The Acolyte wants to top the most iconic fight in Star Wars history

Jessica Cullen
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in The Acolyte

The Acolyte has already set the highest standard possible by trying to outdo one of the most incredible battles in Star Wars.

Premiering on June 4, The Acolyte is set to become the newest addition to the Star Wars small-screen universe. Turning attention to the High Republic era, the live-action series will tell a tale as old as time in George Lucas’ franchise: a Jedi Master at odds with his former Padawan.

The trailer was enough to get plenty of Star Wars fans buzzing, with the small glimpses of an action-packed plot leading many to hope for what could be the most fight-heavy show yet.

Thankfully, Dafne Keen (who plays Jedi Jecki Lon) has confirmed that not only will there be Force fights aplenty, but that they set themselves a mission that’s been almost impossible to accomplish over the years: to outdo the famous Darth Maul battle in The Phantom Menace.

“Yeah, that was a very frequent conversation we had,” Keen said [via Entertainment Weekly]. “It was very much: We want to top the Darth Maul fight — the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe. It’s such an amazing fight and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There’s such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG Star Wars and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer.”

A high standard, indeed. While The Phantom Menace is not kindly remembered, the stunt-laden, high-flying lightsaber battle between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jin, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel is one of the highlights. Set to John Williams’ haunting ‘Duel of the Fates’, it’s since been regarded as one of the best fight scenes in the franchise.

Whether The Acolyte lives up to this extreme hype remains to be seen. While you wait, check out everything there is to know about Andor Season 2. You can also remind yourself of the best Star Wars quotes, too.