Who Does David Harewood Play in The Acolyte?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 8, “The Acolyte.”

After months of speculation, The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 8 finally reveals the identity of David Harewood’s mystery character. So, who does David Harewood play in The Acolyte?

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Who David Harewood Plays in The Acolyte, Explained

David Harewood plays Senator Rayencourt in The Acolyte Season 1. One of the Jedi’s most vocal critics, Rayencourt is lobbying the Senate for an external review of the order’s activities. He views the Jedi as “a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to control the uncontrollable.” Rayencourt’s also part of the tribunal that hears Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh’s false testimony that pins the blame for Mae Aniseya’s murder spree on Sol. The senator’s sceptical expression suggests he doesn’t buy Vernestra’s story; presumably, The Acolyte Season 2 will continue this plot thread (if it happens).

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Rayencourt is first mentioned in The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 6, “Teach / Corrupt,” but doesn’t make his on-screen debut until Episode 8, “The Acolyte.” As a result, Harewood’s role in the series remained under wraps until the end of Season 1’s run. Many fans obsessed over who the British actor would portray, with legendary Sith Lord Darth Plagueis one of the most popular candidates. This theory ultimately proved false, however, and another, uncredited performer (along with a healthy dose of CGI) handled Plagueis’ brief cameo.

Is Senator Rayencourt a Sith Lord?

While David Harewood isn’t playing Darth Plagueis, some fans are still convinced he’s playing a Sith Lord. According to these Star Wars devotees, Rayencourt is secretly Darth Tenebrous, the Dark Lord of the Sith who trained Darth Plagueis. As one Reddit user put it: “What if Senator Rayencourt is Darth Tenebrous? He is training Plagueis and Qimir at the same time. Rayencourt seems to be very against the Jedi. He broke the Rule of Two and took Qimir as his second secret apprentice. Plagueis got suspicious and eventually discovered Qimir. That scene in The Acolyte is him spying on his competitor.”

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That said, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland hasn’t given any indication that Rayencourt is really Darth Tenebrous in disguise. Heck, she hasn’t mentioned Tenebrous, period. But Headland has promised that if The Acolyte Season 2 gets the thumbs up, Plagueis’ rise and fall will be a major subplot. “If I continue to get to tell this story, I know how I would like that to play out,” she told Nerdist. “And I would say I think it’s pretty complicated and messy.” How will Harewood’s Rayencourt fit within this tangled web? We’ll just have to wait and see!

All eight episodes of The Acolyte Season 1 are currently streaming on Disney+.