Credit: LucasfilmIt’s safe to say that the Star Wars franchise has never been more divided, as controversy from Lucasfilm and The Acolyte continues to plague reports. However, a demand for sexier fan service wasn’t exactly something we expected on the radar.
After making his grand unmasking as the insidious Stranger in “Night” and removing more than his helmet in “Teach/Corrupt,” Manny Jacinto has been making headlines as Qimir. However, are these scenes the kind of fan service really what fans are asking for?
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Inside the Magic previously covered how increasingly mature material might pull even more of Lucasfilm’s fanbase away, but critics are responding quite favorably to the shirtless Sith Lord. Are things about to get a whole lot steamier in Star Wars?
The Acolyte Turns Up the Heat
This week’s episode of The Acolyte was undeniably one of the more hot-blooded entries in the saga, as apparently, many fans were absolutely swooning over Qimir’s skinny-dipping form. Kotaku’s Alyssa Mercante shared that reception for this sexier side of the Sith has reinvented what fans want from their Star Wars villains as well as the established archetype.
The article states that this new direction is designed to “aggressively and unapologetically cater to the femme side of the fandom with a hot bad guy and heaps of sexual tension.” While that certainly gives new meaning to being seduced by the Dark Side, it also feels out of place, given the scenes that transpire before the scene in question.
The report reads,
“The Acolyte dips back into that well and scoops up a generous helping of sweet, sweet, shipping nectar to serve us as Qimir (Manny Jacinto) and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) argue up close and in hushed tones and take long, lingering looks at each other. There’s even an entire scene in which Qimir disrobes in front of Osha before stepping into a tide pool and inviting her in. When she threatens to kill him, he asks if he can put his clothes back on first, and when he emerges from the water she takes her sweet time averting her eyes. This is, I believe, the first time someone has been naked in Star Wars media.”
This writer will not sit here and say that Star Wars isn’t without its steamy or sexy moments. The original trilogy had Princess Leia in a brass bikini on Jabba’s barge, the prequels had Padme in her sheer nightgown along with a bare-chested Anakin Skywalker dripping with sweat from his night terrors, and let’s not forget the delightfully awkward pairing of Rey and Kylo Ren in Disney’s cinematic escapades.
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That said, the increasingly sexual scenes and implications put forth by showrunner Leslye Headland feel like they come at an exceptionally wrong time. It’s hard to see our scarred antagonist as anything remotely attractive after watching him run a young Padawan through with his lightsaber before snapping Yord’s neck right on camera.
How Much is Too Much?
It’s a great big galaxy, and the Star Wars franchise isn’t made for a singular audience or age group. However, there is such a thing as a time and a place for everything.
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The scantily clad Twi’lek slave girls in Jabba’s palace are used to illustrate how lecherous and vile the Hutts are and how Mos Eisley is a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Here, the over-sexualized motifs feel forced to try to get the audience on Qimir’s side, and it’s bound to rub more than a few viewers the wrong way, no matter how objectively attractive Jacinto is.
The Kotaku article describes the effect seen in the episode with the following statement:
“The Acolyte is something entirely different—it’s taking a chance with a brand-new setting, unfamiliar characters, and an unapologetic (and unapologetically horny) perspective, and while it isn’t perfect, it’s at least exciting.”
While we can’t speak for all fans, “unapologetically horny” aren’t the words most viewers would use to describe Star Wars as a whole. As the producers and showrunners continue down this path to the Dark Side, fans will only throw it deeper into the proverbial Sarlaac Pit.
Do you think Star Wars should be sexier? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!