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I've recently read the Darth Plagueis novel and was intrigued to learn exactly how involved he was behind the scenes during The Phantom Menace and when/how he died.

Given his involvement in the story of the film is Darth Plagueis actually shown onscreen at any point in the film? Perhaps in the background somewhere?

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TL;DR: No, Darth Plagueis did not appear in Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

The character of Darth Plagueis simply did not exist until his creation for the Episode III script, and even then the mention was merely a plot device with which

Palpatine could lure Anakin towards the Dark Side of the Force, knowing full well of his concerns over losing Padme.

The novel you describe was written afterwards, and also explained that Plagueis was a Muun - a race introduced as far back as the "Hand of Thrawn" duology in 1997, but whose appearance had not been locked down until the appearance of San Hill in Episode II (pictured below).

enter image description here

I should also note that there is now some speculation among fans (not me, but others) that Grand Leader Snoke in Episode VII may actually be Darth Plagueis, meaning that he actually DID cheat death and wasn't killed as Palpatine believed. I doubt this is true, however, since he doesn't appear to be a Muun but some other similar-looking race with a shorter head.

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  • Hmm, that Wookieepedia article is interesting. I thought he would have be dead (murdered by Sidious) before Episode I, since Sidious was ostensibly now the master and Maul the apprentice (following the Rule of Two). Apparently Plagueis was party to Sidious's bending of that rule.
    – Matthew Read
    Jul 30, 2015 at 18:49
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    @MatthewRead - keep in mind that pretty much everything we know about Plagueis is from a book that is no longer considered canon. Only the one mention in Episode III is still considered canon in the new continuity. Disney could easily retcon him into being some ancient Sith Lord but we'll see.
    – Omegacron
    Jul 30, 2015 at 18:56
  • Absolutely. I also just encountered this answer which explains that Sidious was the start of a new Sith order now that they were finally revealing themselves again, and the Rule would no longer apply. In any case, good info and good answer.
    – Matthew Read
    Jul 30, 2015 at 18:58
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    In the old Legends EU, both Palpatine AND Vader had apprentices left & right, usually in secret (or believed to be secret) from the other.
    – Omegacron
    Jul 30, 2015 at 19:00
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    @Omegacron - Though the Darth Plagueis novel is no longer canon, the canon novel Tarkin does mention in ch. 9 that Plagueis was Sidious' Master, and also shows the droid 11-4D that was introduced in Darth Plagueis, mentioning that Sidious took ownership possession of it after Plagueis' death.
    – Hypnosifl
    Jul 5, 2016 at 21:53
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No. He was first mentioned in Episode III. The novel detailing his involvement during the events of Episode I was written after the films were released (i.e. the backstory of his involvement hadn't been created yet). Also, the novel is Legends (not canon) anyway. Finally, he is not listed under Episode I at IMDb.

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enter image description here

That guy sitting behind Palpatine..... that's him!

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    Looks like some random guy in a robe to me.
    – Valorum
    Feb 21, 2017 at 7:51
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    I would love this to be true but I don't think a screenshot is evidence...
    – Liath
    Feb 21, 2017 at 9:28
  • If it's anyone, that's Sate Pestage.
    – Omegacron
    Feb 21, 2017 at 14:58

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