The Acolyte Star Manny Jacinto Says Modern Franchises Are Missing Romance — And Praises the Qimir and Osha Love Story in His Canceled Star Wars Series
Ready anytime and hungry to run it back, the challenger throws down the gauntlet for a rematch—if they’ll have it.
Apparently asking for a little actual love in a galaxy full of laser swords is a big swing. Manny Jacinto thinks so too, which makes it sting a bit more that The Acolyte got the plug pulled before his character, Qimir, could really lean into that side of the story.
Jacinto wanted more romance in the big franchises
Talking to TV Insider, Jacinto said the thing he admired about The Acolyte was that it let a spark breathe instead of burying it under nonstop spectacle.
"I feel like with a lot of the franchises that we currently have, it’s missing the romance. It’s missing a lot of love and relationships. We have the big fight scenes and the origin stories of these heroes and whatnot, but they don’t really have a relationship with other people. It’s such a weird thing."
He pointed to the Qimir and Osha dynamic as the part that made the show feel alive to him. In his view, building an actual relationship made the characters and the story more compelling than just lining up another cool brawl — and yes, he likes the big fights too.
Where The Acolyte left Qimir and Osha
The Acolyte was set way before the Skywalkers, digging into the early rise of the Sith. Qimir — also known as the Stranger — zeroed in on Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a reluctant Force-sensitive, and started drawing her toward the Dark Side. It was not hearts-and-flowers on day one, but by the end of the season you could feel something shifting between them. Then the series was canceled, and that thread got cut before it could really pay off.
The lore swing we never saw
This part is a bit of a surprise: after the fact, we learned that Qimir/The Stranger was meant to be the first Knight of Ren. Yes, the same order Ben Solo eventually runs with after he walks away from the Jedi. That reveal never made it onscreen, which is a shame — it is the kind of lore nugget that recontextualizes the whole character.
He would come back in a heartbeat
Canceling the show did not cool Jacinto on the role. He said he is ready to suit up again if the door ever opens: it was a role-of-a-lifetime situation for him, and he is proud of what the team did — including the Qimir/Osha relationship, which he even affectionately calls 'Oshamir'.
So, what now?
The Acolyte may be done, but Star Wars is not going anywhere. If someone decides to dust off Qimir down the line, Jacinto sounds like he has the lightsaber by the door.