‘The Acolyte’ showrunner Leslye Headland talks about unleashing new weapons in a galaxy far, far away.

The Star Wars franchise keeps expanding, and we are not complaining! The next step for the sci-fi franchise that has long become a cultural phenomenon is Star Wars: The Acolyte. The television series was created by Leslye Headland and will be released on Disney+. The series is set before the events of the main Star Wars films and will focus on a Jedi investigating a series of crimes. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

Star Wars: The Acolyte (2024) | Disney+
What’s more intriguing is the fact that The Acolyte will feature a weapon that is new to the live-action universe – the lightwhip. Now, just mere days before the premiere of the series, showrunner Lesley Headland dropped the bomb that The Acolyte will have yet another lightsaber in the spotlight, something which even baffled the prop department.

‘The Acolyte’ Has a New Lightsaber

A still from The Acolyte trailer | Disney+

George Lucas has given the fandom a lot, including unforgettable Star Wars projects and lightsabers that are on almost every fan’s wishlist. I mean, who wouldn’t want to carry a weapon that iconic around? Now, The Acolyte is all set to take lightsabers and turn them into something even more powerful.

Fans of Star Wars already know that the lightwhip would be showing up in the series in the hands of Rebecca Henderson’s Vernestra Rwoh. However, Leslye Headland has now revealed that her show will feature yet another mysterious version of the lightsaber.

Speaking with Rotten Tomatoes, Headland dived into the challenges she faced when she pitched the weapon to the prop department.

She stated,

There was a lightsaber that I wanted to have work in a particular way. It’s not the lightwhip. It’s a different lightsaber and when I brought it to the prop department who have been making lightsabers for the sequels and for ‘Solo’ and the other television shows, they told me ‘You can’t do that, that’s not something that will work.’

And I said, ‘Please if you guys can just indulge me it’s not something I’m ready to give up,’ and these incredible craftsmen were able to make my dream come true for me.

Headland added that apart from getting to play with lightsabers and having the privilege of being a part of the Star Wars franchise, she is thankful for getting to collaborate and problem-solve with costume and production designers.

As for what the new weapon is, that is something we might have to wait and find out for ourselves when we watch the series. However, judging by what Headland has to say, it looks like it’ll be something that has never been seen before in the franchise.

More on the Lightwhip in ‘The Acolyte’

The lightwhip in the hands of Rebecca Henderson’s Vernestra Rwoh in The Acolyte | Disney+
The highly-anticipated lightwhip originated from the Star Wars Legends and made its first appearance in Star Wars (1977) #95 comic book in 1985. Since the unique iteration of the iconic lightsaber is finally making its way to live-action, it’s only fair that fans get to learn more about what it is and how it works.

Well, Rebecca Henderson spoke to Collider about her character’s lightwhip and explained how the blade transforms into a whip.

She was first asked about the weaknesses and strengths of her character, Vernestra Rwoh. After giving a detailed answer about the Miralians’ belief in the destiny they have to fulfill, Henderson added, “I mean, the light whip is very, very cool and powerful and awesome.”

She then talked about the mechanism of the weapon as well as Rwoh’s powers, stating,

You do have to twist the hilt to turn it into the light whip, basically. At this point, I believe she can do that with the force. She no longer has to do it with her hands. And then you just have to be really careful because that thing flies around. It could take your head off.

There are just a couple of days left before fans will get to see the lightwhip and the mystery lightsaber in action. We cannot wait to find out what had the prop department sweating initially.

The Acolyte will be released on Disney+ on June 04.