When fans of Star Wars sat down to watch Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith in 2005, they were about to witness Chancellor Palpatine deliver perhaps the most iconic monologue in the Star Wars films: The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. While the identity of this Darth Plagueis was relatively vague, Palpatine spoke of his rise, feats, and downfall in an effort to trick Anakin Skywalker into turning to the Dark Side. Since then, Palpatine’s tale of the Sith Lord has become a well-known bit of Star Wars greatness.
Darth Plagueis was given far more depth in the Star Wars Expanded Universe material. This primarily came from author James Luceno’s novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, which told the story of Plagueis and a young Sheev Palpatine, who ended up being his apprentice. The teachings of Darth Plagueis are heavily influential within Star Wars lore, as the temptation of the capabilities Plagueis learned of eventually led to Anakin joining the Sith, and the fall of the Galactic Republic. Given the importance of Plagueis in the Star Wars universe, his life and legacy are essential lore.
Early Life
Born Hego Damask II, the Muun man who would eventually become known as Darth Plagueis discovered his Force abilities at a very young age. His birth was no accident. A Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Tenebrous, had convinced Hego’s mother to bear a child with the man who would become his father. Tenebrous sensed that once born, Hego would be strong in the force. Given that his mother was already close with Tenebrous, who watched over him from a young age, Hego was never given the opportunity to join the Jedi. Instead, he was taken to practice the ways of the Dark Side from the start.
Tenebrous’ ultimate goal with Plagueis was to possess his body, with a creation he called maxi-chlorians. His goal was to live on and cheat the tradition of the Rule of Two. When Plagueis and his master were on a mission to the planet Bal’demnic, Plagueis sensed it was time to kill his master. After Tenebrous was defeated, his maxi-chlorians entered Plagueis’ body, but they left after Tenebrous’ consciousness saw that Plagueis was also to be killed by his apprentice someday. Tenebrous' remains were left in a cave, and Plagueis escaped.
A New Apprentice
Sometime later, Darth Plagueis came across a young Sheev Palpatine on the planet Naboo. Sheev eventually served him as a sort of spy, in order to help Plagueis manipulate the outcomes of political elections to his benefit. Eventually, the two formed something of a father-son relationship, with Palpatine looking up to Plagueis in many ways. Plagueis planned for the Sith to rule the galaxy, and began to train young Sheev as a politician who could run for Chancellor someday.
After much time grooming Palpatine to become a suitable apprentice, Plagueis set events in motion that led to Palpatine murdering his own parents, disconnecting Sheev from any family he had. This led to Sheev's complete commitment and dedication to his new master, Darth Plagueis, who gave Sheev the name Darth Sidious. In the many years that followed, Plagueis would train Sidious in the ways of the Force, making his apprentice more and more powerful, while also focusing on advancing his political career.
Plagueis’ Master Plan
In his efforts to have the Sith take over the galaxy, Plagueis put numerous plans in motion that would set the stage for his and Sidious’ eventual rule. He pursued the Kaminoan people about their cloning technology, and came into contact with Sifo-Dyas and Dooku, two notable Jedi who were concerned with the state of the Republic. Plagueis would eventually persuade Sifo-Dyas to go through with the creation of an army using the Kaminoans’ technology, not knowing that the army Plagueis envisioned would be used to destroy the Jedi.
In the meantime, Plagueis developed an obsession with the manipulation of midi-chlorians in an attempt to allow him and his apprentice to achieve eternal life. These abilities would eventually, in time, be used by Palpatine to convince Anakin Skywalker to turn to the Dark Side in order to save his wife, Padmé, from dying. In the study of these Force powers, Plagueis became more obsessive and reclusive.
In the meantime, Darth Sidious took on an apprentice of his own in Darth Maul. Sidious was also growing in power as a politician and eventually came across Anakin Skywalker, a young force-sensitive boy on Tatooine who was believed to be the Chosen One. Sidious informed his master of the boy’s existence, and out of fear of the destruction of the Sith, Plagueis ordered that Anakin’s potential master, Qui-Gon Jinn, be killed. Darth Maul was sent to carry out this task, and though he was successful, he too died in the ensuing battle.
Death & Legacy
As Sidious’ power grew, so too did his desire to take the role of Dark Lord of the Sith. One night, when Plagueis and Sidious were alone celebrating their victories in gaining power, Sidious tricked Plagueis into becoming so intoxicated that he was unable to defend himself. Sidious attacked his master with force lightning, killing him and taking the role of the Dark Lord for himself.
In the years following his death, Plagueis’ plan would prove to be effective. The clone army he desired served its purpose and defeated the Jedi, as Darth Sidious turned the Galactic Republic into the first Galactic Empire. Though he was not alive to see the outcome of his years of hard work to ensure the Sith’s victory, Plagueis remained not only one of the most influential Sith Lords to ever live, but one of the most influential figures in the Star Wars galaxy as a whole.