This article contains spoilers for Episode 5 of The Acolyte.
Summary
- “The Acolytes” Episode 5 reintroduces the forbidden Trakata lightsaber technology used by the Sith Lord Qimir.
- Zmierre’s unique lightsaber style and dark side abilities overwhelmed the Jedi Knights, leading to a crushing defeat.
- Trakata is a dishonorable Jedi technique that uses deception and misdirection in combat.
Acolyte Just restored a legendary lightsaber technology from 30 years ago that was forbidden to the Jedi. The mysterious Sith Lord is finally unveiled Acolyte Episode 5 confirmed everything audiences had long suspected. The “stranger” was actually Manny Jacinto’s Chimire, a force to be reckoned with; the Sith Lord absolutely routed an entire Jedi squad.
The Outlander has a lot of advantages. The Sith Lord’s lightsaber is a new sword that he can cleave with a simple spin. This gives him the upper hand in his fight against Jackie Lang, who he brutally cuts down. However, that’s not his only advantage; his lightsaber style is also unusual, confusing the Jedi as they’ve never encountered anything like it. He tends to flick his lightsaber on and off during combat, throwing his enemies off balance as their swings miss their mark. It’s a concept borrowed directly from Legends – and it’s incredibly dangerous.
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Trakata is a banned lightsaber combat technique
30 years ago in Star Wars: Dark Empire In the audio series, Trakata is the perfect lightsaber technique for the Sith, as it involves deception – activating and deactivating lightsabers in combat to create opportunities for the Sith to exploit. It works particularly well when combined with another lightsaber technique called Jar’kai, which uses two lightsabers. The Stranger’s unusual lightsaber means he can use both techniques at once.
The Jedi consider Trakata to be a forbidden form.
In Legends, Jedi consider Trakata to be taboo. After all, it is the ultimate “dirty fighting” – a way to trick your opponent in combat. Practitioners of Trakata fake a move to mislead their opponent and then kill them. It’s easy to see why Jedi consider Trakata dishonorable and therefore discourage it. This is likely true in Legends as well, meaning that it would be difficult for a Jedi to adapt to fighting a stranger.
A stranger’s Force powers helped him fight the Jedi
The Stranger’s unusual dark powers gave him another advantage. Like the witch of Brundock, he had the ability to enter the minds of Jedi Knights, confusing them and making them unsure of how best to respond to his attacks. Their uncertainty, their wild fluctuations, combined with the deceptive techniques of Trakata, kept them completely off balance. No wonder Acolyte Episode 5 quickly turns into a Jedi massacre.
Acolyte 
The Acolyte is a TV series set in the Star Wars universe, set during the end of the Republic, when both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire are at the height of their influence. The sci-fi thriller follows a former Padawan who reunites with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes – all leading to a Darkness that breaks out from beneath the Earth and prepares to put an end to the Republic.
Actors Dafne Keen, Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Judy Turner-Smith, Joonas Suotamo, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman
Streaming service Disney+
Screenwriters: Leslye Headland, Charmaine De Grate, Kor Adana
Directors: Leslye Headland, Alex Garcia Lopez
Leslye Headland, producer