A recent TV spot for Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte offers a glimpse of Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh’s lightsaber whip – or “lightwhip” – in action. So, how do lightwhips work, and is The Acolyte the first time one has appeared in the Star Wars canon?
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How The Acolyte’s Lightwhip Works, Explained
Post-Disney era Star Wars canon is pretty clear when it comes to the sci-fi science behind lightwhips. As you’d expect, these weapons are essentially heavily modified lightsabers. Whereas standard sabers’ containment fields are rigid so that their plasma beam takes on a sword-like shape, lightwhips’ containment fields are flexible, transforming the plasma into a lash. Creating a flexible containment field means installing multiple emitters in a lightwhip’s hilt (unlike lightsabers, which have a single emitter). The result is a weapon with improved range that can wrap around opponents.
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Lightwhips have their drawbacks, though. They’re much harder to use and even pose a risk to the wielder. This is especially true of lightwhips with multiple tendrils – even with the Force as their ally, the average Jedi would be hard-pressed to keep track of them all! Lightwhips’ flexible “blades” also reduce their cutting capabilities, making them far less effective at slicing and dicing than lightsabers. These shortcomings explain why few Jedi bothered with them, even during The Acolyte‘s High Republic setting. That said, Vernestra Rwoh gets around these problems by converting her lightwhip into a lightsaber by twisting its hilt.
Have Lightwhips Appeared in Other Star Wars Media?
Vernestra Rwoh’s lightwhip showing up in The Acolyte is a first for a live-action Star Wars production. But what about the wider franchise canon – did lightwhips debut there, first? Yep, and very early on, too. Darth Vader’s one-time disciple Lumiya attacked Luke Skywalker with a lightwhip in 1985’s Star Wars #95. Later comic book series – including Jedi vs. Sith and the second volume of Star Wars: Legacy – likewise featured the weapon. Lightwhips also appeared (or were referenced) in several novels and video games that pre-date The Acolyte, as well.
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Of course, the above lightwhip-centric material all falls under the Star Wars Legends banner. In short: since Disney acquired the franchise, none of it counts anymore. Yet The Acolyte can’t lay claim to reintroducing lightwhips to post-Disney canon. Instead, that honor goes to 2021 middle grade novel Star Wars – The High Republic: A Test of Courage. Here, we see the recently promoted Vernestra Rwoh modify her lightsaber into a lightwhip and take it for a spin. Subsequent High Republic books and comics have also featured Vern’s lightwhip.
The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4, 2024.
