The Acolyte’s [SPOILER] look was inspired by a Guillermo del Toro horror movie and Gollum’s early designs

Vernestra Rwoh in The Acolyte episode 8
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

The Acolyte ending may have wrapped up a fair chunk of the story in a galaxy far, far away – but a surprise villain is still waiting in the wings.

Now, creator and showrunner Leslye Headland has opened up about the reveal of the mysterious figure, and what inspired its distinctive look.

Spoilers for The Acolyte finale follow. You have been warned!

In The Acolyte finale, a shadowy, imposing – yet oddly frail – figure emerges from the shadows of Qimir’s island cave. Star Wars fans will know its name, if not the look: it’s Darth Plagueis, who would go on to be the Sith master of Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine.

"I'm very proud of the character design. It took a long time," Headland told Collider of Darth Plagueis’ squid-like features. 

Headland also mentioned how it was a "Crimson Peak reference", a nod to Guillermo del Toro’s 2015 horror movie and (presumably) the red ghosts found within.

"This should not feel like a display of power, this should feel creepy. I think we achieved that," Headland explained.

See more

In a separate interview with IndieWire, the showrunner also opened up about the "physicality" of Plagueis – or lack thereof – to “create the sense that Plagueis and the Sith aren’t the armor-clad, visually imposing, powerhouse villains we sometimes associate with the Sith.”

But we have to head to Middle-earth to see how it all ties together – particularly with an eye to The Acolyte season 2.

"The reference that I used was Gollum in Fellowship of the Ring," Headland told Collider, a reference to how Gollum’s initial design is relatively different to what we see when the character emerges into the light in The Two Towers. "You don't want to totally reveal the character design right now, but you definitely want to see enough of it that you understand this is gonna be a player."

Bad news, potentially, for the emerging partnership of Qimir and Osha. Still, at least they got to hold hands.

For more on The Acolyte, check out our latest coverage below:

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
Jude Law in Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew episode 7 ends with a sinister Star Wars callback to Revenge of the Sith
Jod Na Nawood holding a lightsaber
A Jedi was cut from the Star Wars Skeleton Crew finale – was she Jod’s former master?
Neel in Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew ending explained: the truth about the Supervisor, Jod's Jedi abilities, and more
ahsoka
What is Thrawn cooking? Star Wars fans are debating the Ahsoka villain's plans
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Longlegs director pitches horrifying Star Wars movie with Darth Vader, and we want it to happen
the acolyte
The Acolyte star says the Star Wars show's cancelation was "overwhelming," but she's still "proud" of playing a Jedi: "Bucket list ticked"
Latest in Star Wars TV Shows
Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka
A Star Wars actor just quietly confirmed that filming has begun on Ahsoka season 2
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor star Diego Luna urges Star Wars fans to watch Rogue One immediately after season 2 ends: "You're going to see it differently"
Ben Mendelsohn in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 could be about to turn one of the darkest events in Star Wars even darker
The Death Star in the Andor season 2 trailer
New Andor season 2 trailer is an intense new look at the returning Star Wars show that sees the Rebels discover the Death Star
Ben Mendelsohn in Andor season 2
Andor showrunner says season 2's more fast-paced structure is a "fascinating experiment" that is "born out of desperation": "I don't know if anyone's ever done it before"
Star Wars Visions anime
First look at Star Wars anime Visions season 3 is a "psychedelic battle" exploring the "tormented psyche" of a stormtrooper
Latest in News
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
fool me once
Harlan Coben’s new novel is set to be "more of a sequel" to the hit Netflix series Fool Me Once: "I don’t know any time that’s ever happened"