In recent weeks, the new Star Wars series The Acolyte has taken us back to the age of High Republicwhere the Jedi are at the height of their power. At least that’s what they think. The reality is different. After eight episodes of The Acolyte, it’s clear that the Jedi have a lot to put to the test.
Attention, following spoiler!
Inspired by Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: How Darth Plagueis found his way into The Acolyte
Not only is the Jedi Order, with its rules and structures, a highly questionable institution. The guardians of peace in the galaxy have also greatly underestimated the danger from outside. In the 8th episode of the 1st season, one of the most dangerous Sith ever appears: Darth Plagueis. It is the character’s first live-action appearance.
Since the series was announced, Star Wars fans have speculated whether we will see Darth Plagueis in The Acolyte. Now, in the finale, he peeks out of his cave and watches Ohsa and Qimir. It’s only a few seconds, but they’re powerful. Plagueis is like a absolute nightmare creature from a horror movie.
Disney
Darth Plagueis in The Acolyte
As it turns out, series creator Leslye Headland was inspired by a non-iconic fantasy creature when designing Darth Plagueis: GollumIn an interview with Collider she reveals:
The reference I [in The Acolyte für Darth Plagueis] used was Gollum from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. You want not immediately reveal the entire character designbut you definitely want to show enough of him to make it clear that he’s an important character.
Headland has obviously studied the Gollum revelation in the first Lord of the Rings film closely. Before the former hobbit becomes the central figure in the second part, we mostly only see his Schemes and outlines – here sitting on a rock in a cave, there hidden in the darkness of Moria.
Darth Plagueis in The Acolyte: The Star Wars series was inspired by an underrated horror epic
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring isn’t the only film Headland watched before Darth Plagueis’ live-action debut in The Acolyte. Guillermo del Toro’s mystery horror thriller Crimson Peak also served as inspiration:
I’m very proud of the way I designed the characters. It took a long time. […] Of course we have a Muun [die Spezies, der Plagueis angehört] made; her hands are different, so it was a good idea to show the hand first. But again the Reference to Crimson Peak: It shouldn’t feel like a show of power, it should feel scary.
Universal
Crimson Peak
Now we can look forward to seeing how the story of The Acolyte continues. Both the Sith and the Jedi have had a new important figure which is deeply connected to the mythology of the Star Wars universe. While Plagueis holds up the Sith banner, Yoda steps out of his meditation chamber for the Jedi.
Will The Acolyte continue with season 2 on Disney+?
Although Headland has repeatedly hinted that she has ideas for the sequel to The Acolyte, a second season has so far not officially orderedSo for now we can only hope that Lucasfilm and Disney extend the Star Wars series – and that we are not left with another loose cliffhanger like at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story with the return of Maul, which is never picked up.