Even though I have spoken the praise of the Original Expanded Universe, I haven’t really talked about it enough. I am rectifying that by reviewing more of the content from it. One of the best stories from the Legends timeline was the full story of Darth Plagueis. Palpatine’s monologue from Revenge of the Sith told the story of a Sith Lord that tried to manipulate the force and master death itself. He would then be killed by his own apprentice. This novel confirms the long-held theory that Palpatine was that apprentice. This novel was a page turner showing how Plagueis manipulated the events to his favor. It also serves as a chilling origin story for Palpatine. I appreciate that this novel takes a more nuanced view of the Sith. They are undeniably evil but this novel fleshes out their philosophies for self-worth. It is a fantastic read that reminded me of the EU’s worth.
The story begins with Darth Plagueis learning the ways of the dark side from his maste,r Darth Tenebrous. Plagueis grew weary of taking orders from Tenebrous and killed him on their mission together. Tenebrous attempted to possess his apprentice but Plaugueis go the upper hand on him. In public, Plagueis was a successful banker named Hego Damask. Damask was the head of the Banking Clan which he used to fund his secret projects to conquer the force. When he traveled to Naboo, he found a promising young man named Palpatine. Palpatine gave off the demeanor of a kind schoolboy in public. In private, he was a sadist who had an interest in politics. Plagueis accepted the young Palpatine as his apprentice after the boy killed his own family.
Palpatine would work his way up to being a well-respected politician. Plagueis would fund his political campaign while being a mild-mannered banker in public. Plagueis informed Palpatine about the ultimate plan to get rid of the Jedi and the Republic. He also tells Palpatine about his ultimate plan to conquer the force for himself. He would plan to manipulate the midi-chlorians to create life. Palpatine would make the Sith known to the Trade Federation to set the grand plan in motion. Palpatine later found Darth Maul and accepted him as his apprentice. He told Maul that he would be a Sith Lord but he was really a red herring in case the Jedi were to discover the Sith again. Plagueis survived an assassination attempt but was scarred from the experience.
Plageuis learned that the force had retaliated against him by creating the prophesied Chosen One. Plageuis couldn’t find Anakin on time before killing him. He also feared Qui-Gon Jin because he was sensing that something was amiss. He tasked Sidious to order Maul to kill Qui-Gon so Anakin wouldn’t have that guidance. After Palpatine was elected chancellor, Plagueis celebrated the victory with his apprentice. Palpatine used force lighting on his masters’ breathing apparatus while boasting that he was in control the whole time. Plagueis died and Palpatine became the new dark lord of the Sith.
This novel gives the most in-depth perspective into the Sith philosophy I have seen since Knights of the Old Republic. The Sith is undeniably evil but their mentality is more complex than most people give them credit for. While the Jedi want to live in harmony with the force, the Sith see it as a tool. To the Sith, selfishness is a virtue. They believe that life is about living for yourself. The old Jedi Order view giving into attachments as going against the will of the force. The Sith has the opposite extreme. They believe that life is all about giving into your desires and letting them guide you. It ties into a theme that originated in The Phantom Menace. While the Jedi have a symbiotic relationship with the Force, the Sith’s connection is more parasitic.
A Sith Lord’s name always carries significance. The word “tenebrous” is reflective of shadowy presence. He lived up to his namesake by hiding in the shadows. Darth Plagueis is named after the word “plague”. His legacy was a disease that would corrupt the force for his own benefit. Palpatine would later adopt the moniker of Darth Sidious. His Sith name is a play on the word “insidious”. It is a perfect word to describe Palpatine’s political ploys. Darth Maul is a play on the word “maul” since he was a save in combat. Count Dooku’s Sith name is Darth Tyranus which is a play on the word “tyrant”. Dooku used his status in the nobility during the Clone Wars to conquer many worlds. Finally, Darth Vader’s name is a play on the word “invader”. Anakin would invade the galaxy with his power after embracing his Sith identity.
One of the themes that stood out to me is the theme of cycles. The Sith always betray one another because the apprentice would eventually usurp the master. Plagueis killed Tenebrous when he let his guard down in the begging of the novel. Tenebrous, Plagueis, and Palpatine were all public figures while hiding their identities as Sith Lords. Tenebrous was a well-respected mechanic who created powerful star ships. He was the one who made Darth Maul’s personal ship. He would create the blueprints for the Trade Federation’s war machines. Tenebrous was at the peak of his power and found a new idea. He thought that the Force could be controlled, which is an idea that his apprentice would accept into his own plan.
Plagueis was a successful banker in public. He would appear as a businessman while funding the plan for the Sith’s return in private. Palpatine would give the appearance of a respected politician while being a cunning puppet master in private. The cycle repeats again for Count Dooku. The Jedi were open about who they were while the Sith have to focus on using a dual identity.
Plagueis is a tragic figure but not in the heroic sense. His tragedy was caused by his own hubris. He believes that he would break the cycle by achieving immortality by crating the plan to destroy the Jedi. His mastery of the force was based on his obsession to have the Sith live forever through him alone. The Midi-clorians are the symbiotic organisms that connect with the force. By manipulating them, Plagueis could control nature itself just like Dr. Frankenstein. He would later require the assistance of a breathing apparatus after a failed assassination attempt. His story is about how people would attempt to control nature but nature would eventually fight back. Plagueis brought the force out of balance by trying to control it. It needed to create a being that could bring it back. Plagueis would attempt to control Anakin but to no avail. The only other being he feared more than Anakin was Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon was the one Jedi that was staring to suspect that something was amiss. This plot point adds some validity to Dave Filoni’s interpretation of that duel in The Phantom Menace. It was a duel of fate to determine where Anakin would end up in. Since Qui-Gon died, Anakin was more susceptible to being lured to the dark side. Plaguies would fall when he had just reached the height of his power at the hands of his apprentice.
This novel also serves as an origin story for Palpatine. I applaud the book for expanding on his character without making him sympathetic. We learn that he planned to usurp the title of Sith Master from Plagueis even before he became a Lord. He serves as a secondary protagonist as he pretends to go along with his master’s plan. Maul and Dooku were always meant to be a tool to be disposed of when he gets his true prize. Plagueis was the one who formed the idea of the clone army into Sifo-Dyas’s mind but Palpatine appropriated that plan for his own ends. Palpatine would succeed where his master failed by controlling the chosen one.
Darth Plagueis is an essential novel for any Star Wars fan to read. Even though it may not be part of the official canon now, it is still an intriguing tale. I think the characterization for Palpatine and Plagueis is still worth considering to this day. I enjoyed the callbacks to the other stories in the EU. Hearing a reference to the Bando Gora from Bounty Hunter was a genuine treat for me. Even without the interconnectivity, it is still an intriguing story about scheming and the cycle of the Sith. Pick it up for an incredible read for May the fourth.
The Linden Hour 