The reveal wasn’t exactly a surprise; the Sith Lord’s true identity was one of the worst-kept secrets in Star Wars fandom, so obvious that many began to wonder if it had to be a red herring. It was the best possible choice, though, because Jacinto’s performance has been electrifying. Oddly enough, though, The Acolyte‘s Sith Lord is working precisely because showrunner Leslye Headland has decided to ignore one of George Lucas’ most important dark side rules – and she’s made the right choice.
The Dark Side Isn’t As Glamorous As You Think
George Lucas never wanted the Empire to be attractive
A few months ago, I was somewhat shaken to discover a 2005 Rolling Stone interview with George Lucas in which he discussed Darth Vader. I’m used to thinking of the Dark Lord of the Sith as one of the most iconic villains in Hollywood history, but Lucas had a very different view. “Ultimately, he’s just a pathetic guy who’s had a very sad life,” Lucas concluded at one point. Reading those words, I remembered the first time I watched Darth Vader stride on to the bridge of the Tantive IV; that definitely wasn’t my first impression of him.
But this is the beauty of Star Wars. The original trilogy begins by making the dark side of the Force look utterly cool, with Darth Vader towering over his opponents like a terrifying specter. Sure, the Imperials think he’s a bit of a joke, a relic of the past, but he soon puts them in their places with a quick Force-choke. And then, over the course of the trilogy, the mask of Darth Vader is stripped away. He’s not an inhuman monster, he’s a father, and ultimately he’s a man filled with regrets who makes one single right choice to save his son’s life.
The dark side is as seductive as a politician whispering lies to a naive young man while they listen to the opera.
The prequels double down on this. In the first Star Wars movie, we heard that Darth Vader was “seduced by the dark side of the Force.” Doesn’t that sound thrilling and dramatic? It amounted to a few temper tantrums and the foolish decision to listen to a corrupt politician’s lies. George Lucas understood that the dark side sounds flashy and spectacular, and he used the prequels to strip it of that spectacle, to reveal the mundane ordinary-ness of evil. The dark side is as seductive as a politician whispering lies to a naive young man while they listen to the opera.
The Acolyte Has Restored The Dark Side’s Spectacle
The Sith Lord plays it straight
Viewed through this lens, The Acolyte‘s Sith Lord stands as the antithesis to George Lucas’ vision. He’s undeniably badass in The Acolyte episode 5, wielding a cool new lightsaber and some seriously impressive lightsaber forms; he’s swift and treacherous, messing with his enemies’ minds even as he slices them apart. The Jedi are at their best, using everything from Jar’Kai to Darth Teeth’s own cortosis helmet against him. But they just aren’t good enough.
The Acolyte episode 6 goes further, in a shirtless scene that’s a wonderful homage to Kylo Ren but also feels as though it’s vaguely inspired by The Witcher‘s beloved bathtub moments. Episode 6 takes the idea of being “seduced by the dark side” quite literally, turning its Sith Lord into a thirst trap. This is the dark side as it wants to be seen; sexy, seductive, brutally efficient, ruthless and powerful. The improved reception to The Acolyte, and the resulting online discussion about Darth Teeth, proves it was the right approach to take.
Does The Acolyte Invalidate George Lucas’ Approach?
The Star Wars timeline adds more depth to this
The natural instinct, of course, is to place these two interpretations as rivals. In one, the dark side is cool; in the other, the dark side merely looks cool, but the truth is only a broken helmet away. But they actually coexist quite well, because The Acolyte is set a hundred years before the Skywalker saga. This is how the dark side sets in, how the light begins to die as a shadow falls across the galaxy. It’s the time when evil must hide its true face, because otherwise nobody would choose it.
By the time of the prequels, the dark side is free to show its true face.
Fast-forward to the prequel trilogy, and the dark side has already won by the end of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. A Sith Lord has risen to become Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, and the Jedi Order – the Republic’s self-styled guardians and protectors – have no idea he’s done so. It’s a full ten years before they even notice that the dark side is clouding their judgment. By the time of the prequels, the dark side is free to show its true face.
Manny Jacinto’s Sith Lord is what the Sith like to think they are; sexy, seductive, attractive and unbeatable. Palpatine and Darth Vader are what the Sith really are; selfish, broken, foolish, alone, scarred by the ghosts of the past, corrupted by their own evil. Darth Vader finds redemption, while Palpatine – the Sith Lord who continues to choose the darkness despite it all – ends up as a pathetic man trapped on a single remote planet, desperate to escape a broken clone body. Far from contradicting Lucas, The Acolyte‘s Sith Lords complements his vision perfectly.
