Acolyte showrunner was surprised that they were able to go so dark

Fans who were shocked by the violence in The Acolyte Episode 5 can rest assured they’re not alone, as the cast and crew of the Star Wars series were equally surprised.

The Acolyte has already been a controversial series for some fans, from how it handled the murder of Jedi Master Indara to its depiction of the Nightsisters.

The latest episode may go down as its most controversial, though. Episode 5 finally features the show’s horrifying master, The Stranger, doing battle with the Jedi. But the fight was way more violent than anyone could have expected from Star Wars.

Warning, spoilers for The Acolyte follow.

In the ensuing fight, The Stranger (revealed to be the smuggler Qimir) slaughters most of the series’ cast. This includes Sol’s Padawan, Jecki Lon, who is stabbed multiple times with a lightsaber, and Jedi Knight Yord Fandar, whose neck is brutally snapped.

Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland couldn’t believe how dark they were allowed to get, telling Entertainment Weekly she was positive it wouldn’t be allowed.

“I just figured someone would stop me and nobody did,” Headland said. “I figured someone would say, ‘This is too far!’ But they didn’t.”

The cast was also shocked, with star Amandla Stenberg explaining, “We were all like, ‘Leslye, the way that you take them out is so brutal!’ What the hell? What kind of sick, twisted masochist are you?'” to which Headland joked “I guess I always thought, ‘Well, Anakin killed a bunch of children, so…'”

It is a surprising move for the typically family-friendly Star Wars. While the series has always been known for its swashbuckling lightsaber fights and high-stakes blaster battles, it has traditionally avoided more violent imagery.

Modern Star Wars has gone to even greater lengths to avoid extreme violence. The 1996 re-release of A New Hope removed the blood from Ponda Baba’s severed arm, as Lucas had decided by then that a lightsaber would flash-cauterize a wound.

The modern era of Star Wars has experimented more with violence, but even moments like Kylo Ren killing Han Solo were kept largely obscured, with most of the wounds off-screen. And while Anakin killing the Younglings is an infamous Star Wars moment, we’re never shown the act; just the implication.

But The Acolyte pulled no such punches. The Stranger wields a lightsaber ruthlessly, slashing through Jedi and using the Force with brutal efficiency. He even goes so far as to use the Force to pull a Jedi onto his lightsaber, which is already impaled in another Jedi.

Episode 5 has set a bar for the remaining episodes, but the mysteries it teases – including Osha and Mae swapping places and hints of a grand Sol betrayal – are more than enough to suggest that there may still be more unexpected surprises to come.

New episodes of The Acolyte premiere on Disney+ on Tuesdays. If you’re looking for more Star Wars, read everything we know about Andor Season 2 release date and Tales of the Jedi Season 2, or check out new movies and TV shows streaming this month.