Darth Plagueis

Darth Plagueis is a fictional character in the "Star Wars" franchise. A Sith lord with the ability to prevent death and create life, Plagueis is the mentor of Palpatine (Darth Sidious). The character is first mentioned in the 2005 film "", in which Palpatine frames his life as a "legend" to pique Anakin Skywalker's curiosity about the dark side of the Force. Plagueis has a more prominent presence in the "Star Wars Expanded Universe".
Development.
The character of Darth Plagueis was conceived by George Lucas as early as the first draft of the screenplay for "", or possibly earlier. The first draft dates from April 2003.
Appearances.
"Revenge of the Sith".
Darth Plagueis is first mentioned in the 2005 prequel film "Revenge of the Sith", during the opera scene. Chancellor Palpatine, who is secretly the Sith lord Darth Sidious, tells Anakin Skywalker about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis "The Wise". Palpatine explains that Plagueis could use the dark side to prevent death and create life, powers unknown to the Jedi. Palpatine then explains that Plagueis was killed in his sleep by his own apprentice which was none other than Palpatine himself. Later in the film, Palpatine, as Sidious, tempts Anakin to the dark side by promising to use this power to prevent Anakin's pregnant wife Padmé Amidala from dying, as Anakin has foreseen.
"The Rise of Skywalker" novelization.
Darth Plagueis is mentioned in Rae Carson's novelization of the 2019 film "The Rise of Skywalker". In the book, it is revealed that Palpatine had discovered Plagueis' "secret to immortality", using this knowledge to resurrect himself after his death in "Return of the Jedi". The novel further explains that Plagueis had attempted to create a powerful connection with Palpatine known as a 'Force dyad', a concept mentioned in the film as occurring naturally between Rey and Ben Solo. Plagueis' inability to use his powers to save himself from death is also detailed in the novelization; Plagueis "had not acted fast enough in his own moment of death" to prevent Palpatine from killing him.
"Legends".
In April 2014, Lucasfilm rebranded most of the licensed "Star Wars" novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film "Star Wars" as "Star Wars Legends" and declared them non-canon to the franchise. "Star Wars Legends" literature elaborates on Plagueis's life, apprenticeship under the Bith Sith Lord Darth Tenebrous, and mentorship of Palpatine, up until his death at the latter's hands.
"Star Wars: Darth Plagueis".
The character is the focus of Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, a "Legends" novel written by James Luceno and published on January 10, 2012. The novel covers the later life and machinations of Darth Plagueis (born Hego Damassk II), over a roughly fifty-year period pre-dating and culminating concurrently with the climax of "The Phantom Menace". The novel details Plagueis' overthrow of his own master Darth Tenebrous; his work as head of a powerful banking consortium on the Muun homeworld; his discovery, recruitment and training of the teenaged Palpatine of Naboo; and the efforts of Plagueis to undermine the Galactic Republic and ensure the dominance of the dark side of the Force. Even though Plagueis's plans to undermine the Galactic Republic were stopped by his death, Palpatine still succeeded in wiping out the Galactic Republic and driving the Jedi Order into ruins for his own plans.
Daryl Thomen of "Newsday" called "Darth Plagueis" "the best "Star Wars" publication to date."
Reception.
Despite never appearing on screen, Darth Plagueis has remained a popular "Star Wars" character. The quote in which the character is mentioned in "Revenge of the Sith" has become a popular internet meme.
A popular theory regarding the origins and identity of the sequel trilogy's Supreme Leader Snoke was that he was Darth Plagueis, or a clone of him.