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 theStar Warsuniverse; therefore, it’s no surprise that there aredifferent types of lightsabers, as seen by variants like the double-bladed and Crossguard lightsabers.
The Acolyte
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 inStar Warscanon, 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 inMarvel’sStar Warscomics 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.
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 inStar 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 novelThe Cestus Deception, we also see twoadditional Force usersusing lightwhips: Silri, a Nightsister, and Kit Fisto, who receives a specially made lightwhip from Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Lightwhip has caused quite a stir amongStar Warsfans, as they have never seen it before in live-action, and its sole appearance, aside from Marvel’sStar WarsandThe Cestus Deception, has been inThe High Republicnovels. In addition, there’s even speculation that Qimir’s scar, seen inThe 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.
The Acolyteis currently streaming on Disney+, with the episode premiering on July 9.
