The first season of “The Acolyte” has come to a close, the episode ending this contentious first onscreen foray into the High Republic era of “Star Wars”. In the wake of the episode’s release, much of the discussion hasn’t been about the wrapping up of the storylines or even the set up for the show’s second season. SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “THE ACOLYTE” FINALE Rather it has been about a several second cameo by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of the ocean & rocky island planet where Qimir set up base.
As he and Osha set off on their ship, this person with yellow eyes watches them from a nearby cave. There’s no official confirmation as to who the character is in The Acolyte’s finale, but they do match the description of infamous Sith master Darth Plagueis the Wise. The name will be familiar to anyone who knows the last film of the prequel trilogy.
Palpatine partly explained the character’s story to Anakin during the infamous opera house scene in “Revenge of the Sith.” Though the series never gives the planet a name, fans have speculated the ocean planet is Bal’demnic from the “Star Wars” novels. In that lore, which isn’t canon per se, Bal’demnic has natural deposits of cortosis (the lightsaber-proof substance of Qimir’s gauntlets & helmet) which Darth Plagueis and his Sith Master Darth Tenebrous investigate.
Plagueis ultimately kills his master on said planet. The finale also revealed the former master-padawan link between Vernestra .