Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode 8
Summary
Following months of speculation,The Acolyte’sfinale has finally revealed its true Sith Master. The newStar Warsshow has reached the conclusion of its first season with some major cameos, one of which being a classicStar Warscharacter whom many predicted, but has never been seen on-screen before. To that end, the emergence of a known Sith Lord from theStar Warstimeline is very exciting.
AsThe Acolyte’sfinale comes to a head, Qimir (Manny Jacinto) and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) leave Qimir’s remote ocean world home to seek out Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and Osha’s sister Mae. However, a figure is seen in the shadows as Qimir and Osha take off, a hooded being who very much looks to be Darth Plagueis, an alien Muun who canonically trained Darth Sidious aka Palpatine.Here’s everything to know about Darth Plagueis, as well as what his role inThe Acolytemeans for theStar Warscanon overall.
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Darth Plagueis Is The Acolyte’s True Sith Lord
A Hooded Muun Hidden In the Shadows
Despite being featured only briefly and largely in the shadows, some key distinguishing features help identifythis new Sith Lord as none other than Darth Plagueis himself. Firstly, Legends established that Plagueis was an alien Muun, known for their slender humanoid bodies, smooth skin, long fingers, and flat noses. To that end,The Acolytefinale’s new cameo does possess long fingers and a flat nose, as well as the yellow eyes of a traditional Sith Lord that can be seen underneath a dark hood.
As a result,The Acolytehas seemingly confirmed that Plagueis is indeed a Muun in the official canon as well. Additionally, Plagueis' first on-screen appearance carries some major ramifications not only for the future ofThe Acolyte(assuming there is one), but also for Sith history and theStar Warstimeline overall. After all, there isn’t much that’s canonically known about Plagueis beyond what was revealed by his own apprentice in the prequels.
Plagueis Is Palpatine’s Sith Master
Plagueis Was Canonically Active During This Time
Known as “Darth Plagueis the Wise”,the bulk of what is known about Palpatine’s master in the canon comes from Palpatine himself when he tells Anakin Skywalker about his master inRevenge of the Sithwhile attending the opera. This included the reveal thatPlagueis allegedly had the rare power to influence and manipulate the midi-chlorians to create life. He could even prevent those he loved from dying, though not himself as he was slain by Palpatine once his apprentice power had grown strong enough.
However, the life and activities of Darth Palgueis before his demise at the hands of his own apprentice were revealed in non-canon Legends, primarily in theDarth Plagueisnovel by James Luceno. In the book,Plagueis kills his own master Darth Tenebrous per the Sith’s Rule of Two, conducts various Force experiments, and also seeks out other Force sensitives and rivals in the dark side. However, he eventually discovers and begins training Sheev Palpatine on Naboo.
In theStar Warscanon, Muuns have much longer lifespans compared to humans. Likewise, the bulk of Plagueis' experiments were primarily about artificially extending his life and achieving immortality. As such,it’s logical that Darth Plagueis would be one of the active Sith Lords during the High Republic Era and the events ofThe Acolyteset 100 years beforeThe Phantom Menace. To that end, he’s either still serving as Tenebrous' apprentice, or more likely seeking out a pupil of his own.
What Does Plagueis' Acolyte Appearance Mean For Star Wars?
Is He Qimir’s Master…Or A Rival?
At the moment,it’s not yet known how Darth Plagueis fits into the grander narrative ofThe Acolyte, or why he appeared on Qimir’s unknown ocean world. However, it’s worth noting thatthis unnamed planet does resemble Baldemnic from theDarth Plagueisnovel, the world where Plagueis killed his master as the two were seeking deposits of cortosis ore. Furthermore, Plagueis' legendary powers have been teased with the show’s Witches of Brendok and their creation of Mae and Osha via a vergence in the Force.
That being said,it’s not clear if Plagueis is Qimir’s Sith Master, or if he’s simply tracked him down to kill him as a dark side user existing apart from the Sith of the traditional Bane line. Plagueis may view Qimir as a rival who could threaten his own existence as a true Dark Lord of the Sith. It’s also possible that Plagueis has come for Osha, wanting to study her unique genetics and creation through the Force for his own ends. With any luck, more about Darth Plagueis and his canonical history will be revealed in potential future seasons ofTheAcolyte.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
