How Dave Filoni Solved ‘The Acolyte’s’ Biggest Problem

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The Stranger (Manny Jacinto) wielding a red lightsaber in an official poster for The Acolyte

Published Feb 7, 2026, 10:00 AM EST

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New behind-the-scenes details from The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte reveal that one of The Acolyte’s most memorable combat twists was shaped by a fundamental rule passed down from Star Wars creator George Lucas and reinforced by Dave Filoni. As the series explored a darker, morally complex corner of the High Republic era, the creative team faced a challenge: how to depict a villain capable of standing toe-to-toe with Jedi without undermining the power of the lightsaber itself. The solution came from an early note Filoni shared with creator Leslye Headland during development.

According to Headland, Filoni stressed that while Star Wars has introduced rare materials like beskar over the years, Lucas was always adamant that lightsabers should remain overwhelmingly effective weapons — not something easily neutralized or rendered obsolete. “George didn’t want too many things in canon that could beat lightsabers or that made lightsabers weak,” Headland explained in The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte. That directive directly influenced the design of the Stranger’s armor and weapons. Rather than introducing a permanent counter to lightsabers, the series leaned on cortosis — a rare metal from Star Wars lore — but with strict limitations.

‘The Acolyte’ Couldn’t Let Lightsabers Be Too Easy to Beat

In The Acolyte, cortosis doesn’t negate lightsabers outright. Instead, it briefly shorts them out upon contact, sending a shower of sparks before the material itself breaks apart. The effect preserves the lightsaber’s status as a nearly unstoppable weapon while still allowing moments of vulnerability and surprise during combat. From a design standpoint, that balance was critical. Costume designer Jennifer Bryan crafted the Stranger’s cortosis helmet and gauntlet to feel crude and temporary, not refined or indestructible. The pieces are meant to look damaged, improvised, and ultimately disposable — reinforcing the idea that this is not a technology meant to endure repeated lightsaber strikes. Visual effects teams at Industrial Light & Magic then enhanced the impact by matching the sparks and short-circuiting effects to the color of each lightsaber blade, further grounding the moment in established Star Wars visual language.

The rule also shaped the choreography and narrative stakes of the fight scenes. Because cortosis protection can only be used sparingly, every clash carries consequences. Each block risks destroying the armor itself, forcing characters to choose when and how to deploy it. For Headland, honoring that rule was about more than continuity — it was about preserving the mythic weight of the lightsaber. By ensuring that no material or tactic could permanently undermine it, The Acolyte reinforces what lightsabers have always represented in Star Wars: not just weapons, but symbols of power, belief, and consequence.

As The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte makes clear, even the show’s most inventive ideas were built within boundaries set decades ago — a reminder that innovation in Star Wars often comes not from breaking the rules, but from working carefully inside them.

The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte is available now. Stay tuned at Collider for more.