It’s usually wise to keep your senses alert when diving into the Star Wars universe, but every now and then, even die-hard fans might miss a key detail. Recently, Star Wars aficionados have been buzzing about a revelation that claims Darth Plagueis might have appeared in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, though his presence was subtle and easily overlooked.
This intriguing discovery came to light on Reddit when user DisturbedSnowman shared a fascinating insight.
It’s really cool to know that Darth Plagueis was alive for most of The Phantom Menace and was in a couple of scenes but just off-screen.
The fact that many fans didn’t notice Plagueis shows how deeply layered the Star Wars narratives are. Another Redditor detailed how Plagueis was likely spying on his apprentice, Sidious, and Darth Maul. Moreover, he even kept an eye on Qui-Gon Jinn and young Anakin Skywalker.
This revelation stirs the pot of ongoing debates among fans regarding what is canonical. While it’s intriguing to consider Plagueis’s appearances in the films, much of this backstory is fleshed out in the novels. Unsurprisingly, not everyone agrees about the timeline or even his existence during the events of Episode I.
A user underlined this point by explaining, “In canon, Plagueis was likely killed many years before Episode I. The Plagueis book, which is legends, has him killed near the end of the events of Episode I
.” This complex web between legends and canon keeps fueling many discussions among the fanbase.
A Blink-and-Miss Moment
If you’re curious about where Plagueis allegedly lurks in The Phantom Menace, one key scene is postulated to be right after Dooku speaks with Palpatine. According to Agatha_SlightlyGay on Reddit, Palpatine reflects on some experiments conducted nine years prior and promptly informs Plagueis, who then tries to catch a glimpse of young Anakin. This moment subtly enriches their sinister scheming behind the scenes.
The lesson here? Sometimes layered stories hide gems that take years – or even decades – to uncover. As we revisit these films with fresh eyes, we continue to uncover hidden depths that make them more than just tales from a galaxy far, far away.