Sith

Sith Order
Universe	Star Wars
Type	Monastic; Academic; Kraterocratic; Imperialism;
Founded	c. 5,000 BBY or prior (canon); c. 6,900 BBY (Legends)
Location	Moraband / Korriban (homeworld); Coruscant (headquarters - 19 BBY to 4 ABY); Exegol (headquarters - 4 ABY to 35 ABY); Legends Dromuund Kaas (capital); Ziost (key planet);
Leader	Darth Bane (until approximately 1022 BBY); Darth Plagueis (until 32 BBY); Darth Sidious (32 BBY - 35 ABY);
Key people	Darth Revan; Darth Bane; Darth Tenebrous; Darth Plagueis; Darth Sidious; Darth Maul; Darth Tyranus; Darth Vader; Affiliates: General Grievous; Asajj Ventress; Savage Opress; Quinlan Vos (briefly); Inquisitors; Supreme Leader Snoke; Kylo Ren; Knights of Ren; Legends: Ajunta Pall; Marka Ragnos; Naga Sadow; Darth Malak; Darth Traya; Darth Nihilus; Darth Sion; Ludo Kressh; Darth Malgus; Lord Kaan; Darth Caedus;
Official language	Basic

Symbol of the Sith Order

The Sith are the main antagonists of the Star Wars universe.^[2] The Sith Order are depicted as an ancient monastic and kraterocratic organization of supernaturally gifted Force-wielders driven by a Machiavellian agenda of galactic domination and revenge against their arch-rivals, the Jedi Order.

Sith are ruthless and totalitarian by design, in which a supreme autocratic authority is concentrated in a single individual granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Transfer of power is conducted through state-sanctioned assassinations: when a Sith Lord grows complacent, begins to show weakness, and is eventually killed, their property and authority are transferred to the apprentice who killed them. Robberies, betrayal, and sabotage are commonplace; murder is acceptable so long as the culprit is not caught. This kraterocratic system ensures that Sith society nurtures some of the most vicious and competitive individuals in the galaxy and is only governed by those strong enough to seize control.

Sith philosophy lionizes conflict as a catalyst for growth and as a tool for purging the unworthy. Sith academies were structured with rules, lectures, and classes, with an underlying "kill or be killed" mentality amongst the apprentices. Sith emphasize "survival of the fittest" and view restraint as a weakness. Members adhere to master morality, are characterized by the desire to seize power by any means necessary, leveraging force (both physical and supernatural), social maneuvering, and political cunning to their advantage. The Sith cultivate a connection to the dark side of the Force, which provides them with easy access to superhuman power and arcane knowledge; however, the trade-off is the severe cost of adopting a dark triad personality that corrodes their basic capacity for empathy, kindness, and love.

Throughout Star Wars media and in popular culture, the Sith are infamous as the dualistic antagonists to the Jedi, an affiliation of altruistic warriors who strive to use their own martial training and connection to the "light side" of the Force to promote peace and the common welfare throughout the galaxy. To counteract the Jedi's benevolent influence, the Sith were responsible for secretly instigating many small regional conflicts as part of their larger plan to destabilize the Republic and eventually take control of the galaxy. Hiding from the shadows, their fingerprints are everywhere, in every conflict in the galaxy, and their subversive influence reaches far and wide. Over their long history, the Sith have established great empires, come close to realizing their ambitions of galactic conquest, and nearly eradicated the Jedi. Ultimately, however, they are self-defeating, their grand plans undone time and again by internal strife, rebellion inspired by their vicious tactics, and the psychologically noxious effects of their dark arts and philosophy.

Etymology[edit]

The word Sith was first used in the 1974 rough draft of Star Wars^[3] with the first published use being the 1976 novelization of Star Wars as a title for the key villain Darth Vader, the "Dark Lord of the Sith". Sith characters had also been portrayed as such in some non-canonical Star Wars Legends works prior to the release of The Phantom Menace, and in archived footage for the original Star Wars.^[4] Prior to the formal introduction of the Sith, the term "Dark Jedi" was sometimes used for characters who would be later identified as Sith, or had goals and practices similar to the Sith. In his novel series The Thrawn Trilogy, author Timothy Zahn labeled Sith Lord Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine as "Dark Jedi", and the term "Sith" was never mentioned in the series until later reprints of the novels. "Dark Jedi" is also the name given in the Star Wars universe to antihero fictional characters attuned to the Force and adept in its Dark Side. However, the concept of "Dark Jedi" is not referenced anywhere in any of the theatrical Star Wars films, and they exist by that name only in non-canonical Star Wars Legends media, including video games such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. The Sith were not mentioned by name in canonical stories until the prequel trilogy used the word on film starting with 1999's The Phantom Menace.

Influences[edit]

George Lucas acknowledged that the Jedi, Sith, and other Force concepts have been inspired by many sources. These include: knighthood, chivalry, paladinism, samurai bushido, Shaolin Monastery, Feudalism, Hinduism, Qigong, Greek philosophy and mythology, Roman history and mythology, parts of the Abrahamic religions, Confucianism, Shintō, Buddhism and Taoism, and numerous cinematic precursors. The works of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and mythologist Joseph Campbell, especially his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), directly influenced Lucas, and was what drove him to create the 'modern myth' of Star Wars.^[5]^[6] In particular, the contrasting narrative relationship between the Dark Side-using Sith and light side-using Jedi mirrors several modern and classical literary tropes.

Most prominently, the conflict between the Sith and Jedi employs the classic trope of black and white moral dualism—an elemental contrast between evil (the "darkness") and good (the "light") first postulated and elaborated in Zoroastrianism, from which the core mythos of Star Wars is much influenced.^[7] The ongoing struggle of the humanistic "light side"-affiliated Jedi to permanently defeat the egoistic "Dark Side"-affiliated Sith is framed not only as a contest of values, but as a deep metaphysical conflict: The Dark Side of the Force is viewed by the Jedi, and generally represented within Star Wars media, as not only a dangerous expedient but as a form of existential corruption which must be purged for the universe, or a person, to attain spiritual balance.^[8] Jedi are often depicted as imperfect individuals, but their cause of selfless heroism is ultimately on the right side of an inexorable cosmic struggle against evil, embodied in the power-hungry Sith and the Dark Side of the Force.

The dualistic relationship between the Sith' and the Jedi' concepts of "purity" mirrors the philosophical and literary concept of "Apollonian and Dionysian": the Jedi are portrayed as embracing purity, reason, temperance, altruism and other humanistic virtues; the Sith, by contrast, embrace curiosity, emotion, conflict, power, instincts, unfettered self-interest and other hedonistic vices. However, whereas the classic Greek concept did not necessarily view the Apollonian and Dyonisian principles as opposed, Star Wars frames the Jedi and Sith as opponents in a dire moral struggle, with the Sith cast as corrupted villains apparently destined to defeat or self-destruction in the end.^[9] Although a path to temporary power, the Sith way inevitably leads to ruin.

Within the Star Wars narrative, the Jedi and Sith naturally have different self-understandings. In Sith rhetoric, the relationship between the philosophies of the Jedi and Sith closely mirrors Nietzsche's concept of master–slave morality. Sith value "master" virtues, such as pride and power, whereas the Jedi value altruistic virtues like kindness and empathy. The goal of the Sith is tangible greatness: the ability to shape and destroy the world according to one's will alone. The goal of the Jedi is moral goodness: freedom from inner, and outer, turmoil and suffering. However, the Sith consider the Jedi's aspirations to be either hopeless or pathetic. To the Sith, greater power is the only authentic goal.

Development[edit]

Originally, George Lucas conceived of the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way that the Schutzstaffel had served Adolf Hitler. In developing the backstory for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas condensed this into one character in the form of Darth Vader.^[10]

Fictional backstory[edit]

The Sith are dedicated to the "Sith Code" and to mastering the Dark Side of the Force.^[11] The Sith Code identifies conflict as the fundamental dynamic of reality, and holds that the search for lasting peace, within or without, is both quixotic and misguided. Rather, Sith embrace strife and dark passion as salutary and emancipatory forces, as they believe that violent struggle purges the decadent and weak, and that emotions such as aggression and hate provide the strength and resolve to secure freedom through victory. Although Sith seek dominion, Sith philosophy stresses that power belongs only to those with the strength, cunning, and ruthlessness to maintain it, and thus "betrayal" among the Sith is not a vice but an endorsed norm. Accordingly, the Sith reject altruism, self-abnegation and kindness, as they regard such attitudes as founded on delusions that fetter one's perceptions and power. In connection with their philosophy, the Sith draw on the Dark Side of the Force through severe negative emotions, a technique antipodal to that of their archenemies, the Jedi, who rely on the Force's "light side," i.e., the Force as experienced through disciplined states of quietude and compassion. Notably, both the Jedi and Sith shun romantic and familial love, as the Jedi fear such love will lead to attachment, and thus selfishness, and the Sith fear it will compromise their ruthlessness and connection to the Dark Side of the Force. Although the Sith are intimately linked to the Dark Side, not every user of the Dark Side is a Sith, nor is every user of the light side a Jedi.

Yes, a Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan’s apprentice.
— Yoda, in The Empire Strikes Back

The Dark Side of the Force is stigmatized as seductive, corruptive, and addictive by the Jedi, who view it as evil,^[12] whereas the Sith consider the Dark Side of the Force to be its most powerful manifestation, and regard the abstemious Jedi as blinded by false virtue. As portrayed in all Star Wars-related media, the Dark Side provides users with powers similar to those of the light side-using Jedi, but as it leverages passion and violence, its use is enhanced by negative raw and aggressive emotions and instinctual feelings such as anger, greed, hatred, and rage. By deciding to learn the ways of the Dark Side of the Force, the Sith may also acquire powers and abilities considered by some in the Star Wars universe to be unnatural.^[13] A notable example is a form of directed dielectric breakdown called "Force Lightning," infamously used by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious to torture Jedi-initiate and rebel Luke Skywalker. Darth Sidious claimed that his own master, Darth Plagueis, could even use the Force to avert the natural deaths of those whose lives he wished to save. Being uninhibited in their use of the Force, Sith could also repurpose abilities shared with the Jedi, such as telekinesis, to new and terrifying effect: Darth Vader was infamous for his use of telekinetic strangulation, or "Force Choke," as a means of execution or intimidation.

Beneath anger is always fear. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
— Yoda, in The Phantom Menace

Extended indulgence in the Dark Side reshapes the user's psychology, resulting in a loss of humanity, morality, empathy, and the ability to love, leaving every Sith, to varying degrees, amoral, cruel, sadistic and violent. Considering this dark change in personality to be a transformation into a different person altogether, some who turn to the Dark Side take on a different name, as they regard their former persona as dead and destroyed. Sith Lords, in particular, adopt a new name upon their initiation into the Order, prefixing it with the title Darth (e.g., "Darth Vader"). Severe saturation in the Dark Side may even lead to physical degradation. Although Sith are deeply affected by the Machiavellian methods and dark arts they practice, they are not portrayed as necessarily irredeemable: Some Sith, most famously Darth Vader in the final moments of his life, have renounced the Order and the Dark Side of the Force.

The dark side is generous... It is patient and it always wins – but in the heart of its strength lies its weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back.
— Yoda, in Revenge of the Sith novelization

Martial arts are a core part of the Sith tradition, and Sith featured in the Star Wars film series have all been highly trained warriors who further augment their abilities with the Force. Like the Jedi, the Sith's signature armament is an extremely lethal focused energy melee weapon known as a lightsaber, which (generally) only those trained in the ways of the Force can use effectively. Sith use lightsabers in combination with Force-derived powers, such as telekinesis, enhanced dexterity and precognition, to achieve superhuman combat prowess. A fully trained Sith is depicted as being at least a match for a well-trained Jedi Knight, and either can handily defeat multiple ordinary attackers armed with projectile weapons. In matters of dress, Sith may adopt any attire consistent with their plans or guise; they commonly favor black robes, armor and gis when presenting themselves authentically.

Fictional backstory (Legends)[edit]

In the Legends continuity, the Sith Order began around 6,900 BBY, during a period known as the Hundred Year Darkness. A series of conflicts began between the rebellious dark Jedi, a faction of the Jedi Order, and the rest of the Order. The dark Jedi were defeated and cast out, exiled to the unknown regions. These Exiles came across the planet Korriban, and its native species, the Sith. The strongest among the Exiles, Ajunta Pall, became the first to hold the title Dark Lord of the Sith. His contemporaries, such as Karness Muur and XoXaan became Sith Lords. The human Dark Jedi interbred with the Sith species, who also had an affinity for the Dark Side. They would become the original Sith Empire.

One of the earliest leaders of this Sith Empire was Tulak Hord. He expanded the Sith territories and conquered the Dromund System, home to Dromuund Kaas, later the capital of the Sith Empire. He was eventually followed by Marka Ragnos, the last ruler of a period known as the Golden Age of the Sith. Upon the passing of Ragnos, two contenders for the throne of Dark Lord, Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, dueled at his funeral. Eventually, after a series of conflicts, Sadow was victorious, and Kressh apparently killed.

Sadow began the Great Hyperspace War, invading the Republic and laying siege to its planets. Sadow's efforts were initially met with success, his forces amplified by illusions that Sadow projected from his meditation sphere. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord's concentration was broken when his apprentice turned on him. With his illusions dispersed, Sadow's forces were forced to retreat. Upon returning to Sith space, they found that Kressh had not been killed, and engaged him in a space battle. Sadow was victorious again, but they were soon attacked by Republic forces. Sadow escaped by causing the Denarii Binary Star to go supernova.

The Sith Empire would eventually rise again, with the rise of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. The spirit of the deceased Dark Lord, Marka Ragnos, declared Kun Dark Lord of the Sith, and made Qel-Droma his apprentice. Allying themselves with warriors such as the Mandalorians, Kun and Qel-Droma declared war on the Galactic Republic. During a raid on the Jedi Library at Ossus, Qel-Droma dueled and killed his brother, but was captured. Qel-Droma was redeemed and was instrumental in Kun's downfall, when the latter retreated to Yavin 4.

At some point following the Mandalorian Wars, the individuals known as Revan and Alek declared themselves Sith Lords, and became Darth Revan and Darth Malak respectively. Their brutal campaign against the Republic was hugely successful. Revan was eventually betrayed by Malak, allowing a Jedi strike team to capture him. Malak continued his conquest without Revan's tactical leadership until a redeemed Revan defeated him, and the Star Forge, the source of the Sith Fleet was destroyed.

Remnants of Revan's Sith Empire, led by the Sith Triumvirate, consisting of Darth Traya, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Sion, began a shadow war against the Jedi. This First Jedi Purge, brought the Jedi Order to the brink of extinction. Their downfall came about when Meetra Surik, a Jedi who was exiled after the Mandalorian Wars, returned to known space. She defeated the three Sith, and without the Sith leadership, and the destruction of their base of operations on Malachor V, the remaining Sith forces faded into obscurity.

Around 300 years later, the original Sith Empire, now under the leadership of Emperor Vitiate, emerged from the Unknown Regions and declared war on the republic. This war, dubbed the Great Galactic War, was halted when Vitiate, on the cusp of victory, was restrained by the telepathic prowess of Revan. After a period of non-fighting, called the Galactic Cold War, tensions boiled over, and the Galactic War began. The Sith empire eventually fell to infighting and mostly disappeared. Occasionally, a Dark Lord such as Darth Rivan or Darth Ruin, would rise and fall, but the Sith did not become a major threat again until around 2,500 years later.

At this point, the Brotherhood of Darkness arose, led by the Sith Lord Skere Kaan. They focused on controlling the infighting between the Sith. This policy allowed them to make great progress in their war against the Republic. Ironically, one of their own, a Sith Lord by the name of Bane turned on them, because he disapproved of their methods. He manipulated the Brotherhood into extinction, and they were defeated. Bane started the Rule of Two, which evolved into the Sith as they are seen in the films.

Fictional history[edit]

The Star Wars saga began with the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which was released in 1977.^[14] Since then, films, books, computer games and comics have been released, all set in the fictional universe of Star Wars, which has expanded the history of the Sith within their stories.

The schemes of the Sith are key to the overarching plot of the Star Wars films and much other fictional material in the franchise. Their background has varied among depictions, but the Sith have always been insidious archenemies of the Jedi leveraging dark arts in pursuit of power and revenge. The Sith were first mentioned in A New Hope in a scene ultimately cut from the film. They were expanded upon heavily in the following years in books, comics, games and other multimedia. The Sith were formally introduced on-screen with the release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999 as a shadowy martial order manipulating the movie's political factions into a galaxy-spanning civil war.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars first aired on Cartoon Network in 2008. This series took place between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. During this time, Anakin Skywalker is a full-fledged Jedi Knight and the series shows how he progresses into his fall to the Dark Side of the Force.^[15] Count Dooku is the active Sith Lord and leader of the Separatist Alliance. The series also explores Dooku's attempts at training secret apprentices like Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress in order to eventually defeat Darth Sidious and become the ruling Sith Lord.

Emergence of the Sith Order[edit]

The origin, agenda, abilities and philosophy of the Sith are intertwined with their relationship to the Force. With proper training, the Force may be called upon by rare individuals capable of "sensing" or "touching" it to achieve extraordinary feats such as telekinesis, precognition and mental suggestion. Not all psychological states are conducive to employing the Force; discipline is required. However, both quietude and focused, intense passion alike can be effective. The Sith originated in a species of Force-sensitive warriors who discovered the efficacy of passion as a tool to draw on the Force at least 5,000 years prior to the events of the first Star Wars film.^[16] Fully embracing this approach, they became defined and corrupted by it.

The warriors who would become the first Sith were apparently heterodox members of an older martial order of Force-sensitive sapient beings in the Star Wars universe: The Jedi. The Jedi served as a space-faring knightly order within the Galactic Republic, a representative democracy encompassing most developed worlds. The Jedi Order sought to use the powers of the Force to help defend the weak and advance the rule of law across the galaxy, in keeping with their ethics of self-sacrifice and service to the common welfare. The Jedi creed mirrored their method of utilizing the Force, and Jedi doctrine favored states of serenity, detachment, compassion, and humility as the proper means of accessing its power. When members of the Jedi Order began to experiment with passion as an alternative, controversy emerged. The Jedi establishment saw these innovations as a threat to the ethos of the Jedi, opening members to the seduction of aggrandizement and cruelty. Eventually, this controversy led to a sectarian conflict in which the heterodox Jedi were defeated and exiled.^[17]

In exile, the dissident Jedi were free to explore the relationship between passion and the Force. They concluded that the martial and ethical disciplines of the Jedi establishment were foolish and misguided: Passion, not quietude, was the most potent means of accessing the Force, and conflict, not peace, was the natural and healthy state of the universe. Rejecting the self-abnegation of their forebears, the exiles now embraced ruthless personal ambition, believing that power belonged to those with the cunning and strength to seize it. In their training, the dissidents would seek to master the Force by cultivating dark passions such as anger and hate, a practice anathematized by the Jedi as taking recourse to the Force's "Dark Side." Guided by their kratocratic and egoistic philosophy and armed with taboo Dark Side techniques, the former Jedi exiles would reemerge to menace the galaxy as the Sith Order, aiming to conquer the Galactic Republic and exact revenge against the Jedi.

A succession of Sith-led regimes would arise to challenge the Jedi and the Galactic Republic.^[18] However, internal power struggles would prove decisive in thwarting the Sith's designs. The paradox of reconciling endless personal ambition with corporate action would become a great practical and philosophical concern for the Sith. Ultimately, this paradox would be “resolved” through a drastic reorganization effected by a leader named Darth Bane, who recast the Sith in an esoteric lineal master-apprentice tradition known as “The Rule of Two.”^[19] Thereafter (at least, as a matter of orthodoxy) there would be only two Sith at a time: One to embody power, and another to crave it. While concealing their identity as Sith, a succession of Sith masters and apprentices would work through the centuries to inveigle or force themselves into positions of power and undermine responsible government, preparing the Galactic Republic for eventual usurpation. The Banite tradition encouraged each apprentice to eventually challenge and slaughter his or her master, and take an apprentice in turn. In this way, Darth Bane guaranteed the conspiracy remained a secret for a thousand years; he believed that the kratocratic essence of Sith philosophy could be reconciled with a sustained project of galactic domination and revenge against the Jedi. The first six Star Wars films chronicle the consummation, and eventual undoing, of this ancient scheme.

Ascent to power of the Sith[edit]

Darth Bane's plan would come to fruition through Sheev Palpatine, a Naboo Senator, later Supreme Chancellor, of the Galactic Republic, and secretly a Dark Lord of the Sith (“Darth Sidious”). By manipulating disgruntled factions within the Galactic Republic, Palpatine orchestrated civil war. This conflict, known within the Star Wars universe as the "Clone Wars", provided a justification for consolidating power in the Galactic Republic's chief executive and assembling a large army of hastily cloned soldiers—surreptitiously conditioned to obey certain key commands issued by Palpatine. Although the Jedi eventually discovered Palpatine's identity as a Sith and attempted to arrest him, this action was anticipated by Palpatine, who framed their actions as an attempted coup, providing in turn a pretext for annihilating the Jedi by activating “Order 66,” one of the clone soldiers’ embedded protocols. In the course of effecting his designs, Palpatine also manipulated the Jedi's most powerful initiate, Anakin Skywalker, into his service, by promising to teach Skywalker Dark Side techniques that could save the life of Padmé Amidala, a Galactic Senator to whom Skywalker was secretly married in violation of Jedi rules, and whose death in childbirth Skywalker had preternaturally foreseen. In a tragic irony, Amidala's sheer horror at discovering Skywalker's collaboration with Sidious in destroying the Jedi would itself be the cause of her death during childbirth, though Sidious would trick Skywalker into believing that an episode of Skywalker's physical abuse of Amidala had been the actual cause of her death. Skywalker's subsequent emotional collapse would lead him to fully embrace the Dark Side of the Force and assume the persona of Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith. With Darth Vader at his side, the Emperor would rule the newly styled Galactic Empire for approximately 20 years as its Emperor. Initially unknown to Vader and Sidious, two children were delivered by Padme before her death.

Sith temples[edit]

The Rebels episode "Twilight of the Apprentice" features a forbidden planet called Malachor,^[20] home of an ancient Sith temple.^[21] The temple contains a superweapon, and can only be activated by placing a special Sith Holocron^[22] in an obelisk at the summit of the pyramid inside the temple. Thousands of years prior, a battle was waged on Malachor that resulted in the deaths of its inhabitants. Somewhere between the events of his last appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story and this Rebels episode, Darth Maul had become stranded on the planet. When Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger arrive, Ezra is separated from them. He is discovered by Maul, and together, they use the Force cooperatively to solve a series of tests, and retrieve a Sith Holocron. With the help of Kanan and Ahsoka, they fought three Inquisitors, all of whom are killed by Maul. Maul then betrays his allies, blinding Kanan, and proceeds to activate the superweapon.

Maul is defeated by a sightless Kanan, and Darth Vader arrives with the intention of retrieving the holocron, but is challenged by Ahsoka, his former Padawan. While the superweapon is preparing to fire, Kanan and Ezra retrieve the holocron and escape, preventing the weapon of mass destruction from being used. Even though the temple is destabilized, Ahsoka and Vader keep fighting to the death within the rapidly crumbling building, until it eventually explodes, wounding Vader.^[23]

The Star Wars Resistance episode "The Relic Raiders" depicts a Sith temple hidden underneath a later Jedi temple.^[24]

End of the Sith[edit]

Anakin's children, Leia, and Luke Skywalker would become key members of the Rebel Alliance to restore the Galactic Republic. Luke would be secretly tutored in the ways of the Force by Vader's own former Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a powerful elder Jedi, Yoda, who also survived Palpatine's purge. Ironically, during a final confrontation between Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and the Emperor aboard a mobile battle station known as the Death Star, the Sith lineage would end as Darth Bane prescribed that it proceed. Darth Sidious offered Skywalker an ultimatum to enter his service or die, and proceeded to use his Force-derived powers to torture and kill Skywalker when the latter refused to embrace the Dark Side of the Force. Experiencing a crisis of conscience at the imminent death of Skywalker, whom Vader now knew to be his son, Darth Vader chose to intervene and kill his former master, Sidious fulfilling the prophecy of the Chosen One. Vader would die of his own injuries shortly thereafter, thus apparently bringing an end to the Sith and their ancient vendetta.

The 2019 film The Rise of Skywalker depicts the climax of the conflict between the Sith and the Jedi,^[25] and features the group known as the Sith Eternal, led by a resurrected Darth Sidious. When Sidious meets his final demise at the hands of his granddaughter, Rey, the moment also marks the definitive end of the Sith.

Overview[edit]

Members[edit]

Timeline[edit]

Before the films - At an unknown point in time, numerous Jedi become disillusioned with the Order and exile themselves, forming the Sith Order. Thousands of years later, a centuries-long war between the Jedi and the Sith takes place, which culminates with the apparent defeat of all the Sith. However, there is a sole survivor, Darth Bane, who later goes on to create the Rule of Two and have an apprentice of his own, marking the beginning of a new era for the Sith. The Sith continue to exist in secret for a millennium after Bane's death. Darth Plagueis trains Sidious, who ultimately kills Plagueis in his sleep and takes Maul as his first apprentice.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Sidious and Maul, who is later defeated in battle and presumed to be dead; the Jedi also become aware of the Sith's return.)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (Sidious and Tyranus; Maul lives but is absent from the film due to still being thought dead.)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and series (Sidious and Tyranus, who also uses Asajj Ventress as a Shadow Hand. Maul is discovered to be alive and trains his brother Savage Oppress as his own Sith apprentice. Sidious later kills Savage and captures Maul, who manages to escape and exiles himself, and Tyranus kills Ventress.)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (Sidious and Tyranus; Tyranus is later killed and replaced by Anakin Skywalker, who becomes Darth Vader, and together with Sidious, the Sith take over the galaxy, forming the Galactic Empire and wiping out almost the entire Jedi Order. Maul lives but is absent from the film.)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Maul. Sidious and Vader also live, but do not appear.)
Star Wars Rebels (Sidious and Vader, who both train Inquisitors as Shadow Hands. The Grand Inquisitor, the Fifth Brother, the Seventh Sister and the Eight Brother Inquisitors are all ultimately killed. Maul lives but no longer considers himself a Sith and, in the episode Twin Suns, he is finally killed by his long-time rival Obi-Wan Kenobi.)
Rogue One (Vader. Sidious lives, but does not appear in the film, and is only mentioned as "The Emperor".)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (Vader. Sidious lives, although he does not appear in the film, and is only mentioned as “The Emperor”.)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (Sidious and Vader)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (Sidious and Vader. Sidious is later killed by Vader, who dies as well in the process and becomes a Jedi once again. With both Sidious and Vader dead, the Empire and the Sith Order come to an end.)
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (Vader, mentioned. Snoke and Kylo Ren, although not Sith, the former being a powerful dark side user created by Sidious as a puppet. The Knights of Ren, an organization of less powerful Force-wielders led by Kylo Ren, also appear briefly in a vision to Rey.)
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (Sidious and Vader, both mentioned. Snoke and Kylo Ren; Snoke is later killed by Ren, who becomes the new Supreme Leader of the First Order.)
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (Sidious, having returned from the dead, later killed for the final time by Rey, marking the definitive end of the Sith Order. Kylo Ren, who later redeems himself and dies, and the Knights of Ren, who are all ultimately killed by the redeemed Ben Solo.)

Sith Lords appearing / mentioned outside of the films[edit]

Darth Andeddu[edit]

In the Legends continuity, Darth Andeddu, also known as the Immortal God-King of Prakith, was an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith who lived prior to the invention of the "Darth" title for the Sith. He was a paranoid man, who believed that his followers were secretly plotting to overthrow him, which eventually came true, as they betrayed and attacked him, seeking to steal his power. Forced to flee from Korriban, Andeddu created the world of Prakith, where he would rule as a deity for several centuries until meeting his demise and entombing himself to prevent his followers from stealing his secrets even in death. Prior to his death, he would also create a Sith holocron to store all his knowledge, including the ability to cheat death by transferring one's essence into another vessel, and his cult, called "the Malevolence", would create a temple in the reverence of the Dark Lord, believing that one day he would return. The legend of Andeddu and his incredible power remained at large long after his death, despite the Jedi Order's attempt to erase all knowledge and reference about the Sith.

In the Star Wars canon, Andeddu is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where, even though his backstory is never explained, it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Andeddu thousands of years after his death and had the 5th Legion of Sith Troopers named after him.

Darth Atrius[edit]

Darth Atrius was an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith who existed long before the Rule of Two was created. He owned two crossguard lightsabers, which were found and given away by the smuggler Sana Starros after the Battle of Yavin. The anger possessed by Atrius when wielding both these crossguard lightsabers at the same time, carried over to the weapons themselves, and can transfer over to their new owners. These lightsabers were eventually destroyed by Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, thus possibly erasing all knowledge about Atrius himself.^[26]

Darth Caldoth[edit]

Darth Caldoth was a male Duros Dark Lord of the Sith, who lived at an unknown point in time and wrote a book titled The Bestiary of Darth Caldoth, which mentioned various Sith warbeasts such as the Gundark. According to the legend, Caldoth eventually gained a Sith apprentice, the Twi'lek Ry Nymbis, and they were considered the two most powerful individuals in the galaxy at one point. Caldoth killed his own apprentice with a Sith ritual that turned the person's body into stone when he felt Nymbis was going to betray him. With the ritual, Nymbis was trapped in an eternal nightmare. Darth Caldoth is only alluded to in the novel Myths & Fables written by George Mann and published in August 2019.

Darth Krall[edit]

Darth Krall (Radaki) was a male Dark Lord of the Sith who lived at an unknown point in time and was seduced to the dark side after losing his faith in the Jedi Order, believing that the Jedi should retain their family ties and wealth. His notable actions include taking part in the Battle of Wasted Years, where the Sith emerged victorious, and taming the Nightmare Conjunction. His lightsaber would later be stored in the Bogan Collection at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Darth Krall is only alluded to in the audiobook Dooku: Jedi Lost.

Darth Skrye[edit]

Darth Skrye was a female Dark Lord of the Sith who lived at an unknown point in time. Her voice would be heard by Count Dooku during his time as a Jedi Padawan, in a Force vision that he had after encountering the Presagers of Hakotei on Asusto, where she claimed that the Sith were reborn, before activating a superweapon called the Cauldron and destroying an entire planet. Skyre also owned an artifact called the Hand of Skrye, which would eventually be found by Jedi Lene Kostana and Sifo-Dyas on Rishi. Darth Skrye is only alluded to in the audiobook Dooku: Lost Jedi.

Darth Wrend[edit]

Darth Wrend was a Dark Lord of the Sith who lived at an unknown point in time and was best known for coming back to life after being killed by the Jedi Order, in order to fight them once again. The legend of Darth Wrend would come to Qui-Gon Jinn's mind during his time as a Padawan, who opened the holocron of prophecy, which contained numerous prophecies of which several dated ten thousand years prior. One of the prophecies said that evil would disappear yet appear again once the righteous had lost its light, which many believed that was referring to the return of the Sith. At that time, Qui-Gon believed that the prophecy talked about Darth Wrend's return from the dead and that it had already been fulfilled, although it would later be discovered that the prophecy referred to the return of the Sith in the form of Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Maul. Darth Wrend is only alluded in the novel and audiobook Master & Apprentice.

Darth Tanis[edit]

Darth Tanis was an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith who lived at least 4,000 years before the events of A New Hope, as Sith accounts from 3966 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) described kyber weaponry developed by him on the planet Malachor. Darth Tanis is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Tanis thousands of years after his death and had the 17th Legion of Sith Troopers named after him.

Darth Desolous[edit]

Darth Desolous was a male Pau'an Dark Lord of the Sith who was expelled from the Jedi Order due to his violent nature and trained an army of fellow Pau'an warriors to fight them, but ended up falling into a trap set by the Jedi and perished in battle. His image would later be incorporated in the training simulations at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

In the Star Wars canon, Darth Desolous is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where, even though his backstory is never explained, it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Desolous many years after his death and had the 44th Legion of Sith Troopers named after him.

Darth Phobos[edit]

Darth Phobos was a Theelin Dark Lady of the Sith with mind manipulation abilities, who killed many of her fellow Sith in a bid of power and formed a cult to worship her, but was ultimately killed by the combined forces of the Jedi and Sith. Her image would later be incorporated in the training simulations at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

In the Star Wars canon, Darth Phobos is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where, even though her backstory is never explained, it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Phobos many years after her death and had the 39th Legion of Sith Troopers named after her.

Darth Revan[edit]

Darth Revan was a Jedi hero who led the Republic to victory in the Mandalorian Wars, almost 4,000 years before the events of A New Hope. He and his comrade, Malak, later unwittingly discovered the Sith Empire, hidden in the Unknown Reaches of space. The Sith Emperor, using Sith sorcery, turned Revan and Malak to the Dark Side, but the two broke free from his control and formed their own Sith Empire to wage war on the Republic, with Revan as the leader and Malak as his Sith Apprentice. As a Sith, Revan prepared to battle with the Jedi who boarded his flagship, and Darth Malak, in the hopes of destroying both Revan and Bastila Shan, betrayed his master, ordering the ships under his command to fire on Revan's flagship's bridge. Revan was critically injured and taken by Bastila Shan to the Jedi Council Enclave. The Council chose to wipe Revan's memory, and imprint him with a false identity. Revan later awoke on a starship under attack and encountered Malak, who eventually revealed the truth of his identity. Following this, Revan defeated Malak in a final battle, claiming victory for the Republic. Revan later married Bastila Shan with the approval of the Jedi Council and eventually departed into the Unknown Regions to confront the Sith Emperor, but was imprisoned for 300 years until his descendant Satele Shan rescued him. However, due to being imprisoned for centuries, his lighter half had perished and became a Force spirit, leaving only his darker half, which sought to destroy the Sith Emperor once and for all. Since the Emperor's physical body had already been destroyed, leaving only his spirit, Revan planned to resurrect him so that he could then kill him for good. However, he was ultimately defeated by the combined forces of the Repulbic and his lighter half. The two halves of Revan then merged together in peace and died for the final time, although, unbeknownst to everyone, the Sith Emperor had been resurrected and escaped into the galaxy. Following his death, Revan would be remembered by the galaxy for thousand of years, both as a legendary Jedi hero and one of the most powerful Sith Lords to have ever lived.

In the Star Wars canon, Darth Revan is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where, even though his backstory is never explained, it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Revan thousands of years after his death and had the 3rd Legion of Sith Troopers named after him. Darth Revan was also originally set to appear in the episode "Ghosts of Mortis" of The Clone Wars TV show alongside Darth Bane, but they were both ultimately cut.

Darth Momin[edit]

Darth Momin (Momin) was a male Dark Lord of Sith, as well as a sculptor, who was imprisoned at a young age for ideas and aspirations. He was eventually rescued by a woman named Shaa, who trained him in the Dark Side of the Force and whom he eventually killed after believing that he had become more powerful than his master. Momin then built a superweapon to destroy an entire city and perished when the Jedi intervened to stop him, losing control over the energy he wielded and causing his physical body to be destroyed, leaving only his mask with his consciousness inside. Years later, the mask would be retrieved from the Jedi Archive vault by Darth Sidious, who gave it to his apprentice Darth Vader as a gift for his journey to Mustafar, which Vader sought to make his personal stronghold. After Momin's mask killed some of his personnel, Vader examined it and learned of Momin's past, before letting him possess the body of a Mustafarian and build his fortress for him. Shortly after Momin finished the build of the fortress, Vader was distracted by an invasion of Mustafarians, which Momin took advantage of to open the door to the Dark Side and resurrect himself. However, after challenging Vader to a duel, Momin would soon meet his demise by being crashed against the wall with a giant rock. Despite Momin's death, his dark essence would remain in the mask for years to come and at one point the mask was located aboard the Imperial yacht Imperialis, where it possessed the bodies of two thieves who attempted to rob the ship, forcing the others to abandon them and destroy the ship. Darth Momin appeared in the novel series Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, as well as the 4th issue of Lando.

Darth Bane[edit]

Darth Bane (Dessel) was a male human Dark Lord of the Sith, who was the sole survivor of Sith Order in the aftermath of the ancient war between the Jedi and the Sith, and later established the Rule of Two, which was considered the beginning of the modern Sith within the Star Wars canon. This rule stated that there must be only two Sith Lords at a time: a master to embody power, and an apprentice to crave it and eventually overthrow his/her master and adopt an apprentice of his/her own.^[27] He is the main character of the non-canonical Darth Bane Trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn.

In the Star Wars canon, Darth Bane's only appearance was in the episode "Sacrifice" of The Clone Wars TV show, where his spirit was encountered by Yoda on the Sith homeworld of Moraband, whom he unsuccessfully attempted to seduce to the dark side, as part of the Jedi Grand Master's trial to learn the power of immortality. Bane was also originally set to appear in the episode "Ghosts of Mortis" alongside Darth Revan, but they were both ultimately cut.

Darth Tenebrous[edit]

Darth Tenebrous (Rugess Nome) was a male Bith Dark Lord of the Sith with the power of foreseeing the future, including his own death, and was the master of both Darth Plagueis and Darth Venamis, the latter of whom he kept secret as it was a violation of the Rule of Two. His public persona was Rugess Tome, a legendary artisanal starship designer with a galaxy-spanning reputation, and he was known for being a scientific genius and master planner, as well as for his breathing apparatus. Tenebrous' secret plan was to possess the Chosen One once he would appear, but he was eventually killed by Plagueis during a mission on the planet Ban'demnic. However, Tenebrous wasn't too surprised at Plagueis's betrayal and instead congratulated him with his dying breath, because his conscience would soon be able to enter his apprentice's body. Despite managing to cheat death, Tenebrous' plan failed, because, during his time in Plagueis' body, he foresaw him being killed by his own apprentice before the appearance of the Chosen One, meaning that Tenebrous would never be able to possess him. Tenebrous then tried to escape from Plagueis' body, but only saw the mummified remains of his original body, as decades had passed since his death. Thus, Tenebrous was cursed to remain a vague spirit for the rest of eternity, unable to gain a physical body ever again.

In the Star Wars canon continuity, Darth Tenebrous is only alluded in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, where, even though his backstory is never explained, it is revealed that Darth Sidious' Sith Eternal cult still had knowledge of Tenebrous many years after his death and had the 26th Legion of Sith Troopers named after him.

Darth Plagueis[edit]

Darth Plagueis (Hego Damask) was a male Muun Dark Lord of the Sith and master of Darth Sidious, first referenced in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Palpatine to Anakin Skywalker. Plagueis later appeared as the protagonist of the now-non-canonical Legends novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis. He was the master of Darth Sidious, who claimed that Plagueis' abilities in the Force grew to such an extent that he could create life by influencing microscopic force-sensitive entities called "midi-chlorians," and even save people from dying. According to the Rule of Two, Plagueis would eventually be killed by Sidious in his sleep, who subsequently became the new Sith Master and would later take on an apprentice of his own. The non-canonical novel reveals that Plagueis maintained a public influence as a member of the Intergalactic Banking Clan as Hego Damask, a benevolent Muun, until he was eventually killed in his sleep by Sidious. In Attack of the Clones, it is revealed that the Banking Clan was one of the various groups to ally themselves with the Separatist Alliance.

Sith Lords in the films[edit]

Darth Sidious[edit]

Darth Sidious (Sheev Palpatine) was a male human Dark Lord of the Sith who appeared in each trilogy of the Skywalker Saga. Originally the eldest son of an aristocratic family from the planet Naboo, he rose to power within the Galactic Republic's government system starting from Senator of his homeworld, then to Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and finally to self-proclaimed Emperor of the Galactic Empire. This was done by cultivating a public image as a humble and competent politician while secretly mastering dark Sith arts studying under Plagueis, and planning the destruction of the Jedi Order and Republic. Eventually, by manipulating disaffected political groups and using double agents to sow discord, Palpatine fomented a civil war that provided an opportunity for him to seize absolute power. He had three known Sith apprentices: Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, and Darth Vader. He was eventually betrayed and killed by his last, Vader, at the end of Return of the Jedi.^[28] He returned more than 30 years later in The Rise of Skywalker, having managed to cheat death through powerful mastery of the dark side of the Force.^[29] He was finally killed by his granddaughter, Rey, who deflected his Force lightning back at him using the Skywalker lightsabers. Darth Sidious' death marked what appears to be the definitive end of the Sith.

In Legends continuity, Darth Sidious would return using clones and ancient Sith powers, returning in several clone bodies over the course of several novels and comics. During this time he would briefly turn Luke Skywalker to the dark side of the Force through sheer power as much as by guile, though Luke would later be redeemed by his sister Leia and restored to the light side of the Force and defeated Palpatine once and for all. Shortly before his first death, Palpatine had sent a psychic command through the Force to Mara Jade, planting in her the need to kill Luke. She eventually fulfilled this command by slaying a clone of Luke called Luke Skywalker, whom Palpatine had made in an attempt to use him against the original, though this plot ultimately would fail due to Mara's fatal attack on the clone.

In the Infinities storylines, which take alternate paths from the original three films— one from a specific point in each of the first three films— Palpatine's rule is depicted as eventually coming to an end in various ways. In the first such alternate continuity— based on A New Hope— Yoda uses the Death Star to slay the Emperor, who had by this point managed to turn Leia to the dark side, crashing the massive station into the Emperor's castle. In the second, based on the Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine continues to rule the Empire, and his ultimate fate is unrevealed, as the story focuses on Leia becoming a Jedi in place of Luke, who had perished on Hoth. In the final story, set in an alternate timeline of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine is defeated by the combined forces of Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader as the second Death Star is destroyed by the rebel forces, but he remains alive. As a result, Palpatine remained emperor and the rebels, now joined by a redeemed Anakin Skywalker in a white version of the Darth Vader suit, continued their battle against him.

Darth Maul[edit]

Darth Maul (Maul) was a male Dathomirian Zabrak Sith Lord who served as the first apprentice of Darth Sidious. He first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, where he was ordered by his master to capture Queen Amidala of Naboo in order for her to sign a treaty that would legalize the Trade Federation's invasion of the planet. After tracking the Queen's personal starship to Tatooine, he briefly attacked Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi sent to escort Amidala to Coruscant, but he escaped. Later, Maul travelled to Naboo to aid the Federation's invasion and again fought Jinn, along with his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi in the plasma refinery complex beneath Theed Palace. Though he managed to kill Jinn, he was then defeated by Kenobi, who sliced him in half, leading to everyone, including Sidious, to believe he had died. In reality, however, Maul survived his injuries and ended up on the junk planet Lotho Minor, where he would spend the next twelve years being driven to insanity. He was eventually found by his brother Savage Opress during the Clone Wars. After the Nightsisters of Dathomir restored Maul's sanity and provided him with a pair of robotic legs, he would go on to seek revenge on Kenobi with his brother's help, in the process recruiting several crime syndicates to his cause to form the Shadow Collective and taking over Mandalore. He successfully exacted revenge on Kenobi, only to be defeated and captured by his former master, who saw him as a rival and killed Savage. Maul later escaped and manages to rebuild his criminal empire, now wishing to exact revenge on Sidious after he also had his mother Talzin killed. Near the end of the Clone Wars, he learned that Sidious sought to make Anakin Skywalker his new apprentice, and engineered a conflict on Mandalore to lure out and kill Skywalker. However, Ahsoka Tano was sent to deal with him instead, and he unsuccessfully tried to convince her to join forces and defeat Sidious. Maul was defeated and captured by Ahsoka, though she freed him when Sidious executed Order 66, causing Ahsoka's clone troopers to turn on her, and he created a distraction to help her escape, before fleeing himself. During the Galactic Empire era, Maul, having abandoned his Sith persona, led the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, until being left stranded on Malachor for years. He escaped after meeting Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, whom he attempted to turn to the dark side, and later forced to help him locate the long-absent Obi-Wan Kenobi. Upon tracking him down to Tatooine, he confronted Kenobi and fought him one final time. Maul was fatally injured and died in Kenobi's arms, finally letting go of his hatred for him, as he realized that Kenobi was looking after the boy he believed to be the Chosen One and would one day destroy the Sith, avenging all those who had suffered because of them, including Maul.

Darth Tyranus[edit]

Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku of Serenno) was a male human Sith Lord and the second apprentice of Darth Sidious, first appearing in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Dooku was a former Jedi Master who was trained by Grandmaster Yoda and took on Qui-Gon Jinn as his apprentice, but later became disillusioned with the Galactic Republic's Senate, realizing that immediate change was needed in order to maintain peace, and turned to the dark side of the Force. He played an important role in Sidious' plans to take over the galaxy, engineering the Clone Wars by recruiting the bounty hunter Jango Fett as the template for a clone army that would be used by the Republic, and forming the Confederacy of Independent Systems, consisting of numerous planets and systems who wanted to become independent from the Republic. Dook served as the figurehead of the Separatist Alliance throughout the Clone Wars until meeting his demise at the hands of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, who decapitated him at Chancellor Palpatine's (secretly Darth Sidious) urgings, thus revealing that Sidious never cared about Dooku and merely used him to aid his plans. Dooku was succeeded by Anakin himself, who fell to the dark side of the Force shortly after and became Sidious' third apprentice, Darth Vader, accomplishing what Dooku couldn't: helping Sidious wipe out the Jedi Order and form the Galactic Empire.^[30]

Darth Vader[edit]

Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) was a male human-cyborg Sith Lord and the third and final apprentice of Darth Sidious, who first appeared in the Star Wars original trilogy, and later in the prequel trilogy. As the Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker, he fought alongside his master Obi-Wan Kenobi during the galaxy-wide Clone Wars, but was slowly seduced to the dark side by Darth Sidious. After helping Sidious kill Jedi Master Mace Windu, he swore allegiance to the Sith and was given the name Darth Vader before setting out to destroy all Jedi left on Coruscant. After being sent by Sidious to assassinate the Separatist council members on Mustafar, Vader was badly injured in a duel with Kenobi, resulting in the loss of his remaining organic arm, both legs, and severe burn injuries. He was saved by Sidious, and encased in a black suit of armor with extensive cybernetics which kept him alive. As the Galactic Empire was established and continued to grow, Vader became the Emperor's immensely feared second-in-command and was given the task of finding surviving Jedi and the Rebel Alliance's base. After the destruction of the first Death Star, Vader was charged with tracking down the Rebel Alliance and destroying their headquarters. However, the actions of his son, Luke Skywalker, eventually turned Vader against his master, resulting in both Sidious' and Vader's deaths, as well as the fulfilment of the Chosen One prophecy.^[31]

Shadow Hands of the Sith[edit]

Although not official Sith, several other dark side users in the service of the Sith were present during the Clone Wars and the initial years of the Galactic Empire, prior to the events of A New Hope, where it was mentioned that Darth Vader and Darth Sidious were the only known Force-wielders at that time.

Asajj Ventress[edit]

Asajj Ventress was a female Dathomirian Sith Shadow Hand trained under Darth Tyranus and an antagonist of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She first appeared in the 2003 series Star Wars: Clone Wars, in which Darth Sidious assigned her to kill the then-Padawan Anakin Skywalker. After tracking the young war hero to the planet Muunilinst, Ventress engaged Anakin's Republic fighter forces fighting above the Separatist-occupied world and baited him in a chase to Yavin 4, where a fierce battle from the forest to the Massassi temple took place. Though she initially gained the upper hand in the ensuing lightsaber duel, Anakin called upon his immense connection to the Force to brutally overpower her, causing the Dathomirian to fall over the edge of a cliff. She luckily survived the landing and continued to serve her master throughout the Clone Wars on several occasions. Some of which included helping form an alliance between the Toydarians and the Separatists until Yoda thwarted it, spying on Kamino in a Separatist plot to destroy the clone production facilities while stealing Jango Fett's DNA template, and freeing Trade Federation viceroy Nute Gunray from the custody of Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano while fighting the two Jedi before ultimately succeeding in her mission. After being replaced with Savage Opress for her failures, Ventress returned to the Nightsisters until General Grievous led a massacre against them, which only she and Mother Talzin survived. From there, she helped Boba Fett's team of bounty hunters on a dangerous mission, which thus marked the start of her own bounty hunting career. Ventres later appeared in the novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple, which was intended for a story arc in the TV series. In the novel, she teamed up with Jedi Quinlan Vos to assassinate Count Dooku, and, along the way, the two fell in love. However, their attempt to kill Dooku failed, and Dooku captured Vos, turning him to the dark side. Ventress managed to turn Vos back, but died saving him from an angered Dooku and was later buried on Dathomir, amongst her fallen sisters.

Savage Opress[edit]

Savage Opress was a male Dathomirian Zabrak Sith Shadow Hand first trained under Darth Tyrannus and later under his own brother, Darth Maul, as well as a major antagonist in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Originally a Nightbrother under Mother Talzin on Dathomir, he was handpicked by Asajj Ventress as part of her scheme to kill Darth Tyrannus for the attempt on her life. His mind was eventually altered by the Nightsisters, making him more of a berserker on Ventress' call to the point of killing his brother Feral without remorse. Opress managed to become Tyrannus' new Shadow Hand and learned only a little about the ways of the Sith before Ventress had him help her fight their master due to his actions under him getting unwanted attention from the Jedi. However, in the heat of the moment and provoked by both of them, Opress tried to kill both Tyrannus and Ventress before escaping back to Dathomir. There, he was instructed by Mother Talzin to find Maul so that he could complete his training to defend himself against the numerous enemies he had made. After finding his long-lost brother as a shell of his former self on a junk planet, Opress managed to stir up Maul's grudge with Obi-Wan Kenobi to aid him in his revenge against the Jedi. From there, the Zabrak duo were able to set up a Confederacy against the Republic separate from the Separatists, and soon took over Mandalore. However, they received an unexpected visit by Darth Sidious, who considered Maul's sudden rise to power a threat to his rule, and dueled both him and Opress. The latter was fatally injured in the fight and died in Maul's arms, who would soon be defeated as well and captured by Sidious.

Inquisitorius[edit]

The Inquisitors were an organization of Force-sensitive warriors in the service of the Galactic Empire prior to the events of A New Hope, where it is implied that they all became defunct, as Darth Vader and Darth Sidious were the only known Force-wielders at that time. Most of them were former Jedi, who had lost their faith in the Jedi Order and succumbed to the dark side, during or shortly after the Clone Wars. They were all recruited into the Empire and trained by Darth Vader, who tasked them with hunting down other survivors of the Jedi Purge, as well as other Force-sensitive individuals, mostly children, to prevent them from becoming future Jedi. Among the known Inquisitors were:

The Grand Inquisitor - the individual who would become known as the Grand Inquisitor was a former Pau'an Jedi Temple Guard. He was one of the several guards who escorted the fallen Jedi Barris Offee for her trial after the bombing of the Jedi Temple in the episode "The Wrong Jedi" of The Clone Wars. Offee's speech about the Jedi Order having lost its way due to the Clone Wars, in addition to the fact that the Jedi Council had mistaken Ahsoka Tano for the real culprit, eventually made him lose faith in the Jedi as well and embrace the dark side. He later came into service of the Empire and was one of the first-ever Inquisitors recruited to its cause, with the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith showcasing his first encounter with Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Over the years, the Inquisitor worked his way up the Empire's ranks and eventually became the highest-ranking Inquisitor, being tasked (along with his subordinates) with hunting down Force-sensitive children across the galaxy and preventing them from becoming Jedi. The Grand Inquisitor first appeared as the main antagonist of the first season of Star Wars: Rebels, where he was assigned to hunt down Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger. He was eventually defeated by Kanan in combat and chose to commit suicide rather than face the infamous wrath of Darth Vader for his failure. A vision of the Grand Inquisitor in his old Jedi Temple Guard attire later appeared to Kanan in the Jedi Temple on Lothal and dueled him as part of his final trial to become a Jedi Knight.
The Second Sister - Trilla Suduri was the Padawan of Jedi Knight Cere Junda and one of the few survivors of the Great Jedi Purge. After Cere was captured and interrogated by the Empire, she betrayed Trilla's location, leading to her being captured and tortured by the Empire as well, until giving into the dark side and becoming the Second Sister Inquisitor. She initially made a cameo appearance in the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, and later served as the main antagonist of the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, where she was tasked with hunting Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, as well as a holocron containing a list of Force-sensitive children. Although she succeeded in securing the holocron, she was eventually defeated by Kestis and Cere at the Inquisitor headquarters on the planet Nur. Cere then attempted to make amends with her former Padawan, but Darth Vader appeared and killed Trilla for failing her mission.
The Fourth Sister - the Fourth Sister was a mysterious female Inquisitor, who was only alluded in the novel Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle. In the novel, the Fourth Sister is never actually seen in person, but rather only her armor, which was stolen by Rebel commander Lina Graf in order to pose as her and infiltrate Darth Vader's Fortress on Mustafar to rescue Lieutenant Thom Hudd. The Fourth Sister's fate is left ambiguous, as she could have been either captured or killed by the Rebels in order to steal her armor.
The Fifth Brother - the Fifth Brother was a former green-skinned humanoid male member of the Jedi Order who eventually lost his faith in the Order and became an Inquisitor sometime after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. He was introduced in the second season of Star Wars: Rebels, where he was shown to be working closely with the Seventh Sister, as they were both tasked with hunting the Ghost crew after the Grand Inquisitor's death, during which they also competed against each other to become the next Grand Inquisitor. The Fifth Brother was eventually defeated after dueling Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano and Maul on Malachor, being disarmed by Ahsoka and subsequently killed by Maul.
The Sixth Brother - Bil Valen was a former humanoid Jedi Knight who eventually lost his faith in the Jedi Order and became the Sixth Brother Inquisitor sometime after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. He was described as tall with unnatural-looking grey skin, piercing ice-blue eyes, broad shoulders, and distinctive scar/tattoo-like marking, and was also shown to have lost an arm to Darth Vader during one of his training sessions. The Sixth Brother only appeared in novels, most prominently in Ahsoka, where he was tasked with hunting Ahsoka Tano, but was ultimately defeated by her after she caused his lightsaber to overload and explode, killing him. His lightsaber would later be rebuilt by Ahsoka into two white ones, which she would use for years to come.
The Seventh Sister - the Seventh Sister was a former female Mirialan member of the Jedi Order who eventually lost her faith in the Order and became an Inquisitor sometime after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. She was introduced in the second season of Star Wars: Rebels, where she was shown to be using small droids to help her track down her targets, and was also working closely with the Fifth Brother, as they were both tasked with hunting the Ghost crew after the Grand Inquisitor's death, during which they also competed against each other to become the next Grand Inquisitor. The Seventh Sister was eventually defeated by Maul on Malachor and subsequently killed by him, after Ezra Bridger refused to do so.
The Eighth Brother - the Eighth Brother was a former male Terrelian Jango Jumper member of the Jedi Order who eventually lost his faith in the Order and became an Inquisitor sometime after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. He was introduced in the second season finale of Star Wars: Rebels, where he was tasked with hunting the former Sith Darth Maul, eventually tracking him down to Malachor. He dueled Maul, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano alongside his fellow Inquisitors, the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister, but they were both ultimately killed by Maul. Cornered, the Eighth Brother then attempted to escape, but his lightsaber had been damaged in battle and exploded in his hands when trying to use it to fly away, causing him to fall to his death.
The Ninth Sister - Masana Tide was a former female Dowutin Jedi Knight who eventually succumbed to the dark side and became the Ninth Sister Inquisitor after intense torture at the hands of the Empire. She first appeared in the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, where she assisted Darth Vader, the Sixth Brother and the Tenth Brother in hunting the Jedi Ferren Barr on the planet Mon Cala. After Barr used the Force to turn the Imperial stormtroopers present against them, the Ninth Sister was betrayed by the Sixth Brother, who severed her right foot and left her behind to die so that he could escape, although she managed to survive the ordeal as well. She later appeared as an antagonist in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, where she joined the Second Sister in the hunt for Cal Kestis. The Ninth Sister was ultimately defeated by the young Padawan on Kashyyyk, who severed her right hand as well. However, she survived the ordeal once again and her fate is left ambiguous.
The Tenth Brother - Prosset Dibs was a former blind human Jedi Master during the Clone Wars who eventually became disillusioned by the Jedi's role as protectors of the galaxy. He first appeared in the novel Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu, where he was shown to have tried to kill Mace Windu during a mission on the planet Hissrich. He was subsequently put on trial and expelled from the Jedi Order for his actions. Dibs later became the Tenth Brother Inquisitor in the service of the Empire and appeared in the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, where he assisted Darth Vader, the Sixth Brother and the Ninth Sister in hunting the Jedi Ferren Barr on the planet Mon Cala. After Barr used the Force to turn the Imperial stormtroopers present against them, the Tenth Brother was killed in the ensuing fight.
Unnamed red-skinned Inquisitor - An unnamed red-skinned female Inquisitor appeared in the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, where she assisted Darth Vader, the Fifth Brother and another black-skinned Twi'lek Inquisitor in hunting Jedi Master Eeth Koth. While Vader dueled and killed Koth, the female Inquisitor found his wife and baby daughter, but refused to kill them, instead taking the latter and bringing her to Vader, who then left her in the care of some nursemaids. Later, the Fifth Brother informed Vader of her actions and, believing it to be an act of treason, he tried to kill her in front of the other Inquisitors. She managed to escape with the help of her fellow Twi'lek Inquisitor, but they were both eventually caught following a long chase through Coruscant and chose to commit suicide rather than be killed by Vader.
Unnamed Twi'lek Inquisitor - A black-skinned male Twi'lek Inquisitor appeared in the novel Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, where he assisted Darth Vader, the Fifth Brother and another red-skinned female Inquisitor in hunting Jedi Master Eeth Koth. Later, when Vader tried to kill the female Inquisitor for treason, he helped her escape, but they were both eventually caught following a long chase through Coruscant and chose to commit suicide rather than be killed by Vader.

New Republic-era dark side wielders[edit]

Although not official Sith, several dark side users were present in the years following the fall of the Galactic Empire and during the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order.

Snoke[edit]

Snoke was an artificial being created by Darth Sidious and his Sith Eternal cult on Exegol. After Palpatine's death and the fall of the Empire, Snoke became the Supreme Leader of the First Order and seduced Ben Solo to the dark side, training him to become his apprentice, Kylo Ren. Snoke first appeared in The Force Awakens (2015), where he ordered Ren and the rest of the First Order to find a map that would lead them to Luke Skywalker, the last remaining Jedi; Snoke was responsible for the destruction of Luke's Jedi Order, but Luke himself survived and went into exile, leaving behind only a map as a way to be tracked down. Snoke later sensed an "awakening" in the Force, in the form of the scavenger Rey, the secret granddaughter of Palpatine, who formed a unique Force dyad with Ren. After Ren was defeated by Rey in a lightsaber duel and the Resistance destroyed Starkiller Base, Snoke ordered General Hux to bring Ren to him, to complete his training.

In The Last Jedi, Snoke reprimanded Hux for his failure as a military leader, following a failed attack on the Resistance's base on D'Qar, and Ren for his failure to find and kill Luke Skywalker, doubting his destiny to succeed Darth Vader. Ren later brought Rey to Snoke, who tortured her for information on Luke's location. He also revealed to Ren and Rey that he had created the psychic bond between them as part of a plan to destroy Luke himself. Snoke then ordered Ren to kill Rey, but he instead sliced Snoke in half, killing him. Shortly after, Ren pinned Snoke's death on Rey and declared himself the new Supreme Leader of the First Order. In The Rise of Skywalker, Ren met the resurrected Emperor Palpatine on Exegol, who revealed to him that he had created Snoke as a puppet to lure Ren to the dark side and control the First Order. Ren also observed several clones of Snoke at Palpatine's lair, but Snoke had already served his purpose.

Kylo Ren[edit]

Ben Solo was the son of Rebel Alliance heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo. As the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, Solo was powerful with the Force from birth and was trained by his uncle Luke Skywalker alongside numerous other Jedi, in an attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order. However, Ben was slowly manipulated by Snoke, the Supreme Leader of the First Order and a powerful master of the dark side of the Force, who made him believe that it was his destiny to succeed Darth Vader and finish what he started: wipe out the Jedi Order. Thus, after Luke sensed the darkness inside him and attempted to kill him in his sleep, Ben turned to the dark side, adopting the Kylo Ren persona, and, following the destruction of Luke's Jedi Order (due to a mysterious dark storm destroying Luke's Jedi Temple and all its inhabitants), joined a mysterious organization of Force-wielding warriors called the Knights of Ren. He eventually killed their leader and replaced him, becoming the new leader of the Knights of Ren, and later a high-ranking commander within the First Order as well. However, unknown to Ren, Luke survived the destruction of his temple and, blaming himself for Ben's fall to the dark side, went into exile on Ahch-To. Ren eventually learned of his uncle's survival and sought to destroy him and the Jedi Order once and for all.

In The Force Awakens, Ren led an attack on a village on Jakku in the search of a map that would lead the First Order to Luke, and captured Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, who secretly gave the map to his droid BB-8, which was eventually found by the scavenger Rey. Although Ren learned of this after interrogating Poe with the Force, the latter was liberated by the rogue stormtrooper Finn, who eventually found BB-8 and Rey and they all escaped from Jakku aboard the Millennium Falcon, along the way joining up with Ren's father Han Solo and Chewbacca, who agreed to take them to Takodana, from where they could hand BB-8 over to the Resistance. However, Ren soon learned of this and led another attack on Takodana to retrieve BB-8. Although he failed and the First Order was chased away by the Resistance, Ren instead captured Rey, having sensed that she saw the map, and took her away for interrogation on Starkiller Base. However, Ren failed to extract the information from her and his interrogation instead unlocked her Force abilities. Ren later killed his father to prove his allegiance to the dark side and was defeated by Rey in a lightsaber duel, before being forced to evacuate due to the Resistance destroying Starkiller Base.

In The Last Jedi, Ren tried to prove himself to Snoke after being defeated by Rey by leading the attack on the Resistance fleet, although he hesitated to kill his mother. He also formed a special Force connection with Rey, through which he revealed to her how Luke had tried to kill him on the night that he turned to the dark side, leading Rey to come to confront Ren, believing that there is still good in him. Ren brought Rey before Snoke, who ordered him to kill her, but he instead killed Snoke and then worked with Rey to defeat his Praetorian Guards. Ren offered Rey to rule the galaxy alongside him and detach herself from the past, claiming that her parents were nobodies, but after she refused, they fought over possession of Luke's lightsaber, which Rey had been using, leading to it being destroyed and Rey escaping. Ren then pinned Snoke's death on Rey and declared himself as the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, before leading an attack on the remains of the Resistance on Crait. After Luke showed up to confront Ren and give the Resistance enough time to escape, Ren fought him, only to discover him to be a Force projection. As Ren screamed in anger, Luke died peacefully on Ahch-To, having used all his remaining energy to project himself on Crait, and the remains of the Resistance escaped aboard the Millennium Falcon.

In The Rise of Skywalker, Ren tracked down the resurrected Emperor Palpatine to Exegol with the intent of killing him, as he considered him a threat to his reign, but instead learned that Palpatine had been the mastermind behind Snoke all along and had manipulated him to join the dark side. Palpatine then revealed the Sith Eternal fleet — an armada of Xyston-class Star Destroyers equipped with canons capable of decimating entire planets — and offered Ren control of the fleet, thus giving him the means necessary of claiming the galaxy for himself, in exchange for killing his granddaughter, revealed to be none other than Rey. Although Ren accepted, he secretly planned to have Rey join him, so that together they could kill Palpatine and then rule the galaxy together. Ren then managed to track down Rey and her friends to Pasaana through their Force connection and their confrontation led to Rey using Force lightning to destroy a First Order transporter, which she believed Chewbacca had been taken prisoner on. Later, Rey and her friends infiltrated Ren's Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Steadfast above Kijimi to rescue Chewbacca after learning that he was still alive, and Ren was once again able to locate Rey through their connection, leading to another confrontation, during which Ren informed her of being Palpatine's granddaughter. Eventually, Rey and Ren dueled on the ocean moon Kef Bir, where the ruins of the second Death Star were located, during which Leia used her last remaining energy to reach out to his son, in an attempt to redeem him, before dying. Distracted, Ren was defeated and fatally injured by Rey, but having sensed Leia's death as well, she quickly used Force heal to treat his injury and then left. Initially confused and conflicted, Ren had a Force vision of his father, similar to the moment when he killed him, but this time Solo convinced his son to abandon the dark side and his Kylo Ren persona, redeeming himself and becoming Ben Solo once again. Ben then came to Exegol to help Rey fight Palpatine, killing the Knights of Ren in the process, but the Emperor sensed the unique Force dyad that the two of them formed and sucked the life energy from them to rejuvenate himself and become the most powerful being in the galaxy. However, Rey was able to summon the spirits of all the past Jedi and kill Palpatine, but died in the process. Ben then used all his remaining life energy to revive her and they shared a kiss, before Ben collapsed to the ground, dying peacefully and becoming one with the Force.

Knights of Ren[edit]

The Knights of Ren were an organization of masked Force-wielding warriors, who were neither Sith or Jedi, but a new generation of dark side warriors that emerged to fill the void left by the supposed demise of the last Sith Lords, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader. They had a code, to which they were flexible in the following: living life the way they wanted, taking what the galaxy gave them, and consuming what the dark side sent them. Their name came from a lightsaber called "Ren", which was at the base of their code and could only be wielded by their leader. The Knights consisted of six individuals named Vicrul, Ap'lek, Cardo, Kuruk, Trudgen, and Ushar, and, prior to the destruction of Luke Skywalker's new Jedi Order, they were led by another individual known simply as "Ren". Some of the Knights were students of Luke, who, similarly to their future leader, Kylo Ren, had lost their faith in the Jedi and succumbed to the dark side. Eventually, after the destruction of Luke's New Jedi Order (although Luke himself survived and went into exile), Ben Solo fell to dark side, before contacting the Knights with the intent of joining them. Eventually, Ben killed Ren and replaced him as the new leader of the Knights of Ren, adopting the name "Kylo Ren". The Knights first appeared in a vision to Rey in The Force Awakens, but played a more important role in The Rise of Skywalker. After Kylo Ren became the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, the Knights became his personal guards and began following him more closely. When Kylo formed an alliance with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine, who ordered him to kill his granddaughter, Rey, the Knights of Ren joined him in his hunt for her and were present during their confrontation on Pasaana, where they captured Chewbacca. Later, after Kylo redeemed himself and became Ben Solo once again, the Knights instead swore their loyalty to Palpatine and served as his guards during the final Battle of Exegol, where they were all slaughtered by Ben, marking the end of the Knights of Ren.

Legends non-canonical members of the Sith[edit]

Following the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm rebranded most of the licensed Star Wars novels, comics, and other fictional media published since the original 1977 film (previously identified as the Star Wars Expanded Universe) as Star Wars Legends and declared them non-canonical to the franchise in April 2014.^[32]^[33]^[34]

The Sith feature heavily in many stories of the Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU), appearing in a variety of media created prior to the advent of the 2015 feature film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.^[35] Future authors and screenwriters are not required to honor all of the events depicted in this material, but the Expanded Universe has remained a source of creative inspiration. The EU thoroughly details the schism between the dissident “Dark Jedi” and the Jedi establishment that led to the creation of the Sith Order, as well a series of conflicts between the Sith, Jedi and the Galactic Republic spanning the millennia prior to the events of the Star Wars motion picture series, and certain events thereafter.

In the EU, the Sith trace their origins to the followers of a dissident Jedi named Ajunta Pall, who endorsed the use of the Dark Side of the Force, contrary to Jedi orthodoxy.^[36] After Pall and his “Dark Jedi” followers were exiled for their practices, they eventually settled on a planet named Korriban, which was occupied by the "Sith," a red-skinned humanoid race with a high prevalence of Force-sensitives. Over the course of centuries of intermingling between the ethnic Sith and Dark Jedi, the name "Sith" would come to apply to the martial philosophy and political affiliation created by the former Jedi exiles on Korriban, rather than a specific race. This Sith regime would strike out at the Galactic Republic and Jedi on numerous occasions. Notable conflicts between the Sith and the Galactic Republic include the "Great Hyperspace War," in which the Sith would launch a massive invasion of the Republic but succumb to infighting, and the “Sith Holocaust,” in which the Galactic Republic failed in its attempt to exterminate the Sith from known space, leading the Sith survivors to take a vow of eternal vengeance on the Galactic Republic. The EU also describes the exploits of Sith characters following the collapse of Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire and the restoration of the Republic, such as the attempt by “Darth Krayt” to establish a New Sith Order on Korriban.

The first Expanded Universe novel was Splinter of the Mind's Eye, written by Alan Dean Foster and published in 1978. The setting for the novel takes place between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It provides a new adventure that includes Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. In the story, Darth Vader tries to get the Kyber Crystal to use it for his evil schemes.

Other novels that depict Sith characters are Darth Maul: Saboteur and Cloak of Deception by James Luceno.^[37] Cloak of Deception describes the political background surrounding the Republic in the time period before The Phantom Menace, as well as Darth Sidious' plans to rule the galaxy, starting with the blockade of Naboo. In Darth Maul: Saboteur, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious sends Darth Maul to destroy InterGalactic Ore and Lommite Limited.^[38]

In Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, by Michael Reaves, Darth Sidious sends his apprentice, Darth Maul, to investigate the traitor who leaked the secret of his plan to take down the Republic.^[39] Shadow Hunter provided insight into the Sith while detailing how Darth Sidious brought his plan of usurpation into action.

Dark Horse Comics purchased the copyrights to several Star Wars stories.^[40] With their publication of Star Wars: Dark Empire #1 in 1991, they initiated what has become a large line of Star Wars manga and comics.^[41] The Sith appear as major antagonists throughout this story's plot.^[41] Many of the comics that were published helped expand the backstory of the characters and followed the rise and fall of the Dark Lords of the Sith.^[41]

Star Wars video games have also been adapted from the plots of the films, novels, and TV shows. The games follow the basic plot of the story, but they can also include alternative, non-canonical, endings depending on which character is being played. Some of the video games that have a heavy focus on Sith characters and lore are Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, released in 2003,^[42] Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, released in 2004^[43] and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, released in 2008.^[44]

Darth Caedus[edit]

Darth Caedus (Jacen Solo) was a Dark Lord of the Sith born as the oldest son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. A Jedi hero of the Yuuzhan Vong War, he eventually fell to the Dark Side years later and masterminded the Second Galactic Civil War. He was eventually killed by his twin sister Jaina for his actions.

Marka Ragnos[edit]

Marka Ragnos was an ancient Sith-human hybrid Sith Lord, who lived during the time of the first Sith Empire, and seized the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, serving as the ruler of the Empire. After his death, two Sith Lords, Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, fought to occupy his throne, only for Ragnos' spirit to appear before them and claim that only the most worthy should succeed him. Ragnos lived on as a Force spirit following his death, trapped within his tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban. A thousand years after the Dark Lord's death, Exar Kun summoned Ragnos from his grave through the use of talismans. Ragnos crowned Exar Kun as the new Dark Lord, with Ulic Qel-Droma as Kun's apprentice, as an attempt to resurrect the lost empire thousands of years prior. Several thousands of years after that, in the video game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (set during the New Republic era), a cult dedicated to Ragnos, led by the Dark Jedi Tavion Axmis, raised as a new threat to the galaxy, with the intent of resurrecting the Sith Lord using an old artifact called the Scepter of Ragnos. After absorbing Force energy from numerous locations across the galaxy using the scepter, Tavion and her cult traveled to Korriban and almost succeeded in resurrecting Ragnos, but were stopped by Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order. Inside Ragnos' tomb, the Jedi Knight Jaden Korr defeated Tavion, before Ragnos' spirit emerged and possessed her body, attempting to kill the Jedi. However, Jaden was able to defeat Ragnos, whose spirit left Tavion's body and returned to the depths of the Force, swearing revenge against the Jedi.

Darth Venamis[edit]

Darth Venamis was a Bith Dark Lord of the Sith who served as Darth Tenebrous' secret apprentice, as it was a violation of the Rule of Two. After Tenebrous was killed by his other apprentice, Darth Plagueis, he eventually found and defeated Venamis, before capturing him and using him as a test subject for his midi-chlorians experiments over the following years. After decades of torture and being killed and then brought back to life over and over again, Plaugeis finally allowed Venamis to die, having served his purpose. However, he later revived again in the presence of his new apprentice, Darth Sidious, until Venamis' organs finally ceased to function, and he died for the final time.

Knights of the Old Republic series Sith Lords[edit]

Darth Malak[edit]

Darth Malak (Alek) is the main antagonist of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Once a Jedi Knight and Revan's best friend, the two of them fought together in the Mandalorian Wars. At some point, Malak was injured in battle and had his entire lower jaw cut off, forcing him to don a prosthetic jaw instead. Later, Malak and Revan unwittingly discovered the Sith Empire in the Unknown Regions and were captured by the Sith Emperor, who, using Sith sorcery, turned them to the Dark Side, but the two broke free from his control and formed their own Sith Empire to wage war on the Republic, with Revan as the leader and Malak as his Sith Apprentice. When Revan prepared to battle the Jedi who boarded his flagship, Malak betrayed him, ordering the ships under his command to fire on Revan's flagship's bridge, so that he could take over the Sith Empire for himself. However, Revan survived the ordeal and was taken to the Jedi Council Enclave, where he had his memory wiped, so that he would become a Jedi once again. Eventually, Revan faced off against Malak, who revealed the truth of his identity, but was ultimately killed in battle by his former friend and Sith Master, which also led to the downfall of his Empire.

Darth Traya[edit]

Darth Traya (Kreia) is a mentor to the "Jedi Exile" in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords.^[45]^[46] She is revealed to have been a Sith Master at the end of the game, and is ultimately killed in battle.

Darth Sion[edit]

Darth Sion, also known as the Lord of Pain, is an antagonist in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords. Alongside Darth Nihilus, he served as one of Traya's apprentices, until ultimately betraying her and driving her into exile. Sion managed to achieve immortality by calling on his pain, anger and hatred every time he was facing certain death, at the expense of all-consuming agony, which also led to his extremely disfigured appearance. The player's character eventually defeated Sion, and was then given the option to turn him back to the light side. Regardless, upon being shown the price he paid for immortality, Sion finally let go of his hate and allowed himself to die permanently.

Darth Nihilus[edit]

Darth Nihilus, also known as the Lord of Hunger, is an antagonist in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords. Alongside Darth Sion, he served as one of Traya's apprentices, until ultimately betraying her and driving her into exile. Nihilus imbued his dark soul into his mask and robes and had the power to drain the life force out of any living thing. Following the betrayal of his master, Nihilus used the might of the Sith Armada not to conquer planets, but to contain them so that he could "feed" off the Force energy of each planet's lifeforms, wiping planets of life. However, Nihilus was later drawn out and tricked into launching an attack on Telos, believing it to contain the last Jedi. The Exile confronted Nihilus on his ship, and Nihilus was killed either after his former slave Visas sacrificed herself due to their shared link in the Force, or after his attempt to feast on the Exile's connection to the Force backfired and weakened him. Despite his death, Nihilus' soul would continue to live in his mask and robes for millennia to come, as well as inside his own Sith holocron.

Lord Vitiate[edit]

Known for much of his 1300-year life as "the Sith Emperor", Lord Vitiate was a sociopathic young lord in one of the earliest iterations of the Sith Empire. When that empire fell, he led an exodus of survivors to the other side of the galaxy to establish a continuation of it, with himself as Emperor. It was Vitiate who corrupted Revan and Malak, but Revan's redemption and Malak's defeat seemingly derailed his plans. Three hundred years after Revan's disappearance, the Emperor launched a surprise attack on the Republic, setting the stage for the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Vindican[edit]

Vindican was a male Dark Lord of the Sith and a member of the Sith species itself, who served the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War against the Republic. He was the master of Darth Malgus and, alongside him, joined the Sith Empire fleet on the attack of a Republic fleet over Korriban, with the intent of retaking the planet from the Jedi. Aboard the cruiser, Vindican and Malgus dueled a Zabrak Jedi Master named Kao Cen Darach and his apprentice, Satele Shan, but the latter managed to escape, and Vindican was severely injured by Darach. After killing him, Malgus looked down upon his fallen master and, in an act true to the Rule of Two, executed him with his own lightsaber, thus becoming the new Sith Master.

Darth Malgus[edit]

Darth Malgus (Veradun) was a male human Dark Lord of the Sith and apprentice to Vindican, who served the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War against the Republic. Following the recapture of Korriban from the Jedi, Malgus killed his master and later led a surprise assault on Alderaan, only to be defeated by his nemesis and former opponent from Korriban, Satele Shan. Malgus was severely injured in the fight against Shan, forcing him to wear a respiratory apparatus for the rest of his life. Sometime later, Malgus was tasked by his superior, Darth Angral, with leading an assault team on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, which Malgus and his forces destroyed, disgracing the Jedi Order in the eyes of the Republic. Although Malgus believed that the battle of Coruscant was the first step of destroying the Republic, it only served as leverage in the peace negotiations that took place on Alderaan. While the Alderaanian summit progressed, the Sith settled into an occupation of Coruscant. Malgus was placed in charge of orbital security, but the Sith Lord defied his orders and traveled back to Coruscant's surface to strike against the renegade Jedi Aryn Leneer, who wanted to avenge her master Ven Zallow, whom Malgus killed during the attack on the Jedi Temple. Although Leneer ultimately failed, the conflict caused Malgus to become disillusioned with the Empire and to kill his lover Eleena Daru, seeing their relationship as a weakness that prevented him from preserving his own power, which he later used to cleanse the Empire of the politicians whom he blamed for allowing the Republic to survive. During the Cold War years that followed the successful peace negotiations, Malgus led Sith forces into the Unknown Regions, claiming previously-unknown territories for the Empire. Towards the end of the war, following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor and after serving on the Dark Council, Malgus declared his own Empire, free of the infighting of the Dark Council. However, the Republic and the Sith Empire forces soon teamed up to fight against Malgus' Empire and managed to track him down to his secret base he was tracked down to his secret base, where he was defeated. Despite his presumed death, Malgus later resurfaced during the Invasion of Ossus at the start of the Third Galactic War, once again serving as a commander within the Sith Empire. However, following the Battle of Corellia, Malgus went rogue, determined to expunge all physical and mental restraints used to keep him under control. Thousands of years after his death, Malgus was still remembered as one of the most powerful Sith Lords to have ever lived, with Darth Sidious even retrieving some surviving excerpts of Malgus's journals from an antiquities dealer and bounding them into his Book of Sith, an anthology of Sith historical writings.

Sith Eternal[edit]

The 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker depicts thousands of Sith cultists and loyalists known as the Sith Eternal.^[47] They are located on the Sith planet Exegol, which is described in the film as the "hidden world of the Sith".^[1] The film depicts the Sith loyalists as having built a secret armada of superlaser-equipped Star Destroyers at the behest of Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious). They are also revealed to have artificially created and cloned Snoke,^[48] whom Palpatine used as a puppet to control the First Order and seduce Kylo Ren to the dark side.^[29] At the end of the film, the Sith Eternal are present during Palpatine's rejuvenation through the Force and his demise at the hands of Rey, the last Jedi and Palpatine's granddaughter.^[47]^[49] The Sith Eternal are disintegrated in the explosion following Palpatine's death.^[47]^[50]

The novelization of The Rise of Skywalker goes into more detail about how Palpatine transferred his consciousness into the cloned body the Sith Eternal prepared for him.^[51]

In popular culture[edit]

Prominent Sith Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine have become iconic villains in popular culture. Their personae are frequently used as exemplars of Machiavelianism, authoritarianism, brutality and evil in serious,^[52] humorous^[53] and satirical^[54] settings. Palpatine is archetypal as the "Evil Emperor"—a cunning tyrant who rules through deception, propaganda, fear and oppression.^[55] Although usually considered as a villainous "enforcer" of such power, Darth Vader has also been regarded as a tragic figure and cautionary study in the corruption of a hero who loses sight of the greater good and resorts to evil practices out of fear and desperation.^[56] A "turn to the Dark Side" has become a popular idiom to describe an (often misguided) individual or institution's embrace of evil out of a desire for power.^[57]

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^ Robinson, Joanna (May 22, 2019). "Everything New Revealed in Vanity Fair's The Rise of Skywalker Cover Story". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^ https://movieweb.com/star-wars-canon-darth-atrius-lightsabers/
^ "Darth Bane". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
^ "Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious". Star Wars Databank. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Robinson, Joanna; Breznican, Anthony (December 20, 2019). "A Guide to All the Old Star Wars References in The Rise of Skywalker". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
^ "Darth Tyranus/Count Dooku". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
^ "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
^ "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
^ McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
^ "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
^ Ars Technica Op-ed: Disney takes a chainsaw to the Star Wars expanded universe, 1/10/2014
^ Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
^ Luceno, James (2002). Star Wars: Cloak of Deception. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-79570-0.
^ Luceno, James (2001). Darth Maul:Saboteur. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-345-44735-7.
^ Reaves, Michael (2001). Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Ballantine Publishing Group. ISBN 0-345-43541-9.
^ "Timeline". www.darkhorse.com. Dark Horse. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lavin, Michael R. (1998). "A Librarian's Guide to Dark Horse Comics". Serials Review. 24 (3/4).
^ "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords". Retrieved 18 November 2011.
^ "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed". Retrieved 21 November 2011.
^ Hilary Goldstein (30 November 2004). "KOTOR 2: Meet Your Team". IGN. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
^ Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Developer Interview 2. GameSpot. 8 May 2004. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Hidden Planet Explained". IGN. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
^ "How Baby Yoda Can Explain Palpatine's Return to 'Star Wars'". The Hollywood Reporter. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
^ "Breaking Down That Shocking Rey Reveal in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker". Time. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
^ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Blu-ray). Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 2019.
^ Fraser, Kevin (March 4, 2020). "Rise of Skywalker novel explains how the Emperor survived Return of the Jedi". JoBlo.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
^ "The "Darth Vader" of Russia: meet Igor Sechin, Putin's right-hand man - Vox, Feb. 8, 2017".
^ "The infamous BBC interview gets parodied with Darth Vader, R2-D2 and BB-8 - Polygon, Mar. 17, 2017".
^ "San Diego Union Tribute - May 4, 2017 Political Cartoon - "A White House invitation..." by Steve Breen". Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
^ "Emperor Palpatine Is Running For President - Huffington Post, July 25, 2017".
^ "Tragic Hero: Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader)".
^ "What Are the Politics of Star Wars? - Newsweek, Sept. 14, 2016".

External links[edit]

Sith in the StarWars.com Databank
Sith on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
The Sith Explained (Howstuffworks.com)
Who's Who of the Sith on SithOrder.com

[Slate-1] "The Casual Star Wars Fan's Guide to The Rise of Skywalker". Slate. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.

[2] "Sith". StarWars.com.

[3] "Roughdraft". StarWarz.com.

[4] Dark Horse Comics, Dark Empire

[swmyth-5] "The Mythology of Star Wars with George Lucas and Bill Moyers". films.com. Films Media Group.

[6] "Star Wars @ NASM, Unit 1, Introduction Page". Nasm.si.edu. 1999-01-31. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-22.

[7] Featurette "The Chosen One", Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith DVD

[8] "The Paradox of The Force in Star Wars". AndPhilosophy.com.

[9] "Star Wars: Who Is The Chosen One?". SlashFilm.com. 23 March 2017.

[10] Kaminski, Michael (2008) [2007]. The Secret History of Star Wars (3.0 ed.). Legacy Books Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-9784652-3-0.

[sw-en-11] "Sith, Star Wars Encyclopedia". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2013-03-20.

[12] Decker, Kevin S.; Eberl, Jason T. (2005). Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine. Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9583-6.

[13] Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

[14] "Internet Movie Database". Retrieved 2011-11-14.

[15] "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Retrieved 18 November 2011.

[16] Luceno, James (2014). Star Wars: Tarkin. Del Rey Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51152-2.

[17] Marvel Comics, Star Wars 9 – "Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Part II"

[18] Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Escape from Kadavo"

[19] Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Sacrifice"

[20] "Malachor". Retrieved 22 October 2016.

[21] "Malachor Sith temple". Retrieved 22 October 2016.

[22] "Sith holocron". Retrieved 22 October 2016.

[23] Goldman, Eric (30 March 2016). "Star Wars Rebels: "Twilight of the Apprentice" Review". Retrieved 22 October 2016.

[24] Cao, Caroline (November 17, 2019). "Star Wars Resistance Review: The Presence of The Force Grows in "The Relic Raiders"". /Film. Retrieved November 23, 2019.

[25] Robinson, Joanna (May 22, 2019). "Everything New Revealed in Vanity Fair's The Rise of Skywalker Cover Story". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 22, 2019.

[26] ttps://movieweb.com/star-wars-canon-darth-atrius-lightsabers/

[27] "Darth Bane". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.

[28] "Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious". Star Wars Databank. Retrieved January 26, 2020.

[Vanity_Fair-29] Robinson, Joanna; Breznican, Anthony (December 20, 2019). "A Guide to All the Old Star Wars References in The Rise of Skywalker". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved January 11, 2020.

[30] "Darth Tyranus/Count Dooku". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.

[31] "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. LucasFilm. Retrieved 22 November 2011.

[SW_Adult-32] "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.

[THR_Legends-33] McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2016.

[SW_Legends-34] "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.

[35] Ars Technica Op-ed: Disney takes a chainsaw to the Star Wars expanded universe, 1/10/2014

[36] Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side

[37] Luceno, James (2002). Star Wars: Cloak of Deception. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-79570-0.

[38] Luceno, James (2001). Darth Maul:Saboteur. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-345-44735-7.

[39] Reaves, Michael (2001). Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Ballantine Publishing Group. ISBN 0-345-43541-9.

[Timeline-40] "Timeline". www.darkhorse.com. Dark Horse. Retrieved 18 November 2011.

[Lavin_1998-41] Lavin, Michael R. (1998). "A Librarian's Guide to Dark Horse Comics". Serials Review. 24 (3/4).

[42] "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic". Retrieved 20 March 2013.

[43] "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords". Retrieved 18 November 2011.

[44] "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed". Retrieved 21 November 2011.

[Meet_Your_Team-45] Hilary Goldstein (30 November 2004). "KOTOR 2: Meet Your Team". IGN. Retrieved 9 February 2011.

[gsinterview2-46] Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Developer Interview 2. GameSpot. 8 May 2004. Retrieved 8 March 2011.

[IGN-47] "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Hidden Planet Explained". IGN. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.

[48] "How Baby Yoda Can Explain Palpatine's Return to 'Star Wars'". The Hollywood Reporter. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.

[49] "Breaking Down That Shocking Rey Reveal in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker". Time. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.

[50] Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Blu-ray). Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 2019.

[51] Fraser, Kevin (March 4, 2020). "Rise of Skywalker novel explains how the Emperor survived Return of the Jedi". JoBlo.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.

[52] "The "Darth Vader" of Russia: meet Igor Sechin, Putin's right-hand man - Vox, Feb. 8, 2017".

[53] "The infamous BBC interview gets parodied with Darth Vader, R2-D2 and BB-8 - Polygon, Mar. 17, 2017".

[54] "San Diego Union Tribute - May 4, 2017 Political Cartoon - "A White House invitation..." by Steve Breen". Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2017-07-19.

[55] "Emperor Palpatine Is Running For President - Huffington Post, July 25, 2017".

[56] "Tragic Hero: Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader)".

[57] "What Are the Politics of Star Wars? - Newsweek, Sept. 14, 2016".

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Universe	Star Wars
Type	Monastic Academic Kraterocratic Imperialism
Founded	c. 5,000 BBY or prior (canon) c. 6,900 BBY (Legends)
Location	Moraband / Korriban (homeworld) Coruscant (headquarters - 19 BBY to 4 ABY) Exegol (headquarters - 4 ABY to 35 ABY)^[1] Legends Dromuund Kaas (capital) Ziost (key planet)
Leader	Darth Bane (until approximately 1022 BBY) Darth Plagueis (until 32 BBY) Darth Sidious (32 BBY - 35 ABY)
Key people	Darth Revan Darth Bane Darth Tenebrous Darth Plagueis Darth Sidious Darth Maul Darth Tyranus Darth Vader Affiliates: General Grievous Asajj Ventress Savage Opress Quinlan Vos (briefly) Inquisitors Supreme Leader Snoke Kylo Ren Knights of Ren Legends: Ajunta Pall Marka Ragnos Naga Sadow Darth Malak Darth Traya Darth Nihilus Darth Sion Ludo Kressh Darth Malgus Lord Kaan Darth Caedus
Official language	Basic