The villainous Acolyte’s stylish costume is inspired by Elden Ring, but not in the way you might think

Star Wars’ The wide range of movies and series includes many stories and new possibilities for superhero fanatics. The latest addition to this list is The Acolytedirected by Leslye Headland. The live-action series currently airing on Disney+ is set approximately 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace and takes place towards the end of the High Republic era.

While the costumes in the series were heavily influenced by historical warriors of the past, the villain’s stylish outfit, on the other hand, had a connection to action role-playing. Elden Ring developed by FromSoftware, but not in the way you might expect.

The Acolyte was inspired by Elden Ring

The fifth episode of The Acolyte The episode was filled with unexpected twists and turns that took the audience on a roller coaster ride. With the big reveal that Qimir (Manny Jacinto) is the Sith Master known as the Stranger. Plus, it took the audience a while to realize that Mae’s (Amandla Stenberg) comedic sidekick and confidante was responsible for the savage deaths of several Jedi during the Stranger’s reign of terror.

While this update shocked the public, her costume also caught their attention. In an exclusive interview with ReverseLeslye Headland was asked if she expected Jacinto’s arms to be such a big draw for the show. To this, she responded:

Designing his character was a long process. I mean, it was for everyone, but specifically for his character, to create a new Sith. The Sith have been done so well, so it was very difficult to say, “All right, this is a guy who hides. This is the guy who moves differently. This guy’s helmet has a different function…” and have to unpack that..

Additionally, the entire team needed to create a new Sith character, especially considering how well-established those characters are in the Star Wars She also added that when she showed Manny Jacinto a sketch of Qimir’s outfit with his arms somewhat visible in the sketch, he rejected it. She added:

He’s not a guy who says no very often. He’s very collaborative. He’ll do anything for you. I was surprised. But then I saw his first trial with the whole outfit, and I was like, “Ha, ha, ha!”

As she revealed, Manny Jacinto’s screen test confirmed that it was the perfect costume for him and appropriate for his character. Moreover, one of the most essential elements of Qimir’s clothing in The Acolyte This is because it allowed him to move freely without being hindered by heavy armor.

For this, the team opted for a flowing costume, but such an odd choice raised concerns, with some questioning the character’s lack of armor. She added:

As soon as I said he didn’t have armor, everyone lost their minds. “How can you not have armor?” I was like, “Why would you wear armor if you’re not going to get hit?” It’s like the Elden Ring costume. The Elden Bling. When you summon people, you always summon people who aren’t wearing anything, and it’s like, “These people are crazy.”

To follow this strategy, Headland took inspiration from Elden Ring’s costume, “The Elden Bling,” in which some of the most stunning characters wear minimal or no armor, in sync with Qimir’s character, who wears no special costume other than his Cortosis ore helmet.

Leslye Headland criticized for promoting homosexuality The Acolyte

Leslye Headland would be the first openly gay person to direct a major film Star Wars series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Additionally, the plot involving Mother Aniseya and Mother Koril prompted fans to classify them as a lesbian couple, blaming it for the series’ progressive themes.

After that, the showrunner was condemned for crafting a series with “woke” propaganda, including many LGBTQ messages. She later dismissed those rumors, adding:

I was surprised by the question. Amandla and I burst out laughing because that’s our instinctive reaction when asked this question, but to be honest, I don’t know what the term “gay” means in this sense. I don’t think I’ve ever created any queer content, with a capital Q..

The showrunner clarified the reason for the audience’s concern, saying that since both Mother Aniseya and Koril come from a matriarchal society with no male presence, it is natural for them to have a strong relationship.

The Acolyte currently streaming on Disney+.