Darth Plagueis the Wise: Origin, appearances, death & Sith master

❘ Published: 2024-07-17T13:26:28

Lucasfilm/Disney

Darth Plagueis the Wise began as a mythological tale in Revenge of the Sith, but grew to be one of the most mysterious figures from Sith lore in Star Wars. The ripple effects of his legacy are felt across the galaxy.

Star Wars loves a villain shrouded in darkness – names whispered in shadows, orange eyes catching light under hooded cloaks, stories told to malleable Jedi who they might sway.

Plagueis fits the bill. From the first mention of his name uttered by Palpatine in Episode III, it was clear he was either a fable or an illusive Star Wars character who would serve a great purpose.

Since then, the Sith Lord’s canon has expanded massively in the Star Wars timeline, thanks to novels, comics, and The Acolyte (finale spoilers below).

Who is Darth Plagueis?

Darth Plagueis was a Sith Lord and Darth Sidious’ master who wanted to achieve immortality.

Plagueis sought to cheat death through scientific means and worked with his Sith apprentice to experiment with influencing midi-chlorians to create life.

He gained vast knowledge of the Force but was ultimately betrayed and killed by his apprentice, per the Rule of Two, whereby only two Sith lords can exist at any one time.

Sidious later used the story of Plagueis’ death to tempt Anakin Skywalker to the dark side.

Origins and book canon

Darth Plagueis was a Muun Sith Lord trained by Darth Tenebrous.

When it came time to pick his own apprentice, he chose Sheev Palpatine. They worked together for years, toward the goal of immortality and ending the Galactic Republic.

During the training, Plagueis tried to create a Force dyad with Sidious, but it was unsuccessful.

Sidious watched and learned from Plagueis, soaking up his skills, knowledge, and witnessing the research he conducted.

Plagueis arranged for Sidious to become a Naboo Senator in 52 BBY. When Palpatine was appointed to the Galactic Senate, Plagueis was still his master.

The Sith had long coveted the ability to cheat death, unwilling to accept the Jedi’s belief that it was natural. Plagueis was obsessed with it.

The tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise

In Revenge of the Sith, Sheev Palpatine tells Anakin about the “tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise”. The tale describes a Sith Lord so powerful he could control life and death.

Anakin and Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith.

Palpatine delivered one of the best Star Wars quotes: “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 midi-chlorians to create life.

“He had such a knowledge of the dark side, 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 that 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.”

Anakin had visions of Padmé Amidala dying at the time, and the hope of growing powerful enough to save her was one of the key reasons he turned to the dark side.

It was a possibility Palpatine, who was a 4D chess player, could have made the story up, but Plagueis is mentioned elsewhere in the franchise.

Could Plagueis really conquer death?

According to the book The Secrets of the Sith, Plagueis came closest to conquering death through ‘transference’: a Force power that allowed the user to transfer their consciousness to another body. This wasn’t considered true immortality.

Through experimentation and manipulating midi-chlorians, Plagueis tested several theories that came close to immortality but never truly achieved it. They were more like mad scientist loopholes.

We can think of Plagueis’ experiments like we think of Frankenstein’s monster: sure, life was technically extended, but it came with unnatural caveats that couldn’t replicate nature’s artistry.

Even if you transferred your consciousness into another body, you could still be killed in that new form. Therefore, Plagueis wasn’t considered successful in his endeavors, despite how intelligent and innovative he was.

Nothing demonstrated this better than his demise at the hands of the apprentice he didn’t notice becoming disloyal.

His death and why Sidious killed him

Sidious learned everything he needed from Plagueis, who was distracted by his research. He decided that he had no further use for his master.

Under the Rule of Two, Sidious broke into his master’s apartment and murdered his mentor in his sleep. He then became a Sith Master and later took on Maul as his apprentice.

Darth Bane created the Rule. It says there can only be two Sith at one time, a master and an apprentice. To become a master, Sidious needed to dispose of Plagueis.

It’s important to note that this rule is something characters can choose to follow and enforce, it’s not an inherent part of the dark side.

In The Acolyte

Darth Plagueis appeared briefly in The Acolyte Season 1 Episode 8. He observed The Stranger and Osha from afar while hiding in a dark cave.

He then witnessed them take off from the Unknown Planet without interfering or making his presence known to The Stranger.

This marks his first live-action appearance. It was a breathtaking moment, despite how we theorized Plagueis could be in The Acolyte early on.

For a full breakdown of the context around the scene, read our The Acolyte Episode 8 recap. At this juncture, it’s unclear what he was doing there and the reverberations it will have.

It could be a major connection to Legends lore and confirm the planet is Bal’demnic, though. More on that below.

Plagueis’ master

Darth Tenebrous was Plagueis’ Sith Master.

We don’t know much about Darth Tenebrous but he was first mentioned in Legends canon in ‘The Tenebrous Way’, a short story in Star Wars Insider #130 in 2011.

He was a male Bith, and his name was identified as Rugess Nome in the novel Darth Plagueis. He was known for designing legendary starships under his civilian moniker, but his real work was expanding the Sith network of informants.

Plagueis killed his master in 67 BBY when he opportunistically killed him during an explosion on Bal’demnic. The pair had come to analyze cortosis ore. However, the ship they had arrived on was destroyed too.

Plagueis studied Tenebrous’ dead body, observing the slow death of his neurons and midi-chlorians. Scientists gotta science, right?