Star Wars’ New Sith, Manny Jacinto, Addresses Fan Backlash Over ‘The Acolyte’: “There’s always a very passionate group that doesn’t like change”

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ is the latest and arguably most controversial addition to the Star Wars franchise. The show faced significant criticism even before its release, partly due to unusual comments from the cast and crew, and the situation did not improve post-premiere.

The show has been noted for a decline in quality compared to previous Star Wars live-action series, resulting in a highly polarized fan reception. While some viewers regard it as the best thing to happen to Star Wars canon, others consider it the worst.

One character who notably stood out in ‘The Acolyte’ was Manny Jacinto’s Qimir, also known as The Stranger, the latest Sith introduced to the canon. Despite his “secret” being fairly obvious, fans warmed to Qimir, and he became one of the show’s few redeeming features. Many viewers even called for a second season primarily because of his character.

Whether the demand for more of Qimir stems from his physical presence or character development is not the focus here. What’s clear is that he has faced less criticism compared to other characters in the show. This makes Jacinto an ideal figure to address the backlash and instances of review-bombing.

In his recent interview with GQ, Jacinto addressed the backlash, expressing his understanding of why fans might be upset with the current direction of the franchise.

“It’s a cycle….With everything that’s come out since the original trilogy, there’s always a very passionate group that doesn’t like change, that wants that same feeling that they experienced when they were kids, only now they’ve grown up and their taste has matured and they’re more critical about art or the world, and then they are just more precious about the things that they experienced when they were younger.”

His perspective mirrors a recent comment by George Lucas, who addressed the backlash against the prequel trilogy. Lucas attributed the criticism to audiences viewing what was essentially a kids’ movie from an older perspective.

While ‘The Acolyte’ did face significant issues with pacing, writing, acting, and scripting, it’s possible that, over time, fans may come to appreciate it in its own right, much like they eventually did with the prequels.

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