The Acolyte fans praise Episode 5 for “best lightsaber fight” since prequel trilogy

Kayla Harrington
Sol, Yord, and Jecki in The Acolyte

Star Wars fans are praising The Acolyte Episode 5 for featuring the best lightsaber duel since the final showdown in Revenge of the Sith.

Viewers are hailing The Acolyte Episode 5 as one of the darkest moments in the Star Wars timeline. The episode mostly revolved around the unmasking of Mae’s master, revealed to be the smuggler Qimir.

While the reveal was the main event, some fans focused on the epic lightsaber duel between the Jedi and Sith. While Star Wars is known for many iconic lightsaber fights, one fan compared the moment to final showdown between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the prequel trilogy.

“With its 5th episode, I genuinely think that #TheAcolyte delivered the best lightsaber fight choreography since Revenge of the Sith,” the fan said on X/Twitter. “Absolutely riveting. Full of incredibly creative moves, unique fighting styles that reflect character personalities & some truly shocking deaths.”

Their duel — also known as the Battle on Mustafar — solidified Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side as his master gave up on turning him back to the Light side of the Force once and for all.

Anakin and Obi-Wan’s final showdown has been considered the best lightsaber duel in the franchise as it helped shape the franchise as a whole.

“Facts definitely the best fight since Obi-Wan and Anakin,” one fan wrote, with another doubling down on the praise with the comment, “I think I’m in the minority, but I absolutely adore the sequels when it comes to choreography. It feels heavy, emotional, tangible. This episode is some masterful sh*t.”

A third viewer pointed out that The Acolyte may have more jaw-dropping lightsaber duels in its back pocket, saying, “And we have 3 more episodes left.”

Fans in particular pointed to how Jecki dueled Qimir while he wielded two Sith saber blades at once against the Padawan, as well as how the Sith was able to use the force in the middle of combat to skewer two Jedi.

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.