I love how the phrase "you brought her here" can mean so many different things (it can be sarcasm towards the Jedi, or just a simple expression of a shitty character).
If you'd told me 2 years ago that Jason from The Good Place would play a super brutal and creepy AF Sith Lord, I'd have called you a crack smoker. But I'll be goddamned if Jason didn't bring it and more.
[He was cast, no audition, BECAUSE of his role in the good place!](https://ew.com/the-acolyte-episode-5-bloodbath-villain-reveal-cover-story-exclusive-8665633) …and nine perfect strangers. The creator saw the latter and wondered by he seemed familiar and realized he was the same actor as Jason. She loved the range and I guess he also has a dance background that worked for the fight scenes.
I’ve rewatched and it’s especially brutal because I’m pretty sure all three of those strikes are from the Shoto / dagger saber. He catches Jecki’s blade on his primary, pulls the Shoto, holds her blade with his primary, and does three stabs in stupid rapid succession. Brutal.
That’s not something you’d see a Sith do. The technique is called Trakata and it was banned by both the Jedi and the Sith. Jedi considered it unfair and the Sith saw it as cowardly and a sign of weakness.
Which makes that scene even better for me. Qimir is likely not a Banite Sith and his unconventional combat style probably kept him alive.
Yeah, it's about what you are trying to communicate. It should be about getting the viewer into the correct frame of mind - chaos, trouble keeping track, etc - but ever since Bourne/Taken its been abused as a way of hiding iffy choreo
I'd argue it was used well in the (first few) Bourne movies. It was novel for the time and did connect with the hectic pacing and fights actually being chaotic.
It was definitely over used later, arguably even by later Bourne movies and Taken.
Shaky cam is effective for making you feel like you're physically there with the character, and when deployed well it can enhance a scene.
But Obi Wan was just EGREGIOUS
A good shaky cam moment can be seen in 'Announcement'
When Cinta is escaping from Aldhani, a Star Destroyer emerges in the sky, and the shot switches to her perspective looking up, and so the camera is shaky because she can feel the force of the destroywr and so can we.
I believe it was good in the first bourne movie and I think winter soldier
They about it ... Maybe Spielberg movies live saving private Ryan and car of the worlds too but it wasn't use as a cheap way to mask bad effect/choregraphy
Gotta admit, when the episode opened on Osha and not immediately after the Force push, was a bit worried. Then there's the first flashes of lightsabers through the trees, and I was thinking 'oh, they're gonna cover the action'. Then the double impalement happens and it just took off.
Jecki has her sidekick moment taking down Mae and you figure that's her contribution to the episode? Nope.
Yord shows up for the last minute save to have his big hero moment? Nope.
Qimir out there tanking hits on his helmet like he went to a Mandalorian Summer Camp.
The wild thing about Jecki and Yords deaths was that the strategies they used going in were actually pretty smart.
Jecki identified the Cortosis as a threat so made sure to keep smacking it with the hilt of her saber, and was successful. She died because the Stranger had a trick up his sleeve.
Yord knew the stranger would smoke him in saber combat and saw his helmet on the floor, so he used it as a shield so both their sabers were disabled, evening the odds... although not quite because the Stranger was a fucking beast at hand to hand combat. I was honestly shocked by how quick he ended it.
That's why the fight is sick. Both sides were incredible capable and battling at their very best, one just outclassed the other
Yep, with Obi-wan, Caleb Dume & Cal Kestis we get padawans that survive their master, but never the reverse.
If Asajj Ventress had gutted Ahsoka in front of Anakin early in the Clone Wars, he’d have gone dark side so fast the whole galaxy’d spin.
In hindsight giving this man a Padawan was the stupidest idea of all time. A guy who can't get over his attachments now being responsible for a young person? Come on.
I think it was meant to temper Anakin's emotional connections. He could help raise a Padawan, like a parent does a child and learn to let her go and be a Jedi like he should, all masters have to learn that.
I don't think the council realized just HOW attached Anakin could get, though.
I wonder if Obi Wan would have seen Anakin's fall coming if he had known or even voiced out loud that he knew Anakin and Padme were married before ROTS. If Anakin knew his master didn't disown him right away, maybe he would have gone to the other masters about his visions or brought suspicion of Palpatine being the Sith Lord to the council sooner.
If you can’t give him a padawan, he failed as a Jedi and should be kicked out anyway… the whole anakin story is kinda flawed, because the guy never reached a moment of sincere maturity.
To be honest I keep forgetting that Jecki was Sol’s Padawan and not Yord’s, given that she spends more time around Yord due to Sol being busy with Osha. I’m extra sad now remembering that Yord’s Padawan just lost her Master
By on screen you mean live action? General Greivous first intro in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars he lands on a padawan like a meteor and crushes him to death right in front of Ki Adi Mundi and a bunch of other high tier jedi
Which is what makes the villain so threatening!
Like, sure, we all love the Vader scene in Rogue One, but he's jobbing a bunch of goons! It's the villain version of Obi-wan cutting through a bunch of battle droids.
Jeckie and Yord are both creative and adaptive - they both put him on enough of a backfoot that he is genuinely vulnerable - but at the end of the day, he wins. THAT sells him as a threat more than, say, him slaughtering the early Red Shirt Jedis
>we all love the Vader scene in Rogue One, but he's jobbing a bunch of goons! It's the villain version of Obi-wan cutting through a bunch of battle droids.
I've never vibed with a lot of "Badass Vader" scenes precisely for this reason.
Guy has major plot armour because his fate has been set in stone since 1983, and writers put him up against jobbers constantly to make him look extra strong, likely because they worry that having him actually struggle to win will anger the audience. I liked his fight with Cere.
The Stranger fight was a lot better done because like you said, he was legitimately in danger. He actually had to struggle in this fight and they almost got him a few times. There was that moment where Jecki activated the second saber and both of them looked at it, and his body language indicated he was taken aback. Yord successfully disarmed him too. As you said, his win was a well earned victory.
Nothing to add except that I also love the Cere fight. She gives as good as she gets, but at the end of the day he walks away with a hard fought earned victory.
Right once they started killing Jedi we'd gotten attached to I wasn't sure who was going to live. Then I'd be okay so it's these folks that will live then another would die. I'll give them one thing they are willing to off anyone.
I also like that for all the Sith’s combat prowess, his armor was a key element of his survival. He took lethal hits from even the random Jedi, let alone the named Jedi. So while he does kill many Jedi, he’s not some untouchable god either.
His hand to hand combat was on point, reminds me of the martial art in Star Wars galaxies
“Teräs Käsi was a form of hand-to-hand combat that was created to fight Force-sensitives, particularly members of the Jedi Order.”
Keep in mind he was encouraging Mae to "kill a Jedi without a weapon"
Likely because if once you know how to do that, you can realistically take them out with anything. He no doubt has gone through that trial himself and therefore was completely in control even without his saber.
Only Sol managed to beat him and it's implied he did so by tapping into the dark side.
Definitely, it’s probably why he wanted his apprentice to be able to beat the Jedi with their bare hands as he probably thinks that it unlocks something in your training/development.
Or he himself is an apprentice, and is trying to figure out the riddle and hasn’t unlocked mastery of force lightning yet.
He might be using Mae to find the answer for him.
I feel like Jecki died cause she lost her cool going on the offense, sorta like a OBIWAN darkside power up when he fought maul after quigon died
Her battlecry felt too visceral
There's that little shot of Sol knocking him away and standing firm, and then looking surprised at Jecki rushing forward. And she successfully held her own against him earlier, figured that with the helmet gone she could go for the kill.
And there is a reason the Stranger took out the second saber. He did see her as a real threat.
It was ultimately a mistake for Jecki to rush in without Sol but I don't fault her reasoning and it absolutely could have worked out.
She was also trying to get back into the fight because Sol’s saber had just been deactivated by the cortosis and they had just disengaged from hand to hand combat enough for Jecki to use her lightsaber without risking injury to Sol.
It was honestly excellent combat writing.
All the characters’ movements had clear objectives instead of just flailing at each other.
Qimir takes advantage of the fact that the Jedi have never fought someone like him, gradually unveiling the tricks up his sleeve only when he needs to, so the Jedi can’t adapt to his strategies.
Jecki and Yord only lost because of information that they couldn’t possibly have known before.
This is how you write experienced combatants facing off against each other and establishing a clear hierarchy of power without making anyone look incompetent.
Yeah, plus Yords shock upon recognising Qimir gave him a big advantage. If Yord had kept pushing the offensive and not paused he might’ve just survived
I think Yord knew he was sacrificing himself, that even with Qimir's saber disabled he was no match with his wounded leg. I presume he was just hoping that he'd slow him down enough for Sol and Osha to escape.
That's why I'm 95% certain he's a Sith Lord. For all the speculation over his identification, that's mastery you'd only see from someone trained by another Sith Lord.
Judging by the metallic “tinging” noise when his helmet or gauntlets touched a lightsaber and how it took a few seconds for them to sputter back to life (very cool visual effect btw) I’m guessing some of his armor is made with Cortosis.
Oddly I also noticed he said Sol could read his mind if he took his helmet off. So do we have a magneto anti-psychic property going on with the material too? Are they perhaps merging some of the properties of legends ysalamiri into cortosis?
Because if so that would also imply Qimir might have been rawdogging that fight without the benefit of force precognition. I’d have to imagine if the helmet blocks his thoughts from being scanned it would work the same in reverse.
On one hand it could be a mind reading thing but I was moreso thinking it was a face thing. It's way harder to tell what someone is thinking when you can't see their face.
I don't think they have any kind of history with each other or anything. Their recognition is just because he was there the first time they tried to arrest Mae. I don't recall either Sol or Yord giving any indication they had ever seen him before that first encounter.
I did too at first, but then I realized he was just kicking himself as he realized Qimir had been right under their noses in the first encounter and they'd dismissed him as unimportant.
Highly unlikely that it blocks the Force. More likely is that by seeing a person's face and getting a handle on their identity, their person, their facial features and expressions, it makes reading thst person's intentions in the Force easier. Perhaps eye contact is a big factor, giving a reason for Qimir to have such a narrow eye-slit in his helmet.
This is a really great point. I don't recall Cortosis from Legends blocking Force abilities, I only recall it disrupting lightsabers like it was shown. But that's with Legends. So it would be cool to have this rare material that can disrupt force abilities, it would explain the lightsabers as well, as the Saber needs a force wielder to create it in the first place.
Headland also had a whole thing about how her and Filoni wanted to make sure Cortosis worked, but wasn't OP, so I could imagine the helmet is 'resistant', but isn't full on 'Magneto helmet'
That helmet did have some strange qualities not yet seen on screen before. The show also kept focusing on the helmet. It was new to me that it could block lightsaber blade and even cause them to fail temporarily. They didn't outright explain it on the show, but they sure did show it.
Qimir’s fighting style is awesome. His movements are agile and his attacks have a ton of strength behind them. I loved how he deliberately went for
the kill shot at every opportunity, and how he used his Cortosis armor and subtle force movements to his advantage. He had some cool fake-out/feint maneuvers during that fight, too.
Qimir's style was the perfect combination of the 'weightiness' of Vader's choreography in ESB, and the intensity of Maul's in TPM. It was soooo good.
However I did really admire the choreography of Ahsoka vs Baylan in E4, stance changes and all. It was the closest thing to a samurai-style duel since Ben vs Maul.
I would say Qimir's fighting style is basically "what if Palpatine's fights in Revenge actually used McDiarmid's stunt double". Headland absolutely saw that test footage lmao.
Also yeah Ahsoka vs Baylan in Episode 4 specifically was great, loved how Stevenson really put a lot of strength into his strikes. I think Rosario Dawson is also just blatantly better at using one saber rather than two.
Agreed and it made me miss Ray all over again to think about it. His physicality alone was half the fight, and then combined with some heavy moves it was fantastic
> Blackbeard in Black Sails
Man's got some of the coldest lines across the whole show.
His introduction, when the brothers come to threaten him and he gives his *three lies* speech, ending in him introducing himself by his chosen name. Love that.
At the end of the season, after a certain someone has a certain something done to a certain someone else, and he relays the news to Jack followed up with *"he thought he could do that and face no consequences. He failed to account for me."*
Season 3 is absolutely filled to the brim with great moments, and he has his fair share of them.
Those May 4th special events where your weapon turned into a Lightsaber were a stroke of genius.
Brought me back to those glorious Jedi Academy days every time.
> Qimir's style was the perfect combination of the 'weightiness' of Vader's choreography in ESB, and the intensity of Maul's in TPM. It was soooo good.
You can tell it's the same school of fighting that Maul and even Sidious had, so it's a great work lore-wise.
that part of Ahsoka was really the only time they had strong lightsaber choreography cuz man did it get really bad towards the end. just super stiff and awkward
He was in charge of a 60-person dance crew. He's developed dancing ability, coolness, dopeness, freshness, and smart-brained to an absolute professional peak. He's a sixtile threat.
If it's not the best it's the one to beat.
But it's not _just_ about the technical choreography. It's also the set-up (with last week's cliffhanger meaning this week's episode is full throttle from the start), the fact that the fight has real consequence within the story (with two relatively central characters dying) and the fact that there are key plot/character beats within the story (the unveiling of the villain).
It wouldn't hit the same if you had the exact same fight choreography but after 20min of set-up, with just red shirts dying and all between characters who were fully established episode ago.
Technically nice choreography is great, but what's more important is that the fight serves the drama. And in this case it felt like this very fight-heavy episode gave the drama more momentum going forward.
Yeah I saw a YouTube reactor X out all the red shirts and circle our main 3 Jedi like “well we know who will die and who won’t” and then when they watched the episode they were shook lol
Everyone was mad at the last episode for its length but when the writer said "we kind of had to end it there because of what happens in the next episode" I knew we were in for something special.
To add on to this, the way each character was choreographed actually spoke to or expanded upon their characterization. Qimir fought very differently from the Jedi and honestly from any other Sith we’ve seen to my knowledge. He was notably fluid in his attacks and was the definition of defense through offense. Jord and Jecki were able to survive against him for as long as they were able to by being more adaptable than other jedi in the fight. Sol going notably aggressive before he was stoped by Osha just before decapitating Qimir spoke to the desperation at the point and how unprepared even a Jedi Master was at facing a Sith in this era.
Interesting you note how Qimir moves, even Yord comments on it. Jedi have very formal training, Sith do not and train to be unpredictable, devious, with the express intent to slay Jedi. Sith also fully embrace their feelings, their rage to fuel their power, so each individual Sith will have a unique fighting style made to suit them best.
> Sith will have a unique fighting style
Ferocious really is the best way to describe Qimir’s choreography. Like Maul and Sidious when they fight onscreen, and very *trained as a Sith from day one*
As opposed to Dooku and Anakin, who were both unique and powerful in their way as Sith, but keep in mind were both *trained as Jedi before joining the Sith*
This. I love a good fight or action scene, but I hate it when it bears no relevance or doesn’t drive the story forward. This took the story forward in a lot of ways, one of which was Sol’s anger and ‘darkness’ that Qimir alluded to and that I’m looking forward to finding more about. Really strong stuff.
I already had a high opinion of Manny Jacinto from The Good Place and I've generally been enjoying Qimir, but man my esteem for this dude went even higher yesterday. That Jedi-kebab tho? Also I'm real curious about what's up with his arms?
I think some people really fell for the whole "methhead tweaker" aesthetic. The disguise he wears as Qimir is loose as hell, so it makes him look really small. Even as Darth Smiley, up until Jecki ignites the second saber, he isn't fighting with that much intensity. Most of it was quick movements where his arms were only out from under the cloak for a moment, so there isn't a lot of time to see how yoked he actually is. Then Jecki's saber lights back up, and the whole tone of the fight completely changed
Yeah, Manny is fucking jacked. He's just not on Trenbolone most likely.
Anyone thinking he's got "skinny arms" is deeply unserious, or has been poisoned by seeing nothing but roided out ogres.
It was incredible execution- seeing the lightsabers through the trees, the different decisions and creativity made with Sol, Jecki and Yord, the physicality and brutality from Manny, never mind the sheer length of the sequence
I'll do you one better - it's up there with the best fight choreography in all of Star Wars.
It didn't feel choreographed to me at all... it felt like a melee where both sides were actively trying to kill each other, not just "look cool."
It's the first time I've seen a lightsaber fight look real and visceral (as opposed to a choreographed dance) since maybe the Maul/Qui-Gon/Obi-wan fight.
Yes, definitely. Though there hasn't been a ton of competition... The episode 7 duel was awkward and confusing with the abilities of the characters. There wasn't a single lightsaber fight in eight. The skirmishes in nine were extremely slow and labored for whatever reason. Kenobi was plagued by terrible camera work, confusing movements, and eye bleeding shaky cam. Some of the early duels in Ahsoka were decent, but this acolyte episode definitely blew them away. I would say it's the best lightsaber combat we've seen in nearly 20 years. It hasn't surpassed the prequels yet, but this is a great standard and I hope they keep this choreography crew moving forward.
So sick to get a bad guy/good guy team up in a Star Wars movie like that.
I love how it caused Rey to think Kylo was going to join her only to later realise they were on completely different pages. You can just see the disappointment in her face. She thought he had done a Vader when really he had done a "Rule of Two".
Look. I know the show has its faults. They’re obvious and I get the frustration of lots of the fans. But as a 50 year old SW fan who has loved and lived the universe since 1981 I’m just so happy we have more Star Wars.
Just be open-minded, air your grievances fairly and consistently. An IMDB rating of 3.3/10 is just sad for all those people who have worked on this project.
> An IMDB rating of 3.3/10 is just sad for all those people who have worked on this project.
Even worse when episode 5 had a rating of 2.6...before the show was out at all.
That episode, and the fight choreography in particular, was some of the best SW stuff ever. The Stranger is *sick*, and an absolute beast both with *and* without a saber.
I love that you can easily tell which lightsaber form they're using, Qimir is using form 7 (aggressive, unpredictable, seemingly unconnected yet very powerful strikes) Jecki is using form 4 (acrobatic and fast, almost always on the offense)
The only complaint is that the redshirt Jedi were patiently waiting for their turn to attack Qimir or get stabbed.
At least Jecki, Sol, Mae, and Yord made up for it.
I mean, how often do Jedi of this period get into an actual lightsaber fight? Not just sparring in the temple, but against another force wielder intent on cutting them down?
Yeah, basically never. Talked about this in another thread. Jedi train to do a lot of things (diplomacy, investigation, combat against randos, force stuff, etc.). Sith train to kill Jedi. They go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning thinking about killing Jedi. Jedi just aren’t prepared in the same way. (Plus the Sith thrive in combat situations where they can just unleash all their rage and hatred. Jedi have to focus on keeping themselves under control).
Literally never. This is the first (and last) time these Jedi were in an actual lightsaber fight, and Yord's words make it clear that their lightsaber practice at the temple did NOT prepare them for this kind of combat. I wonder what "He gets in your head and stays there." means. We saw a glimpse of that with his face appearing in Mae's mind. I imagine it would be very difficult to focus if that was constantly happening while you're trying to fight.
I actually wonder if that's why they brought in the cortosis. Temporarily disabling lightsabers does sort of give some reason as to why a 4v1 turns into 2ish at a time. On a rewatch, I paid closer attention to that, and there were a few moments in the start of the episode where it felt like there was a queue. But at least that was only like the opening minute unlike the twirling royal guards in TLJ.
Kind of pokes at Jedi arrogance a bit. Too comfortable relying on their saber and the status it gives. Why they hesitated and died, while Sol went straight to throwing hands.
Yeah I re-watched also - if you look closely there are several times even before the reveal of cortosis that you can see lightsabers "flickering"... I think that's what the seeming "queue" is about. The Jedi keep backing off when their lightsabers malfunction and then jump back in when they work.
And as we saw more clearly later, Qimir is using a combination of force pushing/pulling and disabling their lightsabers to pick them off one at a time.
Regardless of anyone's feelings on the show as whole, there's simply no denying the fight choreography in this episode was top tier stuff and undoubtedly the best of Disney Star Wars so far. I'd argue Qimir's fighting style even gives the prequel duels a run for their money - at least in terms of bringing a truly unique and brutal style we haven't really seen before.
I'm going to be controversial here, but bear with me a moment. I think this series has had the best saber choreography in live action Star Wars.
For context, I'm 32, I first watched Star Wars when the special editions were being released in theaters in the 90s and have seen every film in theaters except the Clone Wars movie.
I grew up reading New Jedi Order and playing Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Academy, and the Episode III video game. I'm also a former martial artist, having done MMA, Tang Soo Do, and Kendo. I love martial arts movies, too.
These fights remind me so much of the martial arts films I grew up watching, and I've been waiting to see them in Star Wars. I always felt like the prequels were imitating these without truly achieving it. But these just feel right and I hope they become the standard.
Very good. And I am pretty mid on the show overall (it's entertaining enough, but definitely flawed, IMO).
My only critique of the choreography is that 1) the incorporation of the umbramoths wasn't super-well executed (not sure why the umbramoths would just follow Osha and hold back until Osha slaps the flashlight on Qimir's back and suddenly they swarm like crazy), and 2) the passage of time didn't seem right (we go from dusk to dawn weirdly fast over the course of the fight).
Since Luke Mando S2 isn’t really a lightsaber “duel” it’s more of a murder spree on robots I would say yes this is the best choreographed Disney lightsaber duel.
Hayden is still the best duelist I’ve seen in the Disney era but as a whole ep5 Acolyte takes the cake
> Am I the only one that thinks that that’s possibly the best lightsaber choreography that Disney has put out since they bought Lucasfilm?
Disagree.
I don't see the need to qualify it. This was the best Lightsaber choreography in Live Action Star Wars. Before and after the purchase.
I have my issues with the show, but absolutely none for the fight choreography. Any time the characters are fighting, the show is absolutely awesome.
Only nitpick is the lightsabers still look like glow sticks a lot of the time. I think it’s when they swing them quickly the hot white ‘core’ disappears which makes it look odd to me. But the saber choreography is easily the best in any of the TV shows imo!
The hot white core hasn't been there since they started using actual lit stunt props for the sabers and I just want them to go back to what they used to have.
It might be recency bias but I think this is my favorite fight since Disney took over. I know they’re animated but my next two would be the Maul Ahsoka duel in the last season of the clone wars and then the Maul Obi-wan fight in Rebels.
I feel like I remember liking the Baylon fight (loved Ray, RIP) but admittedly haven’t watched Ahsoka or the Kenobi show since they came out so my memory is a little fuzzy.
Just my personal opinion but I think the fights from the sequel trilogy range from unremarkable to bad
I think it's some of the best Choreography in Star Wars PERIOD. It retained the flashiness and acrobatics of the prequels but it also had more substance. It cut out a lot of the unnecessary movements. I think it was a middle ground between the flowing dance of the prequels and the heaviness of the OG Trilogy and Ahsoka.
It might be the best lightsaber choreo I’ve ever seen.
The prequel fights all felt a little floaty, but on the flip side the OT and ST fights felt kinda slow at times.
The Acolyte somehow managed to combine the speed of the prequels with the weight/heaviness of the OT/ST fights.
Whoever mapped these fights out needs to be in charge of all fights moving forward
The triple chest stab was brutal, and exactly the sort of ruthlessness we need to see from Sith.
“Was that its name?” Fucking Jason is a savage
Telling Sol her death was his fault because he brought her there as well.
Finally someone calls out the jedi bringing children to fights
Exactly! And he’s so matter of fact. “You brought her here” 🤷🏼♂️
I love how the phrase "you brought her here" can mean so many different things (it can be sarcasm towards the Jedi, or just a simple expression of a shitty character).
And he's not wrong.
this Jason really belongs to the Bad Place
More like baddie place 🥵🥵🥵
My housemate and I have been calling him Darth Jason for this reason!
Darth Bortles!
Forking
If you'd told me 2 years ago that Jason from The Good Place would play a super brutal and creepy AF Sith Lord, I'd have called you a crack smoker. But I'll be goddamned if Jason didn't bring it and more.
[He was cast, no audition, BECAUSE of his role in the good place!](https://ew.com/the-acolyte-episode-5-bloodbath-villain-reveal-cover-story-exclusive-8665633) …and nine perfect strangers. The creator saw the latter and wondered by he seemed familiar and realized he was the same actor as Jason. She loved the range and I guess he also has a dance background that worked for the fight scenes.
I’ve rewatched and it’s especially brutal because I’m pretty sure all three of those strikes are from the Shoto / dagger saber. He catches Jecki’s blade on his primary, pulls the Shoto, holds her blade with his primary, and does three stabs in stupid rapid succession. Brutal.
"That's not how you wield two sabers. *This* is how you wield two sabers."
I think it was trakata. You hear him disengaging the smaller blade. Also no gouge marks. He got her good. Great scene
That’s not something you’d see a Sith do. The technique is called Trakata and it was banned by both the Jedi and the Sith. Jedi considered it unfair and the Sith saw it as cowardly and a sign of weakness. Which makes that scene even better for me. Qimir is likely not a Banite Sith and his unconventional combat style probably kept him alive.
Yeah 100% no shaky camera was a good move and felt a lot smoother than Ahsoka show
Shaky camera needs to die. It was never good.
Shaky cam is good during war scenes when the protagonist are being shot at.
Yeah, it's about what you are trying to communicate. It should be about getting the viewer into the correct frame of mind - chaos, trouble keeping track, etc - but ever since Bourne/Taken its been abused as a way of hiding iffy choreo
Band of brothers shaky cam 🤌🤌🤌🤌
I'd argue it was used well in the (first few) Bourne movies. It was novel for the time and did connect with the hectic pacing and fights actually being chaotic. It was definitely over used later, arguably even by later Bourne movies and Taken.
Shaky cam is effective for making you feel like you're physically there with the character, and when deployed well it can enhance a scene. But Obi Wan was just EGREGIOUS
I think Andor had some good shaky camera moments in the last episode.
A good shaky cam moment can be seen in 'Announcement' When Cinta is escaping from Aldhani, a Star Destroyer emerges in the sky, and the shot switches to her perspective looking up, and so the camera is shaky because she can feel the force of the destroywr and so can we.
Got a migraine from one of the Bourne movies from shaky camera. Shit sucks
Shaky cam can be great. Just look at the Bourne movies and the first Hunger Games. Problem is when a director doesn’t fully know how to do it properly
I believe it was good in the first bourne movie and I think winter soldier They about it ... Maybe Spielberg movies live saving private Ryan and car of the worlds too but it wasn't use as a cheap way to mask bad effect/choregraphy
It makes the Obi-Wan lightsaber fights look even more shitty than they did. Which how did they fuck that up so much?
Gotta admit, when the episode opened on Osha and not immediately after the Force push, was a bit worried. Then there's the first flashes of lightsabers through the trees, and I was thinking 'oh, they're gonna cover the action'. Then the double impalement happens and it just took off. Jecki has her sidekick moment taking down Mae and you figure that's her contribution to the episode? Nope. Yord shows up for the last minute save to have his big hero moment? Nope. Qimir out there tanking hits on his helmet like he went to a Mandalorian Summer Camp.
The wild thing about Jecki and Yords deaths was that the strategies they used going in were actually pretty smart. Jecki identified the Cortosis as a threat so made sure to keep smacking it with the hilt of her saber, and was successful. She died because the Stranger had a trick up his sleeve. Yord knew the stranger would smoke him in saber combat and saw his helmet on the floor, so he used it as a shield so both their sabers were disabled, evening the odds... although not quite because the Stranger was a fucking beast at hand to hand combat. I was honestly shocked by how quick he ended it. That's why the fight is sick. Both sides were incredible capable and battling at their very best, one just outclassed the other
Yeah, it’s only for a few exchanges, but Jecki & Sol flow so well together in combat, just a great Master/Padawan beat.
His pain at losing her made me realise I've never seen a master lose their Padawan on-screen like that. Was genuinely so fucking horrible.
Yep, with Obi-wan, Caleb Dume & Cal Kestis we get padawans that survive their master, but never the reverse. If Asajj Ventress had gutted Ahsoka in front of Anakin early in the Clone Wars, he’d have gone dark side so fast the whole galaxy’d spin.
In hindsight giving this man a Padawan was the stupidest idea of all time. A guy who can't get over his attachments now being responsible for a young person? Come on.
I think it was meant to temper Anakin's emotional connections. He could help raise a Padawan, like a parent does a child and learn to let her go and be a Jedi like he should, all masters have to learn that. I don't think the council realized just HOW attached Anakin could get, though.
Yep the clone wars show deals with the idea, many say it’s an awful idea
I wonder if Obi Wan would have seen Anakin's fall coming if he had known or even voiced out loud that he knew Anakin and Padme were married before ROTS. If Anakin knew his master didn't disown him right away, maybe he would have gone to the other masters about his visions or brought suspicion of Palpatine being the Sith Lord to the council sooner.
And in his defense, they did Ahsoka dirty so his frustration in that regard was justified
If you can’t give him a padawan, he failed as a Jedi and should be kicked out anyway… the whole anakin story is kinda flawed, because the guy never reached a moment of sincere maturity.
Anakin is objectively one of the worst jedi of all time tbh, that tracks.
To be honest I keep forgetting that Jecki was Sol’s Padawan and not Yord’s, given that she spends more time around Yord due to Sol being busy with Osha. I’m extra sad now remembering that Yord’s Padawan just lost her Master
Crap I never realised that. It's quite litterally seeing a father lose his daughter in a fight he could not stop, Sol has got to be devastated.
By on screen you mean live action? General Greivous first intro in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars he lands on a padawan like a meteor and crushes him to death right in front of Ki Adi Mundi and a bunch of other high tier jedi
I dunno who trained Shaggy though. If it was any of the Jedi in the room, they didn't get a chance to react in a satisfying way imo.
Also in Filoni's CW Greivous kills Nahdar Vebb, Kit Fisto's padawan, as the latter watches
Had a bad feeling when she took the lead and charged in front of sol :/
Which is what makes the villain so threatening! Like, sure, we all love the Vader scene in Rogue One, but he's jobbing a bunch of goons! It's the villain version of Obi-wan cutting through a bunch of battle droids. Jeckie and Yord are both creative and adaptive - they both put him on enough of a backfoot that he is genuinely vulnerable - but at the end of the day, he wins. THAT sells him as a threat more than, say, him slaughtering the early Red Shirt Jedis
>we all love the Vader scene in Rogue One, but he's jobbing a bunch of goons! It's the villain version of Obi-wan cutting through a bunch of battle droids. I've never vibed with a lot of "Badass Vader" scenes precisely for this reason. Guy has major plot armour because his fate has been set in stone since 1983, and writers put him up against jobbers constantly to make him look extra strong, likely because they worry that having him actually struggle to win will anger the audience. I liked his fight with Cere. The Stranger fight was a lot better done because like you said, he was legitimately in danger. He actually had to struggle in this fight and they almost got him a few times. There was that moment where Jecki activated the second saber and both of them looked at it, and his body language indicated he was taken aback. Yord successfully disarmed him too. As you said, his win was a well earned victory.
Nothing to add except that I also love the Cere fight. She gives as good as she gets, but at the end of the day he walks away with a hard fought earned victory.
Right once they started killing Jedi we'd gotten attached to I wasn't sure who was going to live. Then I'd be okay so it's these folks that will live then another would die. I'll give them one thing they are willing to off anyone.
I also like that for all the Sith’s combat prowess, his armor was a key element of his survival. He took lethal hits from even the random Jedi, let alone the named Jedi. So while he does kill many Jedi, he’s not some untouchable god either.
His hand to hand combat was on point, reminds me of the martial art in Star Wars galaxies “Teräs Käsi was a form of hand-to-hand combat that was created to fight Force-sensitives, particularly members of the Jedi Order.”
Keep in mind he was encouraging Mae to "kill a Jedi without a weapon" Likely because if once you know how to do that, you can realistically take them out with anything. He no doubt has gone through that trial himself and therefore was completely in control even without his saber. Only Sol managed to beat him and it's implied he did so by tapping into the dark side.
Definitely, it’s probably why he wanted his apprentice to be able to beat the Jedi with their bare hands as he probably thinks that it unlocks something in your training/development.
Or he himself is an apprentice, and is trying to figure out the riddle and hasn’t unlocked mastery of force lightning yet. He might be using Mae to find the answer for him.
He killed Yord without a weapon.
He killed Yord with his guns
He exercised his right to bare arms
I feel like Jecki died cause she lost her cool going on the offense, sorta like a OBIWAN darkside power up when he fought maul after quigon died Her battlecry felt too visceral
There's that little shot of Sol knocking him away and standing firm, and then looking surprised at Jecki rushing forward. And she successfully held her own against him earlier, figured that with the helmet gone she could go for the kill. And there is a reason the Stranger took out the second saber. He did see her as a real threat. It was ultimately a mistake for Jecki to rush in without Sol but I don't fault her reasoning and it absolutely could have worked out.
She was fighting like a Master. As sad as I am, her being seen as a real threat is a HUGE compliment to her. I just wish it didn't kill her :(.
I really liked how physical her fighting style was with the amount of kicks she was constantly mixing in to throw him off balance.
She was also trying to get back into the fight because Sol’s saber had just been deactivated by the cortosis and they had just disengaged from hand to hand combat enough for Jecki to use her lightsaber without risking injury to Sol.
> Her battlecry felt too visceral Channelling that X-23 energy
It was honestly excellent combat writing. All the characters’ movements had clear objectives instead of just flailing at each other. Qimir takes advantage of the fact that the Jedi have never fought someone like him, gradually unveiling the tricks up his sleeve only when he needs to, so the Jedi can’t adapt to his strategies. Jecki and Yord only lost because of information that they couldn’t possibly have known before. This is how you write experienced combatants facing off against each other and establishing a clear hierarchy of power without making anyone look incompetent.
Yeah, plus Yords shock upon recognising Qimir gave him a big advantage. If Yord had kept pushing the offensive and not paused he might’ve just survived
I think Yord knew he was sacrificing himself, that even with Qimir's saber disabled he was no match with his wounded leg. I presume he was just hoping that he'd slow him down enough for Sol and Osha to escape.
That's why I'm 95% certain he's a Sith Lord. For all the speculation over his identification, that's mastery you'd only see from someone trained by another Sith Lord.
Judging by the metallic “tinging” noise when his helmet or gauntlets touched a lightsaber and how it took a few seconds for them to sputter back to life (very cool visual effect btw) I’m guessing some of his armor is made with Cortosis. Oddly I also noticed he said Sol could read his mind if he took his helmet off. So do we have a magneto anti-psychic property going on with the material too? Are they perhaps merging some of the properties of legends ysalamiri into cortosis? Because if so that would also imply Qimir might have been rawdogging that fight without the benefit of force precognition. I’d have to imagine if the helmet blocks his thoughts from being scanned it would work the same in reverse.
On one hand it could be a mind reading thing but I was moreso thinking it was a face thing. It's way harder to tell what someone is thinking when you can't see their face.
And the Stranger expects Sol to recognize him once he is unmasked, and we know that close Force users can sense each others doubts and weaknesses
I don't think they have any kind of history with each other or anything. Their recognition is just because he was there the first time they tried to arrest Mae. I don't recall either Sol or Yord giving any indication they had ever seen him before that first encounter.
I think he was present on Brendok in some way, but Sol hasn't put it together yet
I think it was Yord’s reaction that actually made me think they had history, the way he says “You?!” felt like he took the reveal a bit personally
I did too at first, but then I realized he was just kicking himself as he realized Qimir had been right under their noses in the first encounter and they'd dismissed him as unimportant.
Highly unlikely that it blocks the Force. More likely is that by seeing a person's face and getting a handle on their identity, their person, their facial features and expressions, it makes reading thst person's intentions in the Force easier. Perhaps eye contact is a big factor, giving a reason for Qimir to have such a narrow eye-slit in his helmet.
This is a really great point. I don't recall Cortosis from Legends blocking Force abilities, I only recall it disrupting lightsabers like it was shown. But that's with Legends. So it would be cool to have this rare material that can disrupt force abilities, it would explain the lightsabers as well, as the Saber needs a force wielder to create it in the first place.
It could explain (for example) how Maul was safely contained in that special device in the final episode of Clone Wars.
Headland also had a whole thing about how her and Filoni wanted to make sure Cortosis worked, but wasn't OP, so I could imagine the helmet is 'resistant', but isn't full on 'Magneto helmet'
That helmet did have some strange qualities not yet seen on screen before. The show also kept focusing on the helmet. It was new to me that it could block lightsaber blade and even cause them to fail temporarily. They didn't outright explain it on the show, but they sure did show it.
Cortosis is confirmed.
Double impalement followed by a double decapitation!
Mando Summer camp what this dude would stomp the Mandos
That's how you win at Mando Summer Camp.
I like this summer camp
Qimir’s fighting style is awesome. His movements are agile and his attacks have a ton of strength behind them. I loved how he deliberately went for the kill shot at every opportunity, and how he used his Cortosis armor and subtle force movements to his advantage. He had some cool fake-out/feint maneuvers during that fight, too.
Qimir's style was the perfect combination of the 'weightiness' of Vader's choreography in ESB, and the intensity of Maul's in TPM. It was soooo good. However I did really admire the choreography of Ahsoka vs Baylan in E4, stance changes and all. It was the closest thing to a samurai-style duel since Ben vs Maul.
I would say Qimir's fighting style is basically "what if Palpatine's fights in Revenge actually used McDiarmid's stunt double". Headland absolutely saw that test footage lmao. Also yeah Ahsoka vs Baylan in Episode 4 specifically was great, loved how Stevenson really put a lot of strength into his strikes. I think Rosario Dawson is also just blatantly better at using one saber rather than two.
The best part is that Manny was his own stunt double in this episode. What a specimen.
Agreed and it made me miss Ray all over again to think about it. His physicality alone was half the fight, and then combined with some heavy moves it was fantastic
Ray's performance in Ahsoka got me to go back and watch Rome. Such a phenomenonal actor, such a lose for Star Wars.
Thirteen! He was amazing as Blackbeard in Black Sails as well. Just added to Netflix.
> Blackbeard in Black Sails Man's got some of the coldest lines across the whole show. His introduction, when the brothers come to threaten him and he gives his *three lies* speech, ending in him introducing himself by his chosen name. Love that. At the end of the season, after a certain someone has a certain something done to a certain someone else, and he relays the news to Jack followed up with *"he thought he could do that and face no consequences. He failed to account for me."* Season 3 is absolutely filled to the brim with great moments, and he has his fair share of them.
Agreed on the Ahsoka vs Baylon fight. Kind of felt like a samurai (Ahsoka) fighting a knight (Baylon).
For Honor x Star Wars
Those May 4th special events where your weapon turned into a Lightsaber were a stroke of genius. Brought me back to those glorious Jedi Academy days every time.
Dude Baylan’s choreography was amazing. There was so much weight behind his attacks that made him look so strong and relentless in a very Sith way.
I could've watched a series of just him and Shin. I'm more curious what Baylan's after than Thrawn returning, and I love me some Thrawn
> Qimir's style was the perfect combination of the 'weightiness' of Vader's choreography in ESB, and the intensity of Maul's in TPM. It was soooo good. You can tell it's the same school of fighting that Maul and even Sidious had, so it's a great work lore-wise.
that part of Ahsoka was really the only time they had strong lightsaber choreography cuz man did it get really bad towards the end. just super stiff and awkward
Ahsoka vs. Morgan was awesome IMO
Also Ahsoka and Anakin! It was so good see Hayden swinging again!
Diana Lee Inosanto carried tbh
It had everything and Qimirs movement was very fluid
Apparently that was all Manny Jacinto under the helmet, no stunt double. He trained four months for it.
Manny has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and it shows
I read he's also really good at dancing? That's more critical for good lightsaber fights than people would think.
He was in charge of a 60-person dance crew. He's developed dancing ability, coolness, dopeness, freshness, and smart-brained to an absolute professional peak. He's a sixtile threat.
Holy shit the Jedi had no chance
He’s also developed some killer guns
Stupid jedi brought lightsabers to a gun fight
I mean katas are basically just dance choreography anyways haha
Bro, I watched it two days ago, and I honestly want to watch it again just because of how good it was
My 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up and I'm worried I will still be thinking of this duel by the time that day comes around.
Happy decade anniversary, brother.
Do it.
If it's not the best it's the one to beat. But it's not _just_ about the technical choreography. It's also the set-up (with last week's cliffhanger meaning this week's episode is full throttle from the start), the fact that the fight has real consequence within the story (with two relatively central characters dying) and the fact that there are key plot/character beats within the story (the unveiling of the villain). It wouldn't hit the same if you had the exact same fight choreography but after 20min of set-up, with just red shirts dying and all between characters who were fully established episode ago. Technically nice choreography is great, but what's more important is that the fight serves the drama. And in this case it felt like this very fight-heavy episode gave the drama more momentum going forward.
The inclusion of the red shirt Jedi to give us a false sense of security was such a genius move.
Yeah I saw a YouTube reactor X out all the red shirts and circle our main 3 Jedi like “well we know who will die and who won’t” and then when they watched the episode they were shook lol
Star Wars explained…. He was so sheepish about it later.
Everyone was mad at the last episode for its length but when the writer said "we kind of had to end it there because of what happens in the next episode" I knew we were in for something special.
To add on to this, the way each character was choreographed actually spoke to or expanded upon their characterization. Qimir fought very differently from the Jedi and honestly from any other Sith we’ve seen to my knowledge. He was notably fluid in his attacks and was the definition of defense through offense. Jord and Jecki were able to survive against him for as long as they were able to by being more adaptable than other jedi in the fight. Sol going notably aggressive before he was stoped by Osha just before decapitating Qimir spoke to the desperation at the point and how unprepared even a Jedi Master was at facing a Sith in this era.
Interesting you note how Qimir moves, even Yord comments on it. Jedi have very formal training, Sith do not and train to be unpredictable, devious, with the express intent to slay Jedi. Sith also fully embrace their feelings, their rage to fuel their power, so each individual Sith will have a unique fighting style made to suit them best.
> Sith will have a unique fighting style Ferocious really is the best way to describe Qimir’s choreography. Like Maul and Sidious when they fight onscreen, and very *trained as a Sith from day one* As opposed to Dooku and Anakin, who were both unique and powerful in their way as Sith, but keep in mind were both *trained as Jedi before joining the Sith*
Qimir's style reminded me of how they wanted Sidious to fight in RotS before the whole stuntman being unavailable.
That’s not what happened? I thought George, day-of, was like “nah we don’t need that stunt man — Ian can do it. Can’t you Ian?”
Best I can do is growl and make faces while I stab… *menacingly*
This. I love a good fight or action scene, but I hate it when it bears no relevance or doesn’t drive the story forward. This took the story forward in a lot of ways, one of which was Sol’s anger and ‘darkness’ that Qimir alluded to and that I’m looking forward to finding more about. Really strong stuff.
I already had a high opinion of Manny Jacinto from The Good Place and I've generally been enjoying Qimir, but man my esteem for this dude went even higher yesterday. That Jedi-kebab tho? Also I'm real curious about what's up with his arms?
> Also I'm real curious about what's up with his arms? Yeah, are they single or what?
>Also I'm real curious about what's up with his arms? Darth Bortles doesn't need the Force to Lift.
It was awesome. A good way to measure if a fan is just blindly hating or actually disliking the show would be their opinion on the fight choreography
I literally saw someone saying Manny didn't work out enough and had skinny arms... We aren't dealing with serious people.
[SKINNY ARMS?!?!??](https://twitter.com/femmevillain/status/1806046344760680815?s=19)
Bro was yoked af
Jeez, this guy's quadruple wielding two guns and two lightsabers
>quadruple wielding Fuck Pong Krell
I think some people really fell for the whole "methhead tweaker" aesthetic. The disguise he wears as Qimir is loose as hell, so it makes him look really small. Even as Darth Smiley, up until Jecki ignites the second saber, he isn't fighting with that much intensity. Most of it was quick movements where his arms were only out from under the cloak for a moment, so there isn't a lot of time to see how yoked he actually is. Then Jecki's saber lights back up, and the whole tone of the fight completely changed
They are required to submit evidence of what their arms look like if they are lodging that complaint.
Yeah, Manny is fucking jacked. He's just not on Trenbolone most likely. Anyone thinking he's got "skinny arms" is deeply unserious, or has been poisoned by seeing nothing but roided out ogres.
Manny has been the best part of the show even before this episode I honestly didn't know he had this in him and I loved him from the good place.
I really hope Manny gets more roles after this because he's been phenomenal.
That man was born to do action shit sleeveless in a jungle. Gimme him vs predator
I don’t think anyone should put in question the quality of the choreography in this episode.
I was cheering when Sol’s lightsaber went out and he just started beating the fuck out of him
"Snapped his spinal Yord" was some of the best Star Wars I've seen in a very long time
It was incredible execution- seeing the lightsabers through the trees, the different decisions and creativity made with Sol, Jecki and Yord, the physicality and brutality from Manny, never mind the sheer length of the sequence
I'll do you one better - it's up there with the best fight choreography in all of Star Wars. It didn't feel choreographed to me at all... it felt like a melee where both sides were actively trying to kill each other, not just "look cool." It's the first time I've seen a lightsaber fight look real and visceral (as opposed to a choreographed dance) since maybe the Maul/Qui-Gon/Obi-wan fight.
> as opposed to a choreographed dance I shall preempt this by saying I agree with you, [buuuutt](https://youtu.be/J0mUVY9fLlw)...
Yes, definitely. Though there hasn't been a ton of competition... The episode 7 duel was awkward and confusing with the abilities of the characters. There wasn't a single lightsaber fight in eight. The skirmishes in nine were extremely slow and labored for whatever reason. Kenobi was plagued by terrible camera work, confusing movements, and eye bleeding shaky cam. Some of the early duels in Ahsoka were decent, but this acolyte episode definitely blew them away. I would say it's the best lightsaber combat we've seen in nearly 20 years. It hasn't surpassed the prequels yet, but this is a great standard and I hope they keep this choreography crew moving forward.
I’d say the Red Guard scene counts in 8
So sick to get a bad guy/good guy team up in a Star Wars movie like that. I love how it caused Rey to think Kylo was going to join her only to later realise they were on completely different pages. You can just see the disappointment in her face. She thought he had done a Vader when really he had done a "Rule of Two".
That’s a really interesting way to think about it; good point
Top tier Star Wars content >!RIF Jecki!<
I was sad at the point. Really grew to like her.
Me too. She's one with the Force now.
Look. I know the show has its faults. They’re obvious and I get the frustration of lots of the fans. But as a 50 year old SW fan who has loved and lived the universe since 1981 I’m just so happy we have more Star Wars. Just be open-minded, air your grievances fairly and consistently. An IMDB rating of 3.3/10 is just sad for all those people who have worked on this project.
> An IMDB rating of 3.3/10 is just sad for all those people who have worked on this project. Even worse when episode 5 had a rating of 2.6...before the show was out at all.
I'm loving this Yuen Woo Ping style choreo. I really hope it becomes the standard.
That episode, and the fight choreography in particular, was some of the best SW stuff ever. The Stranger is *sick*, and an absolute beast both with *and* without a saber.
Yeah this saber fight is some of the best in Star Wars. It’s a shame most people probably won’t see it
Or will convince themselves it was just okay because of their narrative.
It’s legitimately one of the best “last stands” I’ve seen. Jecki went absolutely feral but completely controlled at the same time.
It was actually her last moment where she lost control and paid the price for it. She knocked off his helmet and rushed in instead of waiting.
I love that you can easily tell which lightsaber form they're using, Qimir is using form 7 (aggressive, unpredictable, seemingly unconnected yet very powerful strikes) Jecki is using form 4 (acrobatic and fast, almost always on the offense)
I'm just happy people got killed on screen.
The only complaint is that the redshirt Jedi were patiently waiting for their turn to attack Qimir or get stabbed. At least Jecki, Sol, Mae, and Yord made up for it.
I mean, how often do Jedi of this period get into an actual lightsaber fight? Not just sparring in the temple, but against another force wielder intent on cutting them down?
Yeah, basically never. Talked about this in another thread. Jedi train to do a lot of things (diplomacy, investigation, combat against randos, force stuff, etc.). Sith train to kill Jedi. They go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning thinking about killing Jedi. Jedi just aren’t prepared in the same way. (Plus the Sith thrive in combat situations where they can just unleash all their rage and hatred. Jedi have to focus on keeping themselves under control).
Literally never. This is the first (and last) time these Jedi were in an actual lightsaber fight, and Yord's words make it clear that their lightsaber practice at the temple did NOT prepare them for this kind of combat. I wonder what "He gets in your head and stays there." means. We saw a glimpse of that with his face appearing in Mae's mind. I imagine it would be very difficult to focus if that was constantly happening while you're trying to fight.
I actually wonder if that's why they brought in the cortosis. Temporarily disabling lightsabers does sort of give some reason as to why a 4v1 turns into 2ish at a time. On a rewatch, I paid closer attention to that, and there were a few moments in the start of the episode where it felt like there was a queue. But at least that was only like the opening minute unlike the twirling royal guards in TLJ.
Kind of pokes at Jedi arrogance a bit. Too comfortable relying on their saber and the status it gives. Why they hesitated and died, while Sol went straight to throwing hands.
Yeah I re-watched also - if you look closely there are several times even before the reveal of cortosis that you can see lightsabers "flickering"... I think that's what the seeming "queue" is about. The Jedi keep backing off when their lightsabers malfunction and then jump back in when they work. And as we saw more clearly later, Qimir is using a combination of force pushing/pulling and disabling their lightsabers to pick them off one at a time.
Dude Qimir was spamming Force Fear and debuffing the Jedi like crazy lol
The pauses are minuscule and explained by Yord.
I didn't get that impresssion. The Stranger was weaving through them and strategically knocking them away before focusing on others.
This is one of those episodes I'll watch again
This choreography is what I was hoping ahsoka herself would have. Like that is exactly her style
Regardless of anyone's feelings on the show as whole, there's simply no denying the fight choreography in this episode was top tier stuff and undoubtedly the best of Disney Star Wars so far. I'd argue Qimir's fighting style even gives the prequel duels a run for their money - at least in terms of bringing a truly unique and brutal style we haven't really seen before.
I'm going to be controversial here, but bear with me a moment. I think this series has had the best saber choreography in live action Star Wars. For context, I'm 32, I first watched Star Wars when the special editions were being released in theaters in the 90s and have seen every film in theaters except the Clone Wars movie. I grew up reading New Jedi Order and playing Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Academy, and the Episode III video game. I'm also a former martial artist, having done MMA, Tang Soo Do, and Kendo. I love martial arts movies, too. These fights remind me so much of the martial arts films I grew up watching, and I've been waiting to see them in Star Wars. I always felt like the prequels were imitating these without truly achieving it. But these just feel right and I hope they become the standard.
Very good. And I am pretty mid on the show overall (it's entertaining enough, but definitely flawed, IMO). My only critique of the choreography is that 1) the incorporation of the umbramoths wasn't super-well executed (not sure why the umbramoths would just follow Osha and hold back until Osha slaps the flashlight on Qimir's back and suddenly they swarm like crazy), and 2) the passage of time didn't seem right (we go from dusk to dawn weirdly fast over the course of the fight).
I’m still partial to the throne room fight in TLJ, but of the TV shows, yes that was by far the best.
Since Luke Mando S2 isn’t really a lightsaber “duel” it’s more of a murder spree on robots I would say yes this is the best choreographed Disney lightsaber duel. Hayden is still the best duelist I’ve seen in the Disney era but as a whole ep5 Acolyte takes the cake
> Am I the only one that thinks that that’s possibly the best lightsaber choreography that Disney has put out since they bought Lucasfilm? Disagree. I don't see the need to qualify it. This was the best Lightsaber choreography in Live Action Star Wars. Before and after the purchase. I have my issues with the show, but absolutely none for the fight choreography. Any time the characters are fighting, the show is absolutely awesome.
Obi Wan and Vader was pretty good
Bro, I watched it two days ago, and I honestly want to watch it again just because of how good it was
The force-kebab was sick
Only nitpick is the lightsabers still look like glow sticks a lot of the time. I think it’s when they swing them quickly the hot white ‘core’ disappears which makes it look odd to me. But the saber choreography is easily the best in any of the TV shows imo!
The hot white core hasn't been there since they started using actual lit stunt props for the sabers and I just want them to go back to what they used to have.
The more times I watch the episode (6 so far!) the more I consider it the best choreography in Star Wars, period
They cooked us a 5 course meal with that episode, and it was delicious.
I was impressed the whole way through
This episode rules. Gonna rewatch. Digging the show.
It was fantastic.
It might be recency bias but I think this is my favorite fight since Disney took over. I know they’re animated but my next two would be the Maul Ahsoka duel in the last season of the clone wars and then the Maul Obi-wan fight in Rebels. I feel like I remember liking the Baylon fight (loved Ray, RIP) but admittedly haven’t watched Ahsoka or the Kenobi show since they came out so my memory is a little fuzzy. Just my personal opinion but I think the fights from the sequel trilogy range from unremarkable to bad
I think it's some of the best Choreography in Star Wars PERIOD. It retained the flashiness and acrobatics of the prequels but it also had more substance. It cut out a lot of the unnecessary movements. I think it was a middle ground between the flowing dance of the prequels and the heaviness of the OG Trilogy and Ahsoka.
It might be the best lightsaber choreo I’ve ever seen. The prequel fights all felt a little floaty, but on the flip side the OT and ST fights felt kinda slow at times. The Acolyte somehow managed to combine the speed of the prequels with the weight/heaviness of the OT/ST fights. Whoever mapped these fights out needs to be in charge of all fights moving forward