Leslye Headland, the showrunner of The Acolyte, spoke about Darth Plagueis’ momentous cameo in the season finale and teased what he might be up to in the future. The season finale of The Acolyte revealed that Darth Plagueis, the Sith Lord who took Sheev Palpatine as his apprentice, was the show’s true Sith Lord. Though it was only a small cameo, it served as Plagueis’ live-action debut, and it brought one of the most powerful Sith in Star Wars into the spotlight. His appearance was a huge moment, and it could define the future of The Acolyte.
In an interview with Collider, Headland hinted that she might already have an idea of what Darth Plagueis would be up to in The Acolyte season 2, and that it will involve the same Force power that created Osha and Mae Aniseya.
What I think is going on with Plagueis is that he also knows this has happened. He also is aware, or will quickly become aware of this aspect of the Force existing. This is why I gotta say I disagree with the criticism of, “Well, so and so didn’t have it, and Palpatine… Why do these women have it?” First of all, we’re in a completely different part of the timeline. Second of all, if I’m going to tell the story of Plagueis, which I would love to do, like, absolutely love to do, him pursuing that power is so much more interesting as a storyline than him already having it.
Outside The Acolyte, one of the things Darth Plagueis was most known for was his obsession with eternal life. His first mention in Star Wars came during Palpatine’s speech to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, where he revealed that Plagueis had discovered how to live forever just before he was killed. The fact that Mother Aniseya and the Witches of Brendok created life through the Force could be exactly what Plagueis needs to develop his own Force technique, and it seems that Headland wants to tell that story in The Acolyte season 2.
Darth Plagueis Is Undoubtedly Moving In The Shadows
Osha seems to be the key to Darth Plagueis’ search for eternal life, but there are still a few problems standing between him and his ultimate goal. For one, the finale of The Acolyte saw Osha joining the Stranger as his apprentice. Fighting them both at the same time might be too great a risk, even for a Sith Lord. On top of that, Plagueis still needs to discover more details about how Osha was created. The best way to get that information would be through simply watching her, not fighting and potentially killing her. For these reasons, it seems Darth Plagueis will remain in the shadows.
The Stranger also suggests that Darth Plagueis will act from the shadows in The Acolyte season 2. It’s still not clear how the Stranger fits into the Sith Rule of Two, or if he’s even a Sith at all. In either case, Darth Plagueis is almost certainly not his ally, and the Stranger likely doesn’t know the Sith Lord is there. Headland herself seemed to suggest this: earlier in the same interview, she refused to admit whether the Stranger was aware of Plagueis’ presence. If he is still going unnoticed, Darth Plagueis will likely want to keep his element of surprise for as long as possible.
Based on Darth Plagueis’ ultimate goal of unlocking eternal life and the fact that he’ll likely be operating in secret, he could have a very subtle role in The Acolyte season 2. The Stranger has already shown what a powerful dark side user looks like when they reveal themselves fully, and Darth Plagueis could show how a Sith Lord operates in secret. If the Stranger is a symbol of the raw power of the dark side, Darth Plagueis could easily be the more conniving, manipulative side. No matter how he shows up next, Darth Plagueis is one of the most exciting elements of The Acolyte season 2.