The High Republic Era is known for being the time of relative peace and the golden age of Jedi, but that’s about to end in Star Wars: The Acolyte. Amid the beliefs that the Sith were already extinct at the time, the powers of the dark side of the Force are slowly emerging with the arrival of a mysterious Jedi killer. In addition, the Disney+ series’ trailer reveals an enigmatic Sith Lord. Though it remains to be seen who he could be, showrunner Leslye Headland teases his identity.
In an interview with ComicBook, Headland was asked if the mysterious Dark Lord was controlling a secret organization in The Acolyte. She objected to the idea and offered a cryptic tease about this unknown villain instead. However, she still didn’t name the antagonist.
“It’s the inner saboteur,” she said. “The bad guy inside all of us.”
The series creator just made the identity of the show’s main villain more puzzling. After recently confirming the massive twist that Mae (Amandla Stenberg) has a twin sister named Osha, it remains to be seen if the former is behind the series of Jedi killings and the real antagonist.
In Stenberg’s character descriptions, Osha left the Jedi Order due to “internal turmoil” after struggling to connect with the Force, while Mae would be seen on the warpath. So, judging by Headland’s words, either of the twins may unveil the bad guy inside them.
“You will discover it when you're watching the show,” Headland told The Hollywood Reporter. “It will be revealed.”
Who is the mysterious Sith Lord in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
It remains to be seen who the mysterious Sith Lord in The Acolyte is, but there are several theories about who it could be. There are plenty of sinister Sith from this period of history, and fans believe they know who the masked man in the shadows is. One notable character that viewers believe to be the villain is Darth Plagueis the Wise. The tie-in books confirmed Plagueis was General Palpatine’s Sith master. Palpatine also mentioned this Dark Lord and his tragic fate in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
To give credence to the claim, Plagueis was active in the decades before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace took place, considering he was behind his apprentice’s rise in the Galactic Senate. Add that to the assumption that he was over a hundred years old when he died; there’s a big possibility that he will appear in The Acolyte.
However, aside from Plagueis, there are also strong assumptions that the mysterious Sith Lord is Plageuis’ own Sith Master, Darth Tenebrous. After the official trailer was released, fans cast their theories on social media, and many believe that Tenebrous is behind the gruesome black mask. With the series’ time period and the appearance of an aircraft that looks like his from the novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, fans are convinced that the antagonist in The Acolyte is Tenebrous.
Fans are advised to take these assumptions with a grain of salt, as nothing is confirmed yet. As Headland recently revealed that she had added some EU lore and ideas to the series, the mysterious Sith Lord could be from that time.
Fortunately, viewers will soon find out who the Sith Lord is as The Acolyte is set to release on Tuesday, June 4, on Disney+.
