Star Wars: The Acolyte actor Charlie Barnett attempted to paint himself as a Star Wars fan, but came across looking completely ignorant about the franchise by claiming that Anakin Skywalker blew up the Death Star.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Charlie Barnett attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
In an interview with The Nerds of Color, Barnett’s first comments were to claim that Jedi had not been featured in recent Disney Star Wars films and shows despite them being prominently featured in the most recent series, Ahsoka, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke Skywalker is also featured in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
He said, “One of the things that was most terrifying is stepping into that position of Jedi. We haven’t seen a lot of Jedi in the last couple films or even TV shows that have been coming out. So returning to that storyline and reinvesting in it was daunting because the Jedi are these, you know—.
Next, he claimed that the Star Wars films that he saw portrayed the Jedi as god-like beings.
He said, “And from where I was growing up from the films that I was seeing, they were better than could be. They were the utmost and could do nothing wrong. It was this kind of god-like nature. So getting to see more of the personality, seeing a little deeper root into them was terrifying. Like how are we going to explore outlets of a story of people we’ve known so much about and do it in the ways that people love to hear about them or see them.”
Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©.
It’s unclear what films he watched, but the Jedi are clearly never portrayed as god-like beings in any of the six films that George Lucas helmed. In the original trilogy, the Jedi have clearly been driven into exile and defeated by the Empire. In fact, Obi-Wan even informs Luke Skywalker that his father was killed by Darth Vader. Obviously, it would later be revealed that his father was consumed by the Dark Side and became Darth Vader.
In the prequels, it’s very obvious that the Jedi can do a lot wrong. Qui-Gon Jinn expresses this to Obi-Wan Kenobi repeatedly in The Phantom Menace. He is also killed by Maul at the end of the film. Yoda also makes it clear that the Dark Side has clouded his vision. Then in Revenge of the Sith, it’s very clear that the Jedi are not all powerful god-like beings as they are defeated by the machinations of the Emperor, which involved their own Clone troopers gunning many of them down.
Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (1977), Lucasfilm
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Despite trying to paint himself as a fan, Barnett clearly does not know what he’s talking about. But later in the interview he made an even greater faux pas. He declared that Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Death Star.
When asked about his character’s relation to good and evil in the show, Barnett answered in part, “This good and bad element it’s so dependent on your experiences, your history, your parents, your friends. Like so much bleeds into that. And that’s what makes it, you know, why Palpatine would be committed to the directions that he is committed to as bad or good however you view it. I personally will see it as bad, but a lot of people would see the sides are like, ‘Well, Anakin just killed a whole Death Star. How many people died on that? Is that not bad?’ I find that part of Star Wars really human and the best at.”
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977), Lucasfilm
In a separate interview with Collider, he reiterated his belief that Anakin blew up the Death Star. When asked about his character reckons with the idea that bad and good are in the eyes of the beholder, Barnett answered in part, “In my mind, it’s so funny to me, because, it literally, as a person who’s outside and just a fan coming in that was what was so beautiful and interesting to me.”
He continued, “People have been talking to me online about how Darth Vader is such a bad person. It’s very clear. And it’s very well established from those actions. But if you can’t look and see that Anakin blowing up the Death Star killing millions and millions of people — I’m going to get in trouble for saying this right now.”
After Dafne Keen tells him to shut up, he continues, “That is the beauty of this story. And it’s the beauty of like life. It’s not about no holding people to the fire when they do make the wrong decisions or when they are bad, but recognizing why they led to the places that they led is important. I think it’s why Lucas wrote it.”
What do you make of Barnett claiming not once, but twice that Anakin Skywalker blew up the Death Star?
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What a putz!! They sure know how to hire them.
Somewhere, George Lucas is still banging his head on the wall
He is the Rachel Zegler of Star Wars ;D