The Acolyte stars Rebecca Henderson and Charlie Barnett talk about Lightsaber fights and the light whip |

In just a matter of hours, fans of the ‘Star Wars‘ franchise will witness a new chapter unfold in the epic saga with the premiere of ‘The Acolyte‘. The new web series delves into the High Republic era, bringing new characters, intense action and some new weapons to the beloved universe. And, to give us an exciting sneak peek into the show’s thrilling elements are lead actors Rebecca Henderson and Charlie Barnett.
Rebecca, who plays Vernestra, shared in an exclusive interview with ETimes, her excitement about her role and her character’s unique weapon that has fans around the world buzzing with excitement. “When I first read the scripts and saw Vernestra, it was the first time I’d heard about her,” Rebecca admitted and added, “I just loved the way she spoke, how contained and powerful she was, how still and sharp she was. I was very attracted to that, and it continued as I played the part.”

Elaborating on Vernestra’s lightsaber, which can transform into a one-of-a-kind light-whip, a feature that has become a hot favourite in the fandom. Explaining the functioning of the weapon, she said, “In the books, she is able to change part of the lightsaber and turn it into a light whip. She keeps it a secret for a very long time, but eventually, people find out about it. And as you’ve seen, it’s so cool!”

“I have the coolest and prettiest lightsaber,” she declared.
Charlie Barnett, on the other hand, takes on the action-packed role of Yord Fandar, a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple. Fans will get to see his character in some dynamic fight scenes in the series. Praising the stunt team for choreographing some epic battles, he said, “I haven’t worked with many stunt crews, but this is the best stunt crew I have ever witnessed.”

He went on to elaborate, “The fights literally become a whole other character. It’s such a moving force within the production, always bleeding into the story and tying it all together in an interesting way.”
Barnett also praised the authenticity and investment in the fight scenes, noting, “There’s something so beautiful about this show and our fights being so lived and well-invested in the characters. It’s really special work. They killed it! No pun intended,” he added.
Set during the High Republic era, ‘The Acolyte’ explores a period in the Star Wars universe that has only been covered in books and comics until now. Taking place approximately 100 years before ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’, the series features a stellar cast, including Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Lee Jung-Jae, Carrie-Anne Moss, among others.
The series is set to debut its first two episodes on June 4, with weekly releases to follow, culminating in the season finale on June 16.