The Acolyte's top 5 most outstanding performances

With The Acolyte finale in the books, it's time to reflect on the series and pick moments, episodes, and performances that stood out.

The Acolyte had the tall order of bringing The High Republic to live action, and with it, brand new characters performed by actors who stepped into the Star Wars galaxy for the first time. With that said, a handful of performances shined and will always be remembered.

In no particular order, here are the 5 most memorable performances in The Acolyte.

1. Jodie Turner-Smith

Mother was mothering, indeed! Jodie Turner-Smith earned herself a lifelong fan, and now I'll be sure to check out all her other work. I thought she was magnificent in every scene she was in. Jodie plays Mother Aniseya, the leader of a witch coven from Brendok. Her performance is powerful and graceful. Her scenes with her daughters showcase what a kind and understanding mother she can be, but when she faces the Jedi, she's intimidating and imposing. That's the dichotomy of the life of a witch like Aniseya, who has to fight for her children and her identity. I think Jodie would've been great in a recurrent role as a Jedi, but unfortunately, it's unlikely she'll return in Season 2 unless it's in flashbacks.

2. Manny Jacinto

Oh, Manny! Initially, Manny Jacinto plays Qimir - a shady, quirky, and silly character in The Acolyte, but he's hiding a dark secret. A few episodes later, he transforms into a Sith Lord who's menacing, moves like a beast, and is extremely hot! The internet is on fire over Manny's brilliant lightsaber skills and good looks. By the end of the season, Jacinto's character becomes quiet and brooding, so it's easy to forget that Qimir was once nothing more than a silly smuggler.

3. Dafne Keen

Dafne Keen's portrayal of Padawan Jecki Lon in The Acolyte is a standout, infusing the character with a lovable and innocent spirit. Though her character meets a tragic end, she goes down fighting. Jecki's exceptional skills with not one but two lightsabers are outstanding. Along with fighting, Jecki Lon has a way with words and is always there to give her friends gentle and heartfelt advice. Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon is the perfect combination of strength and innocence.

4. Dean-Charles Chapman

Jedi Knight Torbin is a tortured soul who spends years struggling with the guilt of what happened to the witch coven on Brendok. Dean-Charles Chapman's incredible performance as the younger and older version of Torbin captures every ounce of the character's guilt and anxiety masterfully. To top it all off, Dean deserves bonus points for recreating Hayden Christensen's dazzling lightsaber twirl to near perfection!

5. Lee Jung-jae

Lee Jung-jae might've had the most complex character to play in The Acolyte. Master Sol is kind, compassionate, and loving on the surface, but underneath it, he's stubborn and obsessive. Lee Jung-jae's task was to convince audiences that Sol is every bit the Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi of the series, so his slow descent toward madness came as a shock. Along with expressing a wide array of complex emotions, Jung-jae learned English for the part and had some of the most complicated moves to pull off in his duels with Qimir/The Stranger. Jung-jae deserves all the praise for embodying a conflicted and flawed character in a performance that brought everyone to tears!

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.