Star Wars Introduces The First Live-Action Lightsaber Whip in The Acolyte’s Latest Episode

Star Wars: The Acolyte, has recently introduced one of its most iconic lightsaber types. In the sixth episode, Teach/Corrupt, the series delves into the aftermath of a battle between the Jedi and Qimir, where Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) defeats an umbramoth, a giant insect-like creature, with a lightsaber whip.

Lightsabers are undeniably one of the most recognizable and exciting elements of the Star Wars universe; therefore, it’s no surprise that there are different types of lightsabers, as seen by variants like the double-bladed and Crossguard lightsabers.

The Acolyte

2/5

Release Date

June 4, 2024

Cast

Amandla Stenberg , Lee Jung-jae , Joonas Suotamo , Charlie Barnett , Dafne Keen , Leah Brady , Manny Jacinto , Rebecca Henderson , Carrie-Anne Moss , Jodie Turner-Smith , Dean-Charles Chapman , Lauren Brady , Anthony J. Abraham , Thara Shöön , Danielle Xin Yao Waterman , Sienna Khiroya , Jeramiah Evans , Dan Milne , Thomas Coombes , Archie Singh Swali , Nick Court , Ed Kear , Jumayn Hunter , Scroobius Pip , Abigail Thorn , Margarita Levieva , Amy Tsang , Saskia Allen , Deborah Rosan , Tabitha Alege , Paul Bullion , Indra Ové , Derek Arnold , Lewis Young

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

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In the most recent episode, Sol (Lee Jung-jae), who lands on a remote island to investigate a mysterious threat, sends out a distress signal, hoping that either Mog (Harry Trevaldwyn) or Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh will come to his aid. Rwoh promptly organizes a team to rescue him, but they are shocked to find Sol’s entire crew wiped out by lightsaber attacks. This is when she wields her lightwhip to sever the umbramoth, marking the live-action debut of one of the most anticipated lightsabers.

The History of Lightwhips in Star Wars, Explained

Although we’ve seen many versions of lightsabers in Star Wars canon, nothing quite like the lightsaber whip has made an appearance, leading us to marvel if it really works in practice. The lightwhip was initially introduced in Marvel’s Star Wars comics issue 95 (by Mary Jo Duffy and Cynthia Martin) in 1985, wielded by Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who had been trained in the ways of the Sith by Darth Vader.

Following Luke Skywalker’s victory over Darth Vader, he is defeated by Lumiya in their duel on Kinooine, which inspires Luke to build a shot-bladed lightsaber. That brings us to the mechanics of the lightwhip, which, unlike traditional lightsabers (run by a single Kyber crystal), is powered by a series of miniature Kyber crystals, allowing the blade to last longer and be more flexible.

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Star Wars: How Lightsabers Are Made, Explained

Here’s a refresher on how lightsabers are made in the Star Wars franchise.

Lightwhips are significantly more difficult to master than traditional lightsabers; hence, they are superior in offensive battles since they are highly unpredictable. However, they are inferior in defense, thus they are more likely to be found in Sith than Jedi, considering that the former desires bloodshed while the latter prefers peace.

Lumiya is not the only one who has used lightwhips in Star Wars; the Sith Lord Githany, who convinced herself as an apprentice of Darth Bane, also wielded one alongside the standard weapon, though she was nowhere near as skilled as Lumiya. In Steven Barnes’s 2004 novel The Cestus Deception, we also see two additional Force users using lightwhips: Silri, a Nightsister, and Kit Fisto, who receives a specially made lightwhip from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Lightwhip has caused quite a stir among Star Wars fans, as they have never seen it before in live-action, and its sole appearance, aside from Marvel’s Star Wars and The Cestus Deception, has been in The High Republic novels. In addition, there’s even speculation that Qimir’s scar, seen in The Acolyte‘s episode six, could have been caused by Rwoh, since regular sabers do not typically leave curved wounds. Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see how Rwoh will fit into the mystery of Qimir’s past as a Jedi and his fall to the dark side.