dafne Keen First Appearance The Acolyte RELATIONSHIPS Sol (Master) Alliance Jedi Race Half-Human, Half-Theelan Expand

In addition to how it demonstrated the Stranger's willingness to win at any cost, his lightsaber also serves as a symbol for the character as a whole. The Stranger hid himself in plain sight and used his false identity as the goofy, incompetent Qimir to hide the danger he really posed as a Sith Lord. In much the same way, his lightsaber seemed ordinary at first, but once he twisted off his second blade, the proverbial mask fell, and the true power of the Stranger was on full display. The Stranger's lightsaber was filled with symbolic significance, and it couldn't have been a better fit.

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The Stranger and his lightsaber were a great imagining of the Sith, but it's still not clear if he's actually a Sith Lord or not. He doesn't seem to fit into the Sith Rule of Two, and after Darth Plagueis' cameo in The Acolyte episode 8, it seems the Stranger could actually be at odds with the Sith. It's not clear who exactly the Stranger is just yet, but if The Acolyte season 2 happens, that question could be answered. If for no other reason, The Acolyte season 2 deserves to happen just to see Manny Jacinto as the Stranger, and his unique lightsaber, again.

Source: GQ