Though the Star Wars TV universe is quickly taking shape with many new series hitting Disney+, there are still a few that seem to remain the mainstay of the rumor mill. Probably the most speculated series is The Acolyte, an upcoming series that will focus on the world of the Sith a century before the prequel trilogy.
A leak supposedly shows the codenames the characters are going by throughout the casting process — but could there be a huge Sith cameo to pull from these names?
A mysterious Twitter leaker using the account @nuruodo1 claims to know the codenames for the characters used for casting. The lead, officially confirmed to be played by Amandla Stenberg, goes by the name Aura. The other roles, which have yet to have names attached, include Paul, a Sith Lord; Theo, Aura’s grandfather; Miri, Aura’s little sister; and Penn, Aura’s best friend.
Presumedly, these aren’t the final names of the characters, but there’s something quite odd about a Sith Lord named Paul, aside from the fact it would be hilarious. “Darth Paul” is an odd name to choose, but it has one big tie to a major Sith Lord — all the letters in “Paul” appear in the name “Plagueis.”
Darth Plagueis was Palpatine’s Sith master and the subject of the famous “Darth Plagueis the Wise” monologue from Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine killed Plagueis, just as Plagueis killed his master, Darth Tenebrous. Presumably, Aura is an acolyte with their own master. What if that Sith Lord is none other than Darth Plagueis himself, looking for an apprentice before settling on a young Sheev Palpatine?
Technically, the finer points of Darth Plagueis’ life are not canon. The only parts we know for sure are that he existed as Darth Sidious’ master before his murder, and he was on a search for immortality through transference, a method Palpatine would later use to appear in Rise of Skywalker.
Granted, outside of canon, Darth Plagueis does appear a bit later in the timeline than The Acolyte is set, but as a Muun, not a human, Plagueis has an extended lifespan that could absolutely allow him to appear in the series. Because his character is so vague in canon, basically anything could be changed to suit his character.
Not only would this theory mean our first glimpse of Plagueis, it also could establish the “transference” research he was doing, especially considering how important that technology would come to be more than 150 years later. But maybe it’s just a Sith Lord named Paul, which would be cool too. If a Jedi can be named Luke, then a Sith can be named Paul, right?
The Acolyte is coming soon to Disney+.
