The Acolyte fans reveal Darth Plagueis theory that changes Star Wars forever
Lucasfilm/DisneyThe Acolyte Episode 8 dropped an unexpected Darth Plagueis cameo in the season finale… and according to one fan theory, it’s just changed Star Wars as we know it.
For many fans, the Star Wars timeline is sacrosanct and shouldn’t be messed with. Showrunner Leslye Headland’s vision for The Acolyte had already turned this on its head just by existing, but now she’s loaded Episode 8 with cameos and Easter eggs.
While the question of Season 2 is in people’s minds, Episode 8 dropped the first glimpse of legendary Star Wars villain Darth Plagueis… though he was only on screen for a matter of seconds. It’s clear that he’s linked to Mae’s former master The Stranger, but we’re not sure how.
However, we do know that his inclusion in the TV show most likely changes everything we know about him, which is a major touchstone in Star Wars lore.
One fan pointed out on X/Twitter: “Y’all Plagueis probably learned how to create life through what happened with Mae and Osha, holy sh*t, then Palpatine learned – this is so peak oh my god.”
As far as the timelines are concerned, this checks out. We know that Darth Plagueis had died by 32 BBY, with The Acolyte taking place in 132 BBY.
This means that his Episode 8 cameo is taking place in his earlier years, with the resurgence that caused Osha and Mae to exist being a very likely starting point for his powers.
If you’re a Star Wars fan who sticks strictly to movies and TV shows, your Plagueis knowledge will likely have come from Revenge of the Sith – he’s a character always mentioned in passing rather than shown.
In the 2005 film, Palpatine tells Anakin Skywalker about the “tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise,” who was thought to be so powerful that he could cheat death and create life on his own.
We don’t know how this happened other than Plagueis “mastering the dark side,” but it led to his apprentice, Palpatine, handing this knowledge down.
If this exchange was at the tail end of the lifeform scale, it stands to reason that Mother Aniseya, Osha, and Mae were at the very beginning.
“Osha and Mae being created by the force doesn’t undermine Anakin, it just gives exposition to how he could have been created,” another fan weighed in.
A third agreed, “The moment we know that Osha and Mae were conceived using the Force, there was only one Sith Lord I knew who would know about such power. And I knew he would show up soon enough.”
It still hasn’t been revealed how Osha and Mae were created, if the coven itself is the same as the Nightsisters, or exactly how the power of life resurgence works. If Season 2 goes ahead, we’ll likely get some answers.
Continue to jump into hyperspace with everything we know about the Andor Season 2 and Tales of the Jedi Season 2. You can also read our Star Wars: The Acolyte explained guide for more specific details.