Does ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Explain the Origins of Darth Plagueis?

Throughout the course Star Wars Rebels‘ four seasons, the Star Wars saga has been fleshed out with more ancillary components being further explored in compelling ways. Information learned in the series hasn’t had a direct impact on the live-action films, but a recent episode could have helped explain a character that fans have been curious about since Revenge of the Sith: Darth Plagueis the Wise.

In a now-iconic piece of dialogue, Palpatine used the story of the Sith to sway Anakin to the Dark Side in order to protect Padme in perpetuity. According to Palpatine, Palgueis was “so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life” in addition to preventing others from dying. Palpatine also noted that, while Plagueis could save others, he couldn’t save himself, and he was reportedly killed by his apprentice.

Sadly, Anakin wasn’t able to spare Padme from death, ultimately being the one who caused it, but not until after she could give birth to twins Luke and Leia.

So how does this tie into the animated series that just concluded?

In the recent episode “A World Between Worlds,” Ezra unlocked a portal at a Jedi Temple which transported him to a realm we’ve never seen. As Ezra explored the area, he saw many other doorways and heard whispers of dialogue from various points in the saga, dating back to The Phantom Menace and extending to The Force Awakens.

At one portal, Ezra witnessed Ahsoka’s battle with Darth Vader that took place in the Season 2 finale, with viewers not seeing Ahsoka since. In this moment, Ezra reached through the portal and pulled her out, effectively saving her life and explaining her absence from the series since that moment.

While exploring this “World Between Worlds,” Ezra contemplates saving Kanan before he died in an explosion, yet opts not to because he couldn’t be sure of the consequences of altering that timeline.

In that sense, it’s possible that Palpatine knew about the World Between Worlds and that Plagueis was also aware of it, using it to save those he loved. Utilizing time travel might not be the first thing that came to most viewers’ minds when thinking of preventing death, but it certainly proved effective in Rebels.

In the 2012 novel Darth Plagueis, the character’s backstory is elaborated, but Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm has relegated that novel to Star Wars Legends, erasing it from the official canon.

Now that Star Wars Rebels has come to an end and Ezra has rejected Palpatine, we might never know if this key to immortality, this World Between Worlds will ever be revisited, but this has become one of the most fascinating additions to the Star Wars mythos as we know it.

Do you think this realm could explain Darth Plagueis? Let us know in the comments below!