Following the first season of The Acolyte, Star Wars finally has the chance to tell the story I’ve been waiting 19 years to see in live-action. As seen in The Acolyte’s finale episode, none other than Darth Plagueis made a cameo appearance 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. Now, an exciting opportunity exists to reveal the canonical history of Palpatine’s Sith master, one that hopefully takes inspiration from Legends.

Not much is canonically known about Darth Plagueis, the alien Muun Sith Lord who trained Darth Sidious aka Palpatine. However, Legends stories from before the Disney continuity purge depict a captivating arc and journey for the Dark Lord, revealing the murder of his own master and origins before his eventual discovery of Palpatine, the bulk of which can be found in the Darth Plagueis novel by James Luceno. To that end, I really do want a second season of The Acolyte, if only to see more of Plagueis and hopefully, portions of his legacy as they were shown in Legends.

Star Wars Teased Darth Plagueis 19 Years Ago, & He’s Finally Here

“The Tragedy Of Darth Plagueis The Wise”

Darth Plagueis was first introduced and referenced in the Star Wars canon 19 years ago in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. The final film in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy, Palpatine’s attempts to seduce Anakin Skywalker to the dark side were in full swing. This included “The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise”, a tale about Palpatine’s Sith master and his legendary power to create life by manipulating the Force and the ability to prevent the ones he cared about from dying. However, Palpatine eventually killed Plagueis in his sleep, in accordance with the traditions of the Sith’s Rule of Two.

Now, The Acolyte has not only revealed the Witches of Brendok who created new life by manipulating the Force, but also Plagueis himself who’s seen hiding and observing from the shadows on the remote ocean world which the dark side user Qimir (Manny Jacinto) calls home. By the end of this first season, it’s not yet clear what Plagueis’ connection is with Qimir. However, it’s likely that Plagueis holds a particular interest in Osha (Amandla Stenberg) one of the beings created by the aforementioned witches (along with her twin sister Mae).

This Star Wars Story Has The Potential To Answer So Many Mysteries

Dark Force Powers, Palpatine Origins, And More

The chance to see Palgueis in canon and live-action is truly exciting. According to Legends and Luceno’s novel, Plagueis had immense power over the Star Wars galaxy, both as a Sith Lord and as the Muun financier Hego Damask. He used his influence to shape the galaxy and weaken the Republic, all while operating in the shadows and conducting all sorts of Force experiments, many of which were intended to prolong his life and achieve true immortality. To that end, the journey of Plagueis in canon could take key inspiration from Legends, while also answering major mysteries.

A new Plagueis story in the official canon can answer much about Palpatine, perhaps explaining his own canonical desire to cheat death as seen with Project Necromancer and his eventual resurrection in the sequels. Likewise, Plagueis’ activities before The Phantom Menace (and his own demise) can help establish just how much he was able to control and manipulate the Force, perhaps even going beyond what Palpatine shared with Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. Furthermore, the power to create life originating with the Witches of Brendok suggests that future seasons could see Plagueis attempting to learn and claim this power for himself.

I Really, Really Want The Acolyte Season 2 Now

If Only To Get More Live-Action Plagueis

Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann

 

There are so many possibilities to expand the dark side and Sith history with new Plagueis stories in the official Star Wars canon. Honestly, anything would make me happy so long as more elements about Plagueis’ power and legacy are revealed, even if they contradict what’s been seen before in Legends. That said, Plagueis being depicted as an alien Muun in The Acolyte is a great sign, a fact that had only ever been established in Legends.Darth Plagueis remaining a Muun in the new Star Wars canon does make me confident that Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland will at least pay homage to what’s come before, even if Palpatine’s master is taken in another direction. After all, the Sith Lord will likely receive new stories/arcs with future seasons of the new Star Wars show, and it’d be silly to expect a perfect replica of Legends considering the events of The Acolyte. At any rate, I’m desperately hoping that a second season of The Acolyte is greenlit by Lucasfilm sooner rather than later, if only to get more live-action Darth Plagueis.All episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.