The Acolyte’s response from fans has been mixed to say the least, and while many have critiqued the writing of the show, it has given viewers plenty of action moments, including a lot of lightsaber duels.
Speaking with Collider, showrunner Leslye Headland explained they wanted to immortalise the show through its duels. “We were like, “We are fucking going for it. We want to top Duel of the Fates, we want to top the train station in The Matrix. We will settle for nothing less.” I will leave it up to the viewer as to whether or not we achieved that, but in my heart of hearts, I was like, “We achieved that.” As far as I’m concerned,” she said.
In the season finale, Sol faces off against the Stranger in a clash of lightsabers and the force the likes of which we’ve not seen for some time in Star Wars live action, but as Headland herself says, it’s really up to the audience to decide if that duel managed to match the franchise’s best.