SPOILERS are ahead for The Acolyte, now streaming with a Disney+ subscription.
Move over Kylo Ren, the latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte, has fans crushing over a new baddie with Manny Jacinto’s The Stranger. While the character was initially introduced as a smuggler, when he was revealed to be Mae’s Master in a bloodbath of a scene in Episode 5, fans have been all hot and bothered over Jacinto’s villain. Yes, Star Wars has taken notice.
The franchise’s official account took to TikTok to share a thirst trap of The Stranger. Check it out:
@starwars ♬ original sound - Star Wars
Manny Jacinto trained hard to play a formidable Sith Lord, and the Star Wars video layers his training videos with the stunt team with behind-the-scenes clips from set and what fans witnessed last week when his actual identity was revealed. Check out how one TikTok user responded to the official video:
AHHHH A MANNY JACINTO EDIT
@maditano
Fan edits are a popular medium on social media where people put their favorite scenes of a character into one video, usually alongside some great music. It’s a way fans can show appreciation for their favorite characters in movies and television, particularly if they are crushing hard for them. Star Wars went ahead and did that for fans, leading another commenter to say this:
I thought this was a fan account 😭😭
@lluumas
Prior to The Acolyte, Manny Jacinto was most well-known for his role on The Good Place as Jason Mendoza. Following Episode 5 streaming on Disney+, The Good Place fans were having a field day with the big reveal, noting Jacinto’s range as an actor and calling the new villain their version of Kylo Ren.
The hype surrounding the reveal and Jacinto has been going on for over a week now, as proven by this all-caps comment on Star Wars' thirst trap:
WHOEVER IS RUNNING THE STAR WARS ACCOUNT KNOWS WHAT THEYRE DOING AND DESERVES A RAISE THX
@verse.dallo
Manny Jacinto was also among the Top Gun: Maverick cast as one of the pilots, getting a chance to train with Tom Cruise, Glen Powell, Miles Teller and more. However, his role was rather minimal. Now, Jacinto has fans' full attention in this villainous role that even has some Star Wars fans making bolder theories about who his character could be. For those who might not have watched The Acolyte otherwise, The Stranger is officially inspiring them to, as one TikTok user shared:
This is a trap! You’re showing how hot he is to make me watch star wars 😭😩
@angelcrawford21
Hey, if it works, it works! Turns out Star Wars is not above thirst traps, and fans are absolutely living for it! The new Star Wars series is reportedly a big hit too viewership-wise. ScreenRant learned this week that the new series’ streaming and engagement index was only second to 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. And that's not surprising considering the number of comments that look like this:
okay okay I’ll renew my subscription. RELAX!!!!!!
@anggelingm0
It certainly helps that The Acolyte is also a fresh series from the Star Wars Universe that removes itself from the Skywalker Saga to tell a new story set during the High Republic.
You can stream episodes 1-6 now, and get ready for the next one coming this Tuesday. Also, make sure to check out what other upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows are on the horizon!
