The Acolyte's Manny Jacinto revealed that an R-rated scene involving Qimir that almost made it in the final cut of the Star Wars series on Disney+. Created by Leslye Headland, the prequel series introduced Qimir as a ruthless villain and mysterious Sith Lord who single-handedly defeated (and killed) several Jedi in a memorable lightsaber duel on the planet Khofar. Although Disney+ has canceled The Acolyte, the mystery surrounding Qimir remains a big question mark among Star Wars fans, such as whether or not he's truly a Sith Lord or something else entirely.
While there are many questions and theories about Qimir's origins, there is no denying that the Star Wars villain might be one of the ruthless foes the Jedi Knights ever faced during the height of the High Republic era. In a recent appearance at a fan convention, Manny Jacinto revealed that Qimir might even be more dangerous than initially presented after sharing details about a scrapped R-rated scene.
At the Denver Fan Expo, Manny Jacinto (via Screen Rant) pulled the curtain back on an intense R-rated scene involving Qimir that was cut from The Acolyte during the action-packed lightsaber duel on planet Khofar.
Jacinto shared that there was one moment where Qimir was supposed to "take one Jedi and keep slamming his head onto a rock," but it was cut because "Star Wars has always been [under the umbrella of a] PG [Parental Guidance rating]:"
"Star Wars has always been PG, but you want to find some brutal aspects of these fights... There was one moment, I think, where I just take one Jedi and keep slamming his head on to a rock, because we wanted to show how brutal this guy could be, without any remorse."
While the scrapped scene makes sense due to Star Wars' family-friendly approach, it would've been exciting to see a much more brutal Qimir in The Acolyte to cement further how much of a threat he is against the Jedi Knights.
The Acolyte revolves around the story of a former Padawan who unexpectedly reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of murders that lead them to a revelation about the Dark Side of the Force. Joining Manny Jacinto in The Acolyte's cast are Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Why Star Wars Should Experiment With the R-Rating
A more ruthless Qimir could've benefited The Acolyte because it could've made the series stand out by becoming the only R-rated series under the Star Wars umbrella.
While the lightsaber duel on Khofar was already brutal as is (considering that Qimir killed one Jedi after another in various ways), a villain like Qimir could've shown that he is a type of foe that doesn't hold back if the scene of him bashing another Jedi's head onto a rock made it in the final cut.
The Acolyte has already pointed out that Qimir is a remorseless foe without any redeeming qualities. Including the deleted scene Manny Jacinto mentioned would benefit the project and elevate the character in Star Wars' villain hierarchy (read more about the five new details about The Acolyte's Qimir here).
Given that Marvel Studios already embraced the R-rating with Deadpool & Wolverine, and Daredevil: Born Again with its TV-MA rating, some would argue that it is high time for Star Wars to explore projects in that arena. Andor already gave a taste of its grounded yet compelling storytelling that didn't hold back, and it proved to be a success in the eyes of a large portion of the fandom.
By allowing more creative freedom, combined with the exploration of mature themes, Star Wars could thrive in R-rated projects, essentially showing that not holding back by certain PG restraints should be a key part of their future.
