Newly releasedStar Warsconcept art teases the roleDarth Plagueiscould have played in the franchise’s storytelling hadStar Wars: The Acolytenot been canceled.The Acolyteproved to be a gamble forStar Wars– set in an era previously only explored in publishing and children’s television,The Acolyteattempted to dive into the inner workings of a Sith mind. The Stranger, otherwise known as Qimir, opened up a world of villainous possibilities. And yet, while Qimir was an undeniably compelling villain, he wasn’t whatStar Wars’ most dedicated viewers (understandably) expected from a Sith-centric show in this era.
The Acolytewas the perfect opportunity for Darth Plagueis, Darth Sidious’ canon Sith Master, to make his first live-action appearance.As the show was set 100 years beforeStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, at the tail end of theHigh Republic era, Plagueis would have been at the height of his dark reign, manipulating the balance of power in the galaxy from the shadows. While the Sith Lord did briefly appear in what can only be described as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo inThe Acolyte’s final episode,concept artistSaby Menyhei’s workgave us a glimpse at what could have been.
Darth Plagueis Was The Biggest Hook For The Acolyte
So much ofThe Acolytewas kept secret before it premiered. Speculation about which well-known and lesser-knownStar Warscharacters would appear was rampant, but none were as highly anticipated as Darth Plagueis. ThoughThe Acolyte’s decision to work with a cast of entirely new characters was undeniably the right decision – characters like Yoda being included too prominently would have overshadowed the narrative – Darth Plagueis isn’t that kind of character.Those unfamiliar withStar Wars’ Expanded Universewill only have known of him from Palpatine’s brief description inThe Phantom Menaceand nothing else. Canonically, there isn’t much to go on.
Plagueis’ character was ripe for exploration, as proven by Menyhei’sofficial Darth Plagueis concept art(which, since being published, has sadly been deleted from X). Though a few of the images obviously inspired Plagueis’ first and only appearance in the show – hidden behind a cave wall, peeking out of the shadows – the pictures in which the Sith Lord stands ready for a duel, wielding his brilliant red lightsaber hint that his character was, at some point, being considered for a bigger role. We can only imagine what that could have been.
Designing a lightsaber is a massive part ofStar Wars’character design process, after all, andifStar WarswantedThe Acolyteto connect to the wider saga without relying too much on the Skywalker legacy, Plagueis was the perfect way to do so.Will we ever see his lightsaber in live-action? Will we ever see him wield it in battle?
Will Star Wars Ever Tell Darth Plagueis' Canon Story Now?
There’s still so much we don’t know about Plagueis, his dynamic with Qimir – was Plagueis his Master? – and the role of the Sith in the galaxy during this time. Sadly, we may never get the answers.The Acolyte’s cancelation has brought further exploration of this era to a screeching halt.Star Wars: The High Republicis wrapping up its third and final phase of publishing, andStar Wars’ major upcoming projects, including Rey’sNew Jedi Orderfilm,The Mandalorian & Grogu, and even James Mangold’sDawn of the Jedihave little if anything to do with Plagueis and the Jedi’s Golden Age.
Unfortunately, by operating under the assumption that the show would be granted a second season – a dangerous thing to do in this age of streaming –The Acolytehas left almost all of its most interesting ideas unresolved.
Unfortunately, by operating under the assumption that the show would be granted a second season – a dangerous thing to do in this age of streaming –The Acolytehas left almost all of its most interesting ideas unresolved.Plagueis’ story, especially, is unlikely to go anywhere any time soon, despite the ripple effect his character presumably had on the galaxy at large, if James Luceno’sDarth Plagueisnovel is anything to go by. The Sith have, on the whole, been relatively unexplored in canon.The Acolytewas set to change all that, but sadly, it was canceled before it could dive intoStar Wars’ Sith lore.
Editor’s note: This article originally included Menyhei’s initial post on X, which featured their Darth Plagueis concept art. The post has since been deleted, and the article has been amended to reflect this change.
Source:Saby Menyhei
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
