Credit: LucasfilmFrom the very first episode of Star Wars: The Acolyte, fans have been feverishly speculating about how it could connect to the greater lore of the franchise, and now, showrunner Leslye Headland has confirmed it: Darth Plagueis is coming.
The Acolyte is the most recent live-action Star Wars series to premiere on Disney+ and, it is safe to say, the most controversial. The show takes place in the High Republic Era of the franchise, about 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace (1999), when the galaxy is at the apex of its prosperity, and the Jedi have all but forgotten the Sith.
Lucasfilm describes The Acolyte:
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
In theory, one would think that Star Wars fandom would love The Acolyte, considering it delves into mysterious, unexplored new territory for the franchise, gives audiences lots of lightsaber action, and even has a Wookie Jedi (which any reasonable person must admit is pretty cool).
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However, in reality, a very vocal contingent of the fandom has come out strong against The Acolyte and review-bombed it into becoming the single lowest-rated Star Wars project on record (not that Leslye Headland seems to mind).
While the show can certainly be legitimately criticized in terms of its storytelling, acting, and ability to sell you toys, it is also fair to note that a great deal of the backlash seems to originate in being created by a queer woman (a first for the franchise for both), starring a cast of largely POC actors and features some of the most negative depictions of Jedi seen so far.
But another factor in the frustration that many fans legitimately feel about The Acolyte is the big question: How does all of this connect to the Skywalker Saga? Lucasfilm did not guarantee that this new series would somehow relate to the events of the prequel, original, and sequel trilogies, but a number of hints dropped by Leslye Headland and the show itself have strongly indicated this.
Now Headland has confirmed it: She knows how Darth Plagueis, one of the most significant and so far unseen characters in the Star Wars franchise, relates to these events and is planning to bring him in.
In a recent interview with Nerdist, Leslye Headland discussed the possibility of the Sith Lord, affirmed that he was part of the overarching plot, and said she wants to include him in the second season of the show she has already been developing.
This one’s for me. I’ve been waiting many years for Darth Plagueis to show up. Do you know how the whole story of the galaxy far, far away, from The Acolyte to him training Palpatine, connects?
Headland: Yes, I do. If I continue to get to tell this story, I know how I would like that to play out. And I would say I think it’s pretty complicated and messy.
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As a brief primer on galactic history, Darth Plagueis (dubbed “the Wise”) was the mysterious Sith Lord who trained Darth Sidious/Sheeve Palpatine in the ways of the Dark Side. According to the future Emperor (portrayed by Ian McDiarmid), Plagueis had a previously unseen mastery of the Force, but we’ll just let Palpatine himself say it:
“Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise? I thought not. It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you. It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life… He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.”
Darth Plagueis has not yet appeared in a Star Wars film or series, though he was the subject of a self-titled novel by James Luceno that significantly expanded on his character (though now has been rendered non-canon/Legends). It has been widely theorized that he is connected to The Acolyte in some way, considering that the show seems to involve similar concepts of creating life directly through the Force.
Lucasfilm has not yet greenlit The Acolyte Season 2, and it is unclear exactly how popular the show has been. By some metrics, it is one of Disney+’s most-watched Star Wars series, but others indicate that it’s the opposite. But if hate-watching gets Leslye Headland a second season, it seems we will finally get to see some of those legendary abilities that some would consider…unnatural.
Should Lucasfilm make The Acolyte season 2?