Star Wars Fans Spot A Massive Clue To The Acolyte's New Sith Lord

Summary The trailer for "The Acolyte" hints at Darth Tenebrous as the main Sith Lord, based on the design of one prominent ship.

Tenebrous could fit well within the Star Wars timeline of the series, as the show takes place 100 years before The Phantom Menace.

Showrunner Leslye Headland's hint at including EU lore adds to the growing evidence suggesting Tenebrous will appear.

The latest trailer for The Acolyte debuted a mysterious new Sith Lord, but there's already a clue from Star Wars Legends as to their identity. The identity of The Acolyte's villain has been a major point of speculation leading up to the new Star Wars show's release, but the question may have already been answered. In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, books and comics published prior to 2014 that are no longer considered canon, the line of Sith masters and apprentices was well defined, and a new clue fits in perfectly with what Legends already established.

As pointed out by social media user _Deathtrooper__, one of the ships seen in the latest trailer for The Acolyte bears a striking resemblance to Darth Tenebrous' ship from James Luceno's novel, "Star Wars: Darth Plagueis."

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Darth Tenebrous was the Sith Lord and master of Darth Plagueis, who in turn was the master of Darth Sidious, also known as Emperor Palpatine. Tenebrous was also known as Rugess Nome, a famous Bith starship designer, and as the post pointed out, the ship seen in the new trailer for The Acolyte looks like his handiwork. It's a major indication that Tenebrous will be the main villain of The Acolyte, but it's not the only clue pointing to that conclusion.

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Darth Tenebrous Would Fit Perfectly With The Star Wars Timeline

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

In addition to the starship, the setting of The Acolyte seems to indicate that Tenebrous will make an appearance to terrorize the galaxy. Darth Sidious had taken his place as the master of the Sith by the time of The Phantom Menace, and The Acolyte takes place 100 years prior, in 132 BBY. Based on that timeline, it's not only possible for Tenebrous to have been around during The Acolyte, he's the most likely suspect of the main Sith line. Sidious wasn't alive yet, Plagueis didn't become a Sith Lord until 67 BBY, and Tenebrous' master died about 30 years before The Acolyte.

Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn't enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again. Created By George Lucas Cast Ian McDiarmid , Sam Witwer , ian abercrombie Alliance Sith, Empire Race Human

Having Darth Tenebrous as the main Sith Lord of The Acolyte would also fit well with comments showrunner Leslye Headland has made in the past. Headland has teased that the Star Wars Expanded Universe will be important to The Acolyte, and one of the elements she chose to include could easily be Tenebrous.

"There's also some EU lore that I decided to put in because I thought it was so cool and no one told me I couldn't. There are a couple of really big EU ideas that are utilized both early on in the series and later in the series."

Headland's comments, combined with the fact that Tenebrous fits perfectly into the Star Wars timeline and the similarities the trailer's ship bears to his, only adds to an ever-growing mound of evidence suggesting he will appear.

There is, of course, still a chance that the Sith Lord of The Acolyte isn't Tenebrous, though. There have been theories that the Sith Lord could come from a completely separate line of Sith masters and apprentices, and thus be an entirely new character. Tenebrous is also barely involved in Star Wars canon, and while Headland has consistently shown how much respect she has for Legends, there's nothing keeping her from making a retcon to include a new Sith Lord. If she did decide to follow the Expanded Universe's lead, though, Darth Tenebrous could easily appear in The Acolyte.

Purchase James Luceno's "Star Wars: Darth Plagueis" on Amazon

Source: _Deathtrooper__