We're even more excited about this new Star Wars show – thanks to comparisons with the best lightsaber duel

We were already excited about The Acolyte, 2024’s new "mystery-thriller" Star Wars show set hundreds of years before the prequels. Now, next year can’t come soon enough – thanks to a pitch-perfect tease from star Manny Jacinto about the Disney Plus series’ use of lightsabers.

"If you loved that sequence with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and Darth Maul, I think you're going to enjoy this show," Jacinto told Entertainment Weekly, referring to ‘Duel of the Fates’, the climactic lightsaber duel at the end of The Phantom Menace that wowed a new generation of Star Wars fans.

Co-star Charlie Barnett, who plays a Jedi in The Acolyte, adds, "I will say too – not to shade, but we have a lot more tangible physical moves than I saw in that fight. As badass as it is, there's a lot more grounded work that goes into our stunt training and our stunt performances."

He continues, "We have an awesome stunt team. Doing so much without cables, without CGI, without a lot of effects – it makes the fight seem so much more visceral."

Color us excited. Duel of the Fates – along with Obi-Wan and Anakin’s Revenge of the Sith duel – is often regarded as an action high-point for the series. If The Acolyte can match that, we’re in for a treat. It’s a little wonder, then, that this show will have more Jedi than you’ve ever seen before in a Star Wars movie or show.

If The Acolyte has passed you by, let’s fill you in. Created by Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland and starring Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, and Dafne Keen, the series revolves around a former Padawan reuniting with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes. Unfortunately for them, what’s standing in their way is "even more sinister than they ever anticipated."

The High Republic-set series will also focus on "emerging dark side powers" in the waning years of the Golden Era of the Jedi.

For more on what’s coming up in a galaxy far, far away, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars movies. Ahsoka is next up, streaming on Disney Plus from August 23. To help you prepare, here’s how to watch The Clone Wars in order, as well as a look at the episodes you should watch before Ahsoka.