The Acolyte Season 1 has reached its triumphant conclusion with a riveting finale, with a second season hopefully on the horizon. However, in between the epic duel of Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and Qimir (Manny Jacinto), the tragic fates of Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg), and the appearance of a certain little green Jedi Master, there’s something much more sinister lurking in the shadows. Rather, there’s something much more sinister lurking in a nearby cave, as a shadowy figure can be seen witnessing Osha and Qimir take off to confront Sol and Mae.

We don’t get an official confirmation of who this menacing character is in The Acolyte‘s finale, but he fits the description of an infamous Sith master to a tee — the lanky physique, the sinister cloak, not to mention those cold, dead yellow eyes. This is almost undoubtedly the first on-screen appearance of one of the galaxy’s most elusive and notorious figures: Darth Plagueis the Wise.

Darth Plagueis the Wise Is First Referenced in ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’

The man behind the memes, Darth Plagueis was initially introduced in one of the best scenes of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The third and final prequel film sees Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) paying a visit to Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) at the Coruscant opera house. Anakin doesn’t yet realize that the Republic Chancellor is secretly the notorious Sith Lord Darth Sidious; he’s too distracted by haunting dreams that depict his beloved wife Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) dying a painful and heartbreaking death.

Thinking of the Chancellor as a friend and mentor, Anakin goes to Palpatine for guidance. The manipulative Sith responds by telling him the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, who Anakin’s Jedi masters have never taught him about. Palpatine tells Anakin that Plagueis was an immensely powerful master of the Dark Side of the Force — so powerful, in fact, that he could create life and prevent his loved ones from dying. It’s the most crucial of many steps in Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, though it’s clear he never learned the secrets of creating and preserving life that Palpatine alluded to.

Darth Plagueis the Wise Is the Master of Darth Sidious

In the story, Palpatine tells Anakin in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith that Darth Plagueis the Wise was killed in his sleep by his former pupil. That former pupil, of course, was a young Darth Sidious, who followed the very popular Sith doctrine of betraying and killing one’s master. Before that historic betrayal, Plagueis and his apprentice hid in the shadows of the galaxy, hatching a plan to overtake the Jedi and exterminate them once and for all.

Not much is known about Darth Plagueis the Wise’s origins in the current Star Wars canon, but thus far, his story and appearance are deeply reminiscent of his more fleshed-out Legends counterpart. Long before becoming a Sith master, Plagueis was known as Hego Damask II — a Munn (the Banking Clan species from the Star Wars prequels) from the planet Mygeeto. At a young age, Hego discovered a unique ability to tap into the Force and took a particular affinity to the psychological side of it. He displayed this by using a Force mindtrick to make one of his classmates jump off of a building .

Hego’s abilities eventually caught the attention of Darth Tenebrous, another Sith Lord who had been evading the Jedi Order’s gaze and reach for a number of years. Tenebrous essentially bribed Hego’s parents into giving him custody of the boy. Through rigorous training and unimaginable cruelty, Hego eventually became Darth Plagueis, and in true Sith fashion, later killed his own master. However, he doesn’t do that before Darth Tenebrous delivers what could be one of the most Sith lines in all of Star Wars, all within the Legends novel titled Darth Plagueis:

“We Sith are an unseen opposition. A phantom menace. Where the Sith once wore armor, we now wear cloaks. But the Force works through us all the more powerfully in our invisibility.”

How Does the Appearance of Darth Plagueis Set Up ‘The Acolyte’ Season 2?

It’s quite clear why Darth Plagueis the Wise has taken such a keen interest in Osha and Mae in The Acolyte. The two “twins” are definitive evidence of a vergence in the Force, and quite possibly are the first people ever to be created through the Force, pre-dating even that of Anakin Skywalker. The pursuit of unlocking the secrets of life and achieving true immortality is very consistent with Darth Plagueis, and the mysteries that Osha and Mae represent would make them the perfect test subjects. Plus, whatever Plagueis could discover about the twins’ connection to the vergence may very well set up Palpatine’s canon involvement with the creation of Anakin.

It’s also possible that either Osha or Mae could become Plagueis’ apprentice, but as any true Sith knows, there can only be two. This doesn’t bode well for Qimir, who has clearly grown a very strong attachment to Osha. Surviving a figure like Darth Plagueis the Wise is no easy feat, so is there any hope for Qimir? Well, compared to most Sith, he’s easily much more sympathetic and understanding than your average villain. Not to mention, the potential for a redemption arc is absolutely present, especially now that it’s been revealed that he is the long-lost pupil of Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson).