Warning, spoilers for The Acolyte follow.
Star Wars: The Acolyte brings the story of sisters Mae and Osha to a premature conclusion in episode 8, which you can stream on Disney+ since July 17, 2024. The finale surprises with two cameo appearances and confirms what fans have already suspected: There is a secret second villain alongside the Sith villain previously known as Qimir.
The Acolyte reveals the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis for the first time in live-action format
“Have you ever heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” 19 years ago, the former Sith Master of Darth Sidious or Sheev Palpatine was mentioned for the first and only time in the live-action universe of Star Wars in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. In The Acolyte finale, we get to see the legendary villain for the first time.
When Qimir (Manny Jacinto) and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) leave the nameless planet to travel to Brendok, they watched by a mysterious figurehiding in the shadow of a cave. This is not the implied Darth Tenebrous, but Darth Plagueis.
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Darth Plagueis
Even though he is only seen for a few seconds, the first live-action appearance of Darth Plagueis is a real surprise. In novels and comics from the Star Wars universe, the Force user appeared from the Species of the Muun has appeared several times. If we limit ourselves to the knowledge from the Star Wars films or the aforementioned Palpatine anecdote, the following is known about him:
Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith. So powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to to influence the midi-chlorians to create lifeHe had such tremendous knowledge of the Dark Side that he was even able to prevent the deaths of those close to him.
The well-known story of Darth Plagueis fits seamlessly into the events of The Acolyte. We recently learned that Osha and Mae, thanks to a power convergence were created by witches. They are not twins, but one consciousness that has been split between two bodies. For Darth Plagueis, this revelation that life was created by midi-chlorians is certainly of interest – and a teaser of what we could expect in a possible second season.
The artificial creation of life and the splitting of a consciousness were not only exciting for Plagueis, but also later for Palpatine. At the time of the Galactic Empire, the Emperor continued this research so that he could escape death himself. We saw the successful result in Star Wars 9: The Rise of Skywalker.
However, Sith Master Plagueis is not the only legendary Star Wars character to appear in the finale of The Acolyte.
The Acolyte surprises with a cameo from Master Yoda
After Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) attributes the entire Jedi murder series to the deceased Master Sol and sweeps the truth under the carpet, she searches at the end of the final The Acolyte episode Grand Master Yoda Unfortunately, we only get to see the legendary Jedi briefly from behind.
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An audience with Master Yoda
The Acolyte takes place during the time of the High Republic and around 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. By the time the Jedi were at their peak, Yoda had long been a high-ranking member of the Jedi Council. Yoda has been mentioned several times in the Star Wars novels and comics set in the High Republic.
Will there be a second season of The Acolyte?
It is not yet known whether The Acolyte will return with a second seasonHowever, with episode 8, showrunner Leslye Headland is already setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the Disney+ series, which would be even more closely linked to the well-known Star Wars lore than before.
On the Jedi side, Vernestra would (probably) pursue her investigations in secret after she was shocked to discover that her presumed dead ex-Padawan the puppet master behind the Jedi murders. It is rather unlikely that Master Yoda will also be involved in the investigation of a possible Sith return.
More exciting, however, is the story about the Sith, which was only touched upon in season 1. Is Qimir aka The Stranger actually the Student of the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis? And why does he train an acolyte or students himself if this would actually contradict the rule of two? There are still some questions that need to be answered in a second season.