Summary
Darth Tenebrous is one of the most mysterious yet important Sith Lords in allStar Wars, and it’s easy to see how he could fit intoThe Acolyte. Set a century before the events of the Skywalker saga,The Acolytehas introduced a mysterious newSith Lord known only as the Stranger. Played by Manny Jacinto, the Stranger is a powerful Dark Lord of the Sith, able to cut a brutal swathe through an entire team of Jedi.
The interesting question, though, is just how the Stranger connects to the Baneite line of Sith. According to this lore, there should only ever be two Sith at one time, a Master and an Apprentice; the one to crave power, and the other to wield it. Only two Sith should really be active at this point in the timeline, Darth Plagueis and his mentor Darth Tenebrous.Here’s everything we know about Darth Tenebrous, the Sith Lord who trained Plagueis, Palpatine’s own master.
All 18 Star Wars Easter Eggs In The Acolyte Episode 4
The Acolyte episode 4 features several exciting new Easter eggs and references as all points converge on Kelnacca, the first live-action Jedi Wookiee.
Darth Tenebrous Originated In Star Wars Legends
Darth Tenebrous was first referenced in an issue ofStar Wars Insider, but made an actual appearance in James Luceno’s novelDarth Plagueis. According to this (now non-canon) story,Tenebrous was the Sith Master of Darth Plagueis. He was a Bith - a species best remembered for being seen in the Mos Eisley Cantina Band in the firstStar Warsmovie. Tenebrous, however, was no simple musician; he was a skilled shipbuilder.
Tenebrous, like many Sith Lords, had a secret identity. Most of the galaxy knew him as Rugess Nome, a famous shipbuilder whose designs were sought after by the elite.Plagueis killed Tenebrous and took his place as a Sith Lord, in keeping withthe Sith Rule of Two. When Tenebrous was dying, he used essence transfer and put his consciousness into his apprentice. That was a failed attempt to live forever, but Tenebrous' essence transfer actually made the jump to canon, in a way, and became part ofPalpatine’s Project Necromancer.
Darth Tenebrous Has Only Ever Been Name-Dropped In Star Wars Canon
Darth Tenebrous is almost exclusively a product ofStar WarsLegends, but he has been canonized in recent years. In 2015, Tenebrous was mentioned inBuild the Millennium Falcon #44, a magazine that contains several canon articles; he was described as the Sith Lord who created the Sith Interceptor used by Darth Maul. Tenebrous was also one of the manySith referenced inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which solidified his existence in canon.Those were the only two times Tenebrous has ever appeared outside of Legends, butThe Acolytemay have given him a much more prominent appearance.
Could Darth Tenebrous Be The Acolyte’s New Sith Lord?
The Sith Lord inThe Acolytecertainly isn’t Darth Tenebrous; in fact, according to the Stranger he doesn’t even have a Sith name. What’s more,The Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland is a huge fan of the old Expanded Universe, and she surely wouldn’t swap a Bith for a human. It is notable, though, that some of theSith Lord’s helmetdesign appears to reference Darth Plagueis. This may indicate there’s some sort of connection here.
There’s been some speculation the Stranger could be the canon version of a character named Darth Venamis. In Legends, Tenebrous trained not one prospective apprentice but two, Plagueis and Venamis, These two ultimately faced off against one another, deciding the line of the Rule of Two. The same could well happen withThe Acolyte’s Sith Lord, which would be very appropriate.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
