The premiere of Star Wars: The Acolyte is still a few weeks away, and for now, we don’t know why a former Padawan learner named Mae (Amandla Stenberg) has such a grudge against the Jedi that she’s attacked several of their number. Mae isn’t a Jedi or a Sith, and she seems to have some talent with the Force. But even Mae’s Force abilities pale in comparison to her former mentor, Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), in a new preview clip from The Acolyte.
It doesn’t seem to take Sol very much effort to evade Mae’s best strikes. He even easily thwarts her attempt to swipe his lightsaber before taking away Mae’s knives. The skill gap between them is so pronounced that it’s hard to imagine why Mae’s rampage wouldn’t end here. She’s outmatched, and now she’s also disarmed.
The fight chorography is also impressive in this scene, especially because it doesn’t resort to using quick cuts every few seconds. With Mae’s mask on, it’s hard to tell how much of that scene was done by Stenberg and Lee or by their stunt doubles. Regardless, Stenberg recently showcased her musical talents by playing John Williams’ iconic Star Wars theme on her grandfather’s violin. Additionally, Jedi Master Sol was the focus of a featurette that was released earlier this week.
Disney+ will premiere the first two episodes of The Acolyte on June 4.
