Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte finale in 3, 2, 1…
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? I thought so. Anyone watching The Acolyte is bound to know all about the heinous horse-faced Sith lord, which is why there have been a bunch of theories about how the unseen evil one could be connected to events behind the scenes.
Theorize no more, however, as The Acolyte‘s season finale went ahead and unleashed a major Star Wars first: the very first appearance of Plagueis in live-action! Well, all right, it didn’t spell it out, but the evidence doesn’t exactly leave much room for error. Near the beginning of the episode, we see a shadowy being watching Osha and Qimir from the mouth of a cave on Brendok. A pale, elongated face with red eyes and creepy long fingers shrouded in a black cloak? Come on, it’s not going to be Jar-Jar, is it?
As you would expect, this milestone moment in Star Wars canon is sending fans wild, especially as it promises a prominent role for Plagueis come season 2. It’s fair to say that, while it had much to love and many plus points, season 1 was a bit of a mixed bag, so with Plagueis in position the stage is set for The Acolyte to “become the Dark Sith show it definitely has the potential to be,” as one tweeter put it.
Those who review-bombed and boycotted The Acolyte are actually the exact people who would love a Plagueis cameo. As Palpatine would say… “ironic.”
Let the hate flow away from you.
Rumors have pointed to Supergirl actor David Harewood having been cast as Plagueis. It’s too early to tell officially, but maybe this is the plan for season 2!
The Plagueis and Yoda cameos in the finale are a heck of a one-two punch.
Tragically, we were denied Plagueis’ reaction to Osha and Qimir becoming the new Reylo.
The most interesting thing about Plagueis’ debut in this episode, however, is that it draws a clear connection between the revelation that Osha and Mae were born out of the Force and Plagueis’ infamous ability to create life. If the show is allowed to continue, it seems we may learn that he actually stole this ability from the Brendok coven.
The big problem here, of course, is that Disney has yet to officially announce a second season for The Acolyte. Will all the backlash be enough to kill off what could be one of the most genuinely fan-pleasing plotlines of modern Star Wars? With any luck, Plagueis popping up like this and proving the great things to come will make it impossible for the plug to be pulled on it just yet.