Movies News Talk
While both Kylo Ren and Qimir's shirtless scenes feature a shirtless dark-side user, they couldn't be more different. In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren's shirtless scene was mostly played for laughs. Qimir's, however, was deadly serious. Removing his shirt tempted Osha to strike him down and to be more vulnerable herself, which brought her closer to the dark side. It also revealed quite a bit about The Acolyte's Sith Lord, such as his sprawling scar, which led him to reveal more about his past life as a Jedi.
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben Solo was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the Dark Side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren's heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
Another aspect of the scene that made Qimir's removal of his shirt better than Kylo Ren's was the purpose it served in The Acolyte's plot. Showing Qimir without a shirt showed his vulnerability, but it also showed how he weaponized that vulnerability. He may have seemed defenseless, but Qimir was still just as dangerous with his shirt off as he was on the battlefield. Having no shirt on let him slip past Osha's guard, just as his cortosis helmet and gauntlet allowed him to slip past the Jedi's lightsabers. This scene highlighted the best weapon in Qimir's arsenal: his power of deception.
The Acolyte has just introduced a new type of lightsaber never before seen in live-action Star Wars, and it breaks all the rules of lightsaber combat.
Kylo Ren's shirtless scene also emphasized his vulnerability, but it wasn't the main way The Last Jedi communicated that he was vulnerable. Kylo Ren's entire characterization centered around his vulnerability, and having his shirt off was just one way the sequel trilogy displayed that. It was an intense, personal moment, but Qimir's removal of his shirt pushed the boundaries and made Star Wars intimate in a way Kylo Ren's never did. Qimir's Shirtless scene was perhaps the most revealing and intimate scene Star Wars has ever shown in live-action, and The Acolyte pushed the franchise's boundaries expertly.
New episodes of The Acolyte premiere on Tuesday nights on Disney+.