In the season finale of The Acolyte, Darth Plagueis - the Sith Lord who one day takes on the future Emperor Palpatine as his apprentice - is shown watching The Stranger and Osha from a nearby cave.
Speculation has run rampant about what Lucasfilm might have planned for the villain during this High Republic era. At this point in the Star Wars timeline, there are still decades until Plagueis encounters Palpatine; so, is he Qimir's secret Master, a rival Sith, or an ancient being who has been awoken on that mysterious planet?
We can look to the Expanded Universe for clues, of course, but none of those stories are canon (much to the chagrin of some). Talking to Collider (via SFFGazette.com), The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland was asked whether The Stranger knows Plagueis is there and responded, "Let's leave that up to [the future]."
So, an unsatisfying response but she did add, "[This] should not feel like a display of power, this should feel creepy. I think we achieved that. I thought it was important that he be in the cave because, you know, the call’s coming from inside the house. He's already there in a very intrusive way. So, that was the thought around that."
Despite being cautious about giving away too much about future plans for the fan-favourite Sith, Headland shared a few additional insights offering a better idea of his plan and what he may want from Osha after learning of the unique circumstances surrounding her birth.
"What I think is going on with Plagueis is that he also knows this has happened. He also is aware, or will quickly become aware of this aspect of the Force existing. This is why I gotta say I disagree with the criticism of, 'Well, so and so didn't have it, and Palpatine...Why do these women have it?'
"First of all, we're in a completely different part of the timeline. Second of all, if I'm going to tell the story of Plagueis, which I would love to do, like, absolutely love to do, him pursuing that power is so much more interesting as a storyline than him already having it," she explained. "It would be like if you started Infinity War with Thanos having all the Infinity Stones."
"Shmi [Skywalker] got pregnant. Koril got pregnant. If that were part of someone's ability, then they would have to somehow pursue an unknowing woman. So, that power starting with women makes sense to me. The power exists out there, they do their best to harness it, they make it happen."
Later, Headland confirmed The Acolyte's final scene was inspired by Fight Club but acknowledged that, while The Stranger and Osha are "ready to watch the world burn, the tragedy is that we know that's not gonna happen because we've seen Plagueis, so we know this is not possible."
"I want to clarify: They are not necessarily doomed or destined to fail as a team. But the Sith rule of two denotes a power imbalance. Which clearly, due to the final shot, is not their relationship. Also, Plagueis complicates their journey as Sith, because we know his apprentice is eventually Palpatine. They will not defeat him."
Season 2 is a must based on these comments from Headland, but whether Lucasfilm will move forward with that remains to be seen. The discourse surrounding the series has been highly negative and, based on unofficial viewing figures, it may not have attracted as big an audience as other Star Wars TV shows on Disney+.
All episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.