Six months afterStar WarscanceledThe Acolyte, Qimir/the Stranger actor Manny Jacinto has shared his opinion on the show.The Acolytequickly proved to be one of the most controversial additions toStar Warsmovies and TV showsin recent years, perhaps rivaled only by theStar Warssequel trilogy movies. At times, thebacklash toThe Acolytewas downright vitriolic, all of which concluded inThe Acolyte’scancelationjust a few weeks after the show’s finale.
Screen Rant is a media partner at MegaCon 2025, where Qimir/the Stranger actor Manny Jacinto has shared his experience working onThe Acolyteand his perception of the show in retrospect.During a panel, Jacinto shared:
“I’m so proud ofThe Acolyteand what we were able to do, and it felt like we were taking a big risk, and there’s nothing like that feeling of trying to just create something special from the ground up.”
Even in light of the backlash thatThe Acolyte, Jacinto, and many of the actors and creators of the show faced,Jacinto’s view on and memory ofThe Acolyteremains positive.
Manny Jacinto’s Performance In The Acolyte Was Tremendous
Qimir/The Stranger Was Largely A Hit, Even For Those Who Disliked The Show
While many were highly critical ofThe Acolyte,Manny Jacinto’s performance as Qimir/the Stranger was largely seen as a bright spot inThe Acolyte, even among some of the show’s most ardent critics. Jacinto brought incredible depth to the character, brilliantly capturing both the brutality of the dark side and the complexity of this character, who clearly had a complicated past with the Jedi and his former Jedi Master, Vernestra Rwoh. Jacinto especially impressed with his lightsaber skills.
In fact, Qimir’s takedown of multiple Jedi inThe Acolyteepisode 5 is arguably some of the best lightsaber dueling in the whole ofStar Wars. Sadly, Qimir’sStar Warsstory was cut quite short in light ofThe Acolytenot being renewed for a second season. It’s clear that the creative minds behindThe Acolytewere hoping to expand these stories in a future season—especially givenThe Acolyteendingincluded multiple cliffhangers—but that is evidently never to be.
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Our Take On The Acolyte’s Cancelation
The Acolyte Didn’t Deserve The Hatred It Got
WhileThe Acolytemay not be at the very top of the list ofStar Wars’best TV shows,it certainly didn’t deserve the vitriol it received. There was plenty to enjoy aboutThe Acolyte, as Jacinto himself made clear. However successfully it may have been done in terms of reception,The Acolytetook a number of risks and introduced various innovative ideas that should at the very least be respected.
Jacinto’s performance, the performances of myriad other actors, the characters, and the unique story arcs are also deserving of much more than the dismal 19% audience scoreThe Acolytehas on Rotten Tomatoes (notably, the critic score is 78%). WhileThe Acolytemay have had its faults, as any show does, it was also subjected to backlash, review bombing, and controversy that was frequently unfair. It’s nice to know that, in spite of that, Manny Jacinto remains proud of all that was accomplished inThe Acolyte.
