Star Wars: Who Is Darth Tenebrous And What Happened To Him?

The entire story of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is one full of drama, political power plays, and schemes that ultimately do more harm to those in the "Star Wars" galaxy than help them. Something that many tend to overlook is the lineage that leads to his rise to galactic prominence. As explained in "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," Palpatine trains under his Sith Master, Darth Plagueis, who informs his plan for the Sith to rule over the galaxy once more. Before Plagueis, though, there's Darth Tenebrous.

Born Rugess Nome, the young Bith is taken in by an unknown Sith Master and begins his studies in the dark side as Darth Tenebrous. Over time, he decides it's time to kill his master and explore the darkness further, concocting ways to use it to his advantage through science. All the while, he maintains his original name, becomes a well-known designer of starships, and spreads his influence across the Republic's political and social spheres. In time, he takes Plagueis as his apprentice, and the two study the Force together, specifically seeking a way to attain eternal life through it.

In the end, Plagueis keeps with Sith tradition and kills Tenebrous, with Tenebrous transferring his consciousness to Plagueis' body through the Force. Visions of Plagueis' demise at Palpatine's hands quickly lead him to evacuate the body, basically rendering him a soul trapped in limbo. Of course, this is his non-canon "Star Wars" Legends timeline. What does the official franchise canon say about Tenebrous so far, and will he appear in an upcoming "Star Wars" project?

So far, canon information regarding the life and death of Darth Tenebrous is all but nonexistent. According to "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary" by Pablo Hidalgo, Tenebrous' memory is maintained by the Sith Eternal cultists who live on the planet Exegol. Unsurprisingly, his name is used within the faction's military, which is overseen by none other than Emperor Palpatine. The 26th Legion of the Sith Eternal army is referred to as the Tenebrous Legion and takes part in the Battle of Exegol against the Resistance. So far, this is all the current "Star Wars" canon has to say about Tenebrous, but this could soon change. 

On its way to Disney+ is "Star Wars: The Acolyte," which follows a group of Jedi as they try to unravel a dark mystery that seems to trace back to the Sith. The series is set roughly 100 years before the events of "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," meaning that Tenebrous could be active in the galaxy at that point. Darth Plagueis could even be by his side, plotting to overthrow his master and take the galaxy by force. Lucasfilm has been tight-lipped regarding the true villain of "The Acolyte" as well (even though the trailer teases why the Jedi are the main villains of the franchise, not the Sith), making it seem as though the reveal could be something grand — like Tenebrous' live-action debut.

The first two episodes of "The Acolyte" premiere on June 4, so "Star Wars" fans don't have long to find out if Darth Tenebrous is involved, or if the wait will continue for him to get a proper canon spotlight.