Star Wars fans are comparing The Acolyte's most brutal episode yet to Andor
We can't believe what we just saw
Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5! Turn back now if you're not up to date!
The latest episode of The Acolyte is the most brutal yet. After last week's cliffhanger, we knew we were in for a dramatic installment – but no one was expecting a major Sith Lord reveal and the death of two major characters.
"Haven't seen a Star Wars show kill so many protagonists since The Eye in Andor," says one shocked fan.
Young Jecki was stabbed by Qimir multiple times, while Yord had his neck snapped by the Sith.
"They went out of the way to show that they were actually dead too. Yord with the neck snap and Jecki with the multiple sabers to the chest. The only remaining people who saw Qimir's face are Sol and Osha so at least one of them is going to die…." thinks someone else.
"Sol gonna sacrifice himself to make things right. And Osha ain't ever going back to the Jedi," adds another fan. "This show is called The Acolyte and it's setting itself up to be just that. Not some happy ending for the Jedi involved. They are not the main characters and the premise is not on their side."
One move in particular is being called the one of the "sickest" Star Wars moments ever – when Qimir is fighting the Jedi, he impales one, then uses the Force to drag another onto the blade.
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"That whole fight scene was actually really well done. Choreography was amazing, some new moves sprinkled in, and the darkness with the glowing sabers was eye candy," says one person.
The Acolyte continues weekly on Disney Plus. For even more on the show, check out our deep dives on:
- The Acolyte episodes 1-4 review
- The Acolyte release schedule
- What is The High Republic? The Acolyte’s new Star Wars era explained
- When does The Acolyte take place on the Star Wars timeline?
- Who is the masked villain in The Acolyte? What we know about the Star Wars Sith explained
- New Star Wars show The Acolyte's sets were so big and detailed, the actors needed a map to get around and were literally “tripping on mushrooms”
- Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae on joining The Acolyte, making history as a Jedi, and why he thinks Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland has a "fresh take" on Star Wars
- The Acolyte creator talks pitching The High Republic – and the biggest challenge behind the new Star Wars era
- Star Wars' cute new droid has an incredibly wholesome inspiration behind it
- The Acolyte crew built lightsabers for the new Star Wars show that could be used "the way Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn use them"
- Upcoming Star Wars movies
- Star Wars timeline
- How to watch the Star Wars movies in order
I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.