Dark side of the Force/Legends

"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&hellip;as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

- Yoda to Luke Skywalker

The dark side of the Force, called Bogan by the ancient forerunners of the Jedi, was the primary tool of the Sith Lords, and was the more destructive side of the Force. Unlike the light side of the Force, dark Force-users drew power from raw emotions, both negative and positive; the power coming from strength or severity. Where the light side was associated with creation and life, the dark side was associated with death and destruction. However, the Dark Side itself is not evil and does not make the user evil, as proven by Revan, Jedi Exile, and Galen Marek who all utilized the Dark Side to great effect without succumbing to their own dark impulses while fighting Darth Malak, the Sith Triumvirate, and The Empire, respectively. It is the user's belief in the Dark Side's corrupting ability and their own personality and teachings that make them evil. A Force-user who followed the dark side was known as a dark-sider.

History
"How can a Jedi, trained in the ways of the light, fall victim to the dark side?" "It has happened more than once. Fortunately, it does not happen often. Ulic my son, pray that it never happens to you."

- Ulic Qel-Droma and Arca Jeth

The dark side was part of the Force, and, like the light side, existed since the birth of species. When sentient beings first discovered it, it was shrouded in mystery, but the first known users were that of the Rakatan Empire around 49,000 BBY. They discovered and used its powers to dominate and enslave the entire galaxy, changing environments as they saw fit. Eventually, around 25,200 BBY, this empire collapsed. It has been claimed that this collapse was a direct result of their use of the dark side. At any rate, they lost their abilities to use the Force as well as their Force-powered machines, such as the Star Forge. The Star Forge was a superweapon and manufacturing facility capable of creating nearly anything by drawing on both the power of a star and the dark side of the Force. During the Jedi Civil War, Revan and Malak recovered the Star Forge and used it to create a massive fleet for their Sith Empire. Later reverse-engineering of Infinite Empire technology imbued with the dark side created the basis of other technologies such as the hyperdrive.

Jedi discovery of the dark side
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

- Yoda to Anakin Skywalker

In 24,500 BBY, a group of Jedi split from the Jedi Order, calling themselves the Legions of Lettow. They were led by Xendor, a Kashi Mer Jedi Knight and the first known Dark Jedi. The Legions of Lettow famously adopted the Niman/Jar'Kai style, focusing on their emotions in battle rather than meditation as the source of their immense power. The Jedi Order considered the Legions' new philosophy a destructive and dangerous subversion of the peaceful mission of the Jedi. This first conflict of Jedi philosophies led to the First Great Schism, which separated the Jedi from the Dark Jedi. In 7,003 BBY, the legacy of these Dark Jedi would manifest in the Second Great Schism. Following the Hundred-Year Darkness, the descendants of the Dark Jedi who were exiled from the Jedi Order would one day become known as the Sith.

Throughout galactic history, the most infamous users of the dark side were the assorted and most powerful iterations of the Sith, with a bevy of talents impossible for the Jedi to duplicate. The Jedi rejected the dark side and all it had to offer, as they believed it led to destruction and chaos. The Sith, on the other hand, embraced the dark side, generally prioritizing themselves over the rest of the galaxy and using their powers to manipulate, control and destroy. The manifestation of the dark side seemed to wax and wane, being the most common Force philosophy in the galaxy at one time but virtually without followers at another, apparently disappearing for nearly a millennium.

Sith Empire
"The Sith Empire will burn brightly, like a supernova, dwarfing the complacent Republic. We shall hold the entire galaxy in our grasp."

- Naga Sadow

The Sith species was subdued and their conquerors took their name, founding the Sith Empire. This new empire was large but was cut off from the rest of the galaxy until the Great Hyperspace War. It lasted for many centuries only to fall during the Old Sith Wars, when they were all but destroyed. Several subsequent Sith Empires were founded in the next few thousand years, but they all succumbed to infighting, leaving the Jedi to believe the Sith were extinct, but later it was learned that the Sith had only been debilitated and had adopted a more secretive way of life.

The effects of the Sith Empires could be seen upon and within the planets Korriban and Ziost, which were filled with energies from the dark side of the Force. Animals such as the terentateks, distorted from the powerful presence of the dark side, roamed the caverns and caves feeding on the Force-sensitives that came across them. There was also the Valley of the Dark Lords, a graveyard that reverberated with dark side energy and was full of caverns and tombs, which once possessed powerful Sith artifacts. There the Sith even appeared as apparitions on occasion; Ajunta Pall inhabited his tomb as a ghost until he was set to rest by the relocation of a sword imbued with the dark side of the Force.

Rule of Two
"Remember: power alone is not enough. Patience. Cunning. Secrecy. These are the tools we will use to bring down the Jedi. The Sith are only two now&mdash;one Master and one apprentice. There will be no others."

- Darth Bane to Zannah

In 990 BBY, Sith Lord Darth Bane discovered a Sith holocron made by Darth Revan, a long dead Dark Lord and founder of the second Sith Empire. From its contents he believed that the Sith could not exist as allies with each other and so established the Rule of Two, making two simultaneous Dark Lords of the Sith. He eliminated the practice of having vast numbers of Sith Lords at the same time and concentrated the dark side of the Force within two individuals: a master and an apprentice.

Revenge of the Sith
"The Sith have been extinct for a millennium."

- Ki-Adi-Mundi

A millennium before the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Sith disappeared from the knowledge of the galaxy until the Battle of Naboo, when the Sith apprentice Darth Maul killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. It was due, in part, to this long absence that Darth Maul's master, Darth Sidious, was able to secure a position of great influence and power, thereby ultimately overthrowing the Republic to create the Galactic Empire. To the advantage of the Sith, the Jedi had grown complacent and vulnerable to the sort of warfare the Sith were capable of making, and in the timeframe of just thirteen years, the Sith were able to once more gain rule of the galaxy.

Return of the Jedi
"The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."

- Emperor Palpatine, to Darth Vader

For twenty-three years, the Sith again ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, ensuring the dark side's apparent dominance. However, Jedi survivors were able to train one Jedi to destroy the Sith-controlled Galactic Empire. Within the span of six to ten years, Sith dominance was shattered and the order was apparently destroyed. However, several lesser apprentices and Sith splinter groups escaped, ensuring the order's survival.

Rule of One
"Instead of two there is now only one&mdash;the Sith Order itself. I have recreated the Sith, Lord Bane, as you once did. I have given it a purpose. For what use is power without one?"

- Darth Krayt, to Darth Bane's holocron

Around 30 ABY, self-proclaimed Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt began sowing the seeds of a new Sith Order on Korriban. Many years later, following the conclusion of the Sith-Imperial War in 130 ABY, Krayt's Order had risen to full prominence, taking the place of Darth Bane's Order and those who followed as his successors. Unlike Bane's Order, these new Sith operated under the Rule of One, the "One" being the whole Sith Order. Krayt betrayed his ally, the Emperor Roan Fel, whom he had helped to destroy the Galactic Alliance, and made himself the new Emperor. Once more a Dark Lord of the Sith ruled the galaxy, just as had Darth Sidious one hundred fifty years before. The rise of this new Sith Emperor paralleled that of the last as the new Sith Order nearly destroyed the entire New Jedi Order, with the survivors scattered throughout the galaxy. Though the Jedi offered resistance, Emperor Krayt was still in power as of 137 ABY.

Overview
"Evil is a word used by the ignorant and the weak. The dark side is about survival. It's about unleashing your inner power. It glorifies the strength of the individual."

- Darth Zannah

The dark side of the Force was aligned with passionate emotions such as fear, hatred, greed, desire, and anger. This sometimes led to the belief that the light side was passive, as it favored contemplation and careful action, for the followers of the dark side were often known to act quickly and sometimes recklessly upon emotions and impulses.

The dark side was also sometimes used for selfish purposes, although many dark-siders who acted in such a way saw the need to justify themselves, which at times led to folly. One of the most notable examples was Anakin Skywalker, who embraced the dark side with the intentions of saving his wife, at the expense of the Jedi Order. Many found the dark side to be addictive, being unable to resist its pull the more they subjected themselves to it. Dark side users became more powerful as their physical bodies slowly decayed. However, users like Mara Jade noted that the use of the dark side was a practical matter, as the power it granted was more efficient for destructive Force powers like telekinesis. Like the light side, the dark side was often treated as though a semi-sentient entity with purposeful designs.

It has been theorized by some that there is no such thing as the dark side but only malevolent intent in the user, since most dark side users already had negative intentions in their being or fell victim to the temptations of absolute power and domination. This Potentium theory was fervently opposed by the Jedi Master Yoda, while by contrast Luke Skywalker came to understand its merits in the years following the Yuuzhan Vong War.

The Code of the Sith


"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

- The Sith Code

The meaning behind the words to the code of the Sith are, for the most part, obvious. They state that through harnessing strong emotions, the Sith can gain power with the Force. This power grants them even more tangible power, like dominance and secular wealth. With the freedom of controlling their emotions, power with the Force and secular power combined, they can finally aspire to fulfill their ultimate goal: "Through victory my chains are broken. The Force shall free me" referring to the image of the Sith'ari, which is free of all restriction&mdash;a being who has achieved perfect strength, perfect power, and a perfect destiny.

Fear of the dark side
"Don't threaten me. Children are frightened by spirits&mdash;Jedi are not." "Mmmm. But Jedi are frightened by the dark side&hellip;or at least they should be. Your fascination with the dark side will get you into grave trouble."

- Exar Kun and Freedon Nadd

The Jedi Order disagreed so strongly with the purpose of the dark side of the Force that they abolished anything possibly related to the dark side. After the Ruusan Reformation, the order placed many limitations on Jedi to protect order members from temptation by dark side influences. The Jedi Order forbade members romantic attachments, relationships with their families, and any type of action based on anger. These limits came from a logical reasoning; Jedi who had deep personal attachments with loved ones also had motivation to use the power of the Force selfishly for protection, personal enrichment, and/or the pursuit of more power. Anakin Skywalker, for a large part, fell to the dark side because Chancellor Palpatine's knowledge of his secret marriage to Padmé Amidala provided the Chancellor a vulnerable opening to encourage Anakin to pursue those selfish motivations.

More liberal members of the Order considered the lengths the Order went to eliminate personal attachments extreme. When Luke Skywalker established the New Jedi Order, he disbanded many of the limitations of the code, including the rules against marriage and age limits. More importantly he allowed the new Jedi, especially the young Padawans, to still know and interact with their families. Skywalker's decision signified a return to the older Jedi teachings from before the Reformation, when Jedi were allowed to draw upon their positive emotions in fighting the dark side.

Corruption of the dark side
"The Force will change you. It will transform you. Some fear this change. The teachings of the Jedi are focused on fighting and controlling this transformation. That is why those who serve the light are limited in what they accomplish."

- Darth Revan

The path of the dark side was mentally and sometimes physically corruptive. As use of the dark side of the Force led to deeper immersion in it, this malevolent power could take its toll on the body of a dark side practitioner. A well known characteristic was that eye pigments became a luminous sulfur color, like that of Anakin Skywalker or Palpatine.

Darth Sion might seem to have been damaged by the dark side in a similar fashion, but was in fact nearly destroyed during the Great Sith War. The power of the dark side was actually what made him rise again, using hatred and malice to fuel his decaying shell of a body.

In time, the corruption could go beyond mere cosmetic details and directly impair physical abilities. King Ommin of Onderon was a good example of this; he was a proficient Sith sorcerer for most of his life, and the dark side held him under its decaying influence until he eventually became incapable of movement and needed support from a cyborg exoskeleton in order to survive. The worst case of this transformation would be Darth Nihilus who not only was completely consumed by the dark side mentally but also physically for he had become a living (or undead) entity of the Force. This Sith Lord had become uncaring of all life including the Sith and merely desired to consume all of it to sustain his vast hunger from the perversion of the Force.

Sith philosophy saw no need to rationalize or apologize for the destruction and conflict to which it led; they believed that using the dark side gave them enough power to take that which they believed was rightfully theirs. Most Sith, such as Uthar Wynn and his apprentice Yuthura Ban, believed that they could even control the dark side, but in the end the dark side ended up controlling them. Luke Skywalker joined Palpatine in 10 ABY to better understand the nature of the dark side, but unlike many of the Jedi before him who had attempted the same task, he made a full recovery.

The allure of the dark side
"One cannot avoid the darkness unless one knows where it lies and the routes that lead to it."

- Tolaris Shim

The Sith would call it enlightenment, but no records show exactly how a conversion to the dark side transpired. The dark side was extremely addictive, and almost impossible to renounce. Every time a person in tune with the Force called on the dark side, they became more and more addicted to the power it brought them. The dark side's corruptive influences could take control in moments. Along with physical corruption, the minds of many dark-siders cared only for galactic domination through power, and the doing of evil deeds for power's own sake.

Most dark side practitioners did not show all of these symptoms. Darth Caedus, Darth Revan, and Darth Traya for example, did not seem controlled by the dark side of the Force. Whatever changes they had undergone were clear results of the lives they had led and the experiences they had survived.

Often times it would be Jedi who fell to the corruption of the dark side of the Force. Githany, Kopecz, Atris, and Lord Kaan were all corrupted by the dark side of the Force and allied with the Sith despite, or perhaps because of, their training as Jedi Knights. The catalyst for some of these changes was their dissilusionment with the Jedi order, or even, the exposure to a Sith holocron, a repository of Sith lore.

The Four Stages of the dark side
"Trust that even the most learned Jedi Master must always be mindful of the dark path."

- Tolaris Shim

The Four Stages of the Dark Side was a thesis presented by the Jedi Master Tolaris Shim that outlined her beliefs on what constitutes a complete fall to the dark side. Based on the events surrounding the fall of Ulic Qel-Droma, Master Shim studied deep into the histories of those Jedi whose personal motivations drove them to the dark side for one reason or another. Sometime shortly after the end of the Great Sith War, Master Shim presented her findings to the Jedi assembly. These findings would be the standard by which Masters identified the signs of one's potential corruption by the dark side.

Stage 1: Temptation
"Help yourself! Use the power you've been given!" "Never!"

- Dark Lord Freedon Nadd, tempting Exar Kun

Tolaris Shim believed that because a Jedi was in tune with the Force and could use it to whatever ends they saw fit, situations would arise that tempted the Jedi towards selfish applications of the Force. Rushing to help friends, facing obvious perils, and ending disputes quickly were all acts of haste that according to Master Shim would result in steps onto the dark path should the individual act first and ponder later.

Knights like the charismatic Exar Kun were less "honor-bound". Intrigued with tales of the dark side told by Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, Kun was easily seduced by what he perceived as unrestrained power&mdash;power that was his for the taking. This power was that of the dark side, and it did not hesitate in coercing other young Jedi to follow.

Stage 2: Imperilment
"Like you, he believed the dark side could be conquered from within. Such was not to be. The dark side seduced him utterly&hellip;and anger became his path!"

- Odan-Urr, warning Ulic Qel-Droma

According to Master Shim, a hasty, indecisive Jedi can be quite a catastrophe to himself. Also, any Jedi who believes that a "shortcut" through the path of the dark side will be lined with signs redirecting him back towards the light is only deluding himself. Shim felt that a Jedi cannot be blinded by the idea of doing what they perceive to be right, by any means necessary. She also believed that if one accepts the darkness by which he is surrounded as a means to power, then the next stage has no bearing on their concerns. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was conflicted in this manner. To save his wife from impending death, Skywalker believed that he could do so through the power of the dark side, while remaining uncorrupted by it. Because he accepted the dark side as the power necessary to bring about good, he was completely given over to it. He too, like Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma before him, succumbed fully to the wiles of the dark side.

Stage 3: Submission
"I pledge myself to your teachings, to the ways of the Sith." "Good&hellip;Good. The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Anakin Skywalker, you are one with the Order of the Sith Lords. Henceforth, you shall be known as&hellip;Darth&hellip;Vader."

- Darth Sidious anoints Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader

Master Shim believed that once a Jedi accepts the dark path, having to justify the end by the means is of no more concern. Situations like attempting to destroy the Sith through infiltration, or trying to save loved ones from death have caused several famous Jedi to explain away their actions based on the desired outcomes. At this point, their fall to the dark side is nearly complete.

On occasion, Jedi who wander away from the light suddenly become aware of their poor decisions. According to Master Shim, these Jedi are not so far beyond redemption. Jedi Master Atris, having succumbed to the dark side influence of Sith Holocrons in her possession, was restored to the light following a fierce confrontation with the Jedi Exile. Some Jedi, such as Exar Kun, found the power of the dark side intoxicating and so fully surrendered themselves to it. To Master Shim, these individuals are no longer orthodox Jedi but twisted perversions of their former selves. It is then the responsibility of the Jedi to either bring the dissenter back into the fold, or utterly eliminate them.

Stage 4: Atonement/Redemption
"The Dark Lord Revan is dead. I am a servant of the light now."

- Revan

Tolaris believed that a Jedi who is only slightly tainted by the dark side can atone for their actions through meditation, reflection, and absolution. She also believed that a Dark Jedi was way beyond atonement, and therefore only eligible for redemption. According to Master Shim, a redeemed Jedi is one who has performed a selfless act of heroism without using the dark side to obtain results. Such acts include saving the life of another through completely selfless action (such as Darth Vader saving his son from death at the hands of Emperor Palpatine), or helping to right a wrong one has helped to create (such as Ulic Qel-Droma assisting in the defeat of Exar Kun). This happens from time to time, but on many occasions Dark Jedi were beyond enlightenment, some outright refusing to be restored. To this effect Master Shim noted,


 * "A Dark Jedi who has no desire to relinquish the power of the dark side and return to the light cannot be redeemed."

Addendum
While pondering the ideas behind Master Shim's dissertation, Tionne Solusar was interested in how Tolaris would view certain Jedi of more recent times, Jedi who were corrupted, restored, and held redeemed by their colleagues. Tionne provided a relatively accurate and non-biased account of the dark side journeys of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Kyp Durron, but Tolaris' interactive holorecording passed the same judgments on all three:


 * "Any Jedi who kills innocents while under sway of the dark side cannot be redeemed. She can only atone, or attempt to atone."

Master Solusar went on further to say that while many agree that some actions are inexcusable, the stipulations for redemption remain purely a matter of one's perspective.

Sith Alchemy
Other examples of the corruption of the dark side are the Massassi who were mutated using Sith Alchemy. This also explains the mutations of Gorc and Pic, and the rebirth of Darth Maul by a group of Dark Jedi. Perhaps the most prime example of Sith Alchemy being incorporated into daily practice was during the rise of Lord Sidious, in which he used an ancient technique known to completely alter his features and appear normal to the general public. However, these are extreme and rare examples of the use of the dark side to alter objects. Most common was the use of the dark side to alter and imbue weapons with the Force, making them stronger or easier to wield. Weapons imbued with power from Sith Alchemy could even withstand lightsaber blows.

Similarity to the Jedi
"In their hearts, they never forgot the Jedi. The hatred for the Jedi Order burns in their veins like fire, and echoes in their teachings."

- Kreia

The Sith were, in some ways, a reflection of the Jedi. The Master-Padawan relationship of the Jedi, for instance, was twisted and perverted under the Sith, so both the apprentice and the Master would plot against each other with many of these apprenticeships ending with one killing the other. The Galactic Empire was no exception: If there were no enemies (mainly Jedi) for Sith Lords or Dark Jedi to face, the practitioners of the dark side frequently destroyed one another, and many organizations founded by the Sith would consume themselves through internal struggles for power. This was especially true during periods when the dark side was predominant; however, Sith and other dark-siders could also display great patience and cunning in carrying their plans toward fruition. The rationale behind the constant internecine strife was that combat and conflict demonstrated who was strongest, and only the strongest had the right to rule.

Some Sith did not even use lightsabers, mocking the Jedi, as they believed that they had grown past the need for such weapons by using the full power of the dark side. Emperor Palpatine found his Sith lightning was all he needed to overwhelm opponents as powerful as Yoda. The Sith's own code which started with the phrase "peace is a lie, there is only passion" was a clear manipulation of the Jedi code's "There is no emotion, there is peace."

Sith holocrons were another mirror of the Jedi, which were twisted from a tool of teaching to an item of corruption. The Sith holocrons taught many things opposite of the Jedi, such as using emotion and questing for power, which were immensely different from the Jedi teachings.

These differences did not stop many ordinary citizens of the Republic from viewing the Jedi and the Sith in much the same way because of the similarities. Many Jedi were viewed as arrogant due to their standoffish demeanor or even manipulative in their use of Force powers, and the Jedi practice of "stealing" children from their parents sometimes led to resentment. At the same time, many Sith were viewed as dedicated to a cause and appeared loyal to their masters. To large quarters of the galactic population, then, there appeared to be little difference between dark and light, and they grew distrustful of the Force as a whole.

Sith holocrons
"The dark side offers power for power's sake. You must crave it. Covet it. You must seek power above all else, with no reservation or hesitation."

- Darth Revan's holocron

A Sith holocron was a pyramidal tetrahedron which held all of the knowledge of the Sith. It could contain star maps, information about artifacts, history, or the teachings of the dark side. The holocron could only be opened by a Force adept who wished to use it. The mere opening of the devices sent tremors through the Force. Unlike Jedi holocrons, the Sith holocrons did not limit accessible information; even the most ill-prepared acolyte could find the darkest knowledge in it. For this reason, Sith Holocrons were considered to be very dangerous by the Jedi since the unlimited access to information was inherently seductive and could greatly hasten the user's fall to the dark side. Exar Kun and Darth Bane both were able to threaten the galaxy with the information gained from the holocrons, and other Jedi such as Atris were turned by them. The holocrons whispered Sith chanting, and were imbued with so much darkness that they corrupted individuals just by their proximity.

The Potentium
"But when one considers the history of the Force...one realizes that the Potentium view is ultimately selfish."

- Asli Krimsan

According to the Potentium viewpoint, there are no dark or light sides of the Force. Instead, the Force is a single entity, and the light or darkness comes from the intentions of the person calling upon it. From this viewpoint, Force powers or actions that would normally be considered dark can be justified or rationalized. In effect, to a Potentium follower, the ends justify the means. Fearing that this would lead Jedi down the path of the dark side, Yoda expelled the Potentium from the Jedi Order, a fear not entirely unfounded since Jacen Solo fell to the dark side partly due to the Potentium belief in 40 ABY. Similarly, some Jedi do not believe in the dark side, which has been known to lead them to become Dark Jedi or even Sith themselves. Luke Skywalker, Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, adopted this philosophy after his nephew Jacen Solo informed him of the teachings of Vergere during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion; however, after being concerned of his and other Jedi actions, Skywalker abandoned this as the official viewpoint of the Jedi order during the Swarm War.

Strength of the dark side
"Fear attracts the fearful&hellip;the strong&hellip;the weak&hellip;the innocent&hellip;the corrupt. Fear. Fear is my ally."

- Darth Maul

Dark Jedi and especially the Sith were capable of furthering their abilities more quickly than Jedi. According to the Jedi, the dark side was only easier to learn and use, and therefore more deceptive, while true power lay with the light. However, certain Sith Lords have appeared to be stronger than their Jedi opponents. Exar Kun was unstoppable until faced with an entire Jedi armada; the superior power of Darth Malak was acknowledged even by the Jedi (i.e. Bastila Shan, who explicitly stated that she, and a fellow Jedi were no match for the Dark Lord, although Bastila later admits to underestimating the fellow Jedi's powers. It should also be noted that said Jedi single-handedly defeated Malak and an army of his followers shortly afterward); later on he could be seen quite effortlessly holding two Jedi in a death grip before killing them; Darth Nihilus destroyed an entire Jedi Council (along with every other sentient on Katarr) while only uttering the 'words' of his voice; Kreia (Darth Traya) almost effortlessly killed all members of another Jedi Council on Dantooine. During the fall of the Republic, Darth Sidious managed to slay three out of four Jedi Masters before eventually succumbing to the martial prowess of Mace Windu (and even this defeat may have been staged). Moreover, his climactic battle with Yoda—the primus inter pares of Jedi Masters of that time—seemed evenly balanced, until at last Yoda was forced to flee. However, it must be noted that the vast majority of dark-siders, Sith and Dark Jedi alike, have eventually been defeated by light side Force-users. Furthermore, at least three of these individuals (Exar Kun, Darth Malak, Kreia) listed above were already extremely powerful before falling to the dark side. In addition, it should be noted that Exar Kun was only able to beat Master Vodo-Siosk Baas (who wasn't even using a lightsaber) after unveiling the previously unseen double-bladed lightsaber, and never encountered in battle some of the more powerful Jedi of the day like Nomi Sunrider, who cut down Sith almost effortlessly; and Kreia was defeated by the Jedi Exile in a one-on-one confrontation.

There were also many instances of a Jedi defeating a powerful dark-siders. The most notable are: the duel of Luke Skywalker against Darth Vader on the second Death Star; the duel of Obi-Wan Kenobi against Darth Maul; Revan defeating Malak and dozens of his Sith cohorts (Malak actually explicitly states that Revan is more powerful as a Jedi than he was as a Sith); The Jedi Exile defeating Kreia; Kyle Katarn defeating Jerec despite the latter drawing upon the vast power of the Valley of the Jedi; the duel of Anakin Skywalker against Count Dooku; and the duel of Luke Skywalker against Darth Caedus aboard his own Star Destroyer. In some of these cases, external factors may have affected the result. Count Dooku was defeated by the mightiest Jedi of the time, who already was tapping into the dark side. Darth Maul's doom was wrought by his hubris, and Darth Vader can be seen as undone by his paternal feelings towards Luke:


 * "I feel the conflict within you let go of your hate!"

One weakness that apparently lay in the dark side, which could be seen as giving the Jedi the upper hand, was the strife inescapably associated with it. The Sith Lords, despite their individual superiority over the Jedi, could never ultimately destroy their foes, because they were bound to, sooner or later, turn upon each other, with each one constantly striving for more power at the expense of others, and seeking to dominate everything around him. The rule of Rule of Two, introduced by Darth Bane, while drastically limiting the number of true Sith, was an attempt to turn this weakness into benefit, with the apprentice through strife eventually replacing the master. This too however caused a problem with the Sith as the Rule of Two never made note of the possibility that one of the two could turn back to the light as Vader while killing his Master turned to the light just before death.

Another fatal weakness that has been repeatedly illustrated in the dark side is a lack of focus that seems to stem from a reliance on emotions such a pride, anger, and fear, which heighten powers but also lead to clouded judgment. Thus dark-siders are often defeated by less powerful or skilled opponents: Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated both Darth Maul and Darth Vader, despite being the less skilled combatant in both duels. Darth Malak was similarly defeated by Revan despite drawing on the massive dark power of the Star Forge. Darth Tyranus felt threatened by Anakin Skywalker and allowed his pride to blind him to Skywalker's true power. Thus it would seem that the dark side offers a more tangible sort of power: one that is direct and physical, while the light side provides a more subtle kind of power, that of focus and understanding, one which dark-siders often fail to understand and tend to underestimate, usually fatally.

It should also be noted that due to the long-standing Rule of Two the Sith could afford to be far more selective than the Jedi, taking only the most gifted of pupils, while the Jedi trained many sentients with a far smaller degree of force-sensitivity. Had their positions been switched and Yoda and Mace Windu had been the only Jedi, the Jedi would have had a disproportionate success rate compared to the Sith. Furthermore, even before the Rule of Two the Sith's training methods were brutal, meaning that the weaker dark-siders often died before ever getting the chance to fight the Jedi, which helps explain the high success rate against Jedi - more weak Jedi survived their training to fight the Sith.

Death of dark side users
"And as it had with the Emperor aboard the Death Star, the dark side energy within him burst out in a violent explosion of blue fire."

- Luke Skywalker's thoughts on Joruus C'baoth's death

Certain dark side users, upon being killed, explode in a blast of blue energy. Emperor Palpatine exploded in this way in 4 ABY after being thrown down a reactor core shaft in the second Death Star. In 9 ABY, Joruus C'baoth also exploded in a blast of blue energy after being stabbed by Mara Jade's lightsaber. Other Dark Jedi, such as Darth Nihilus and Jerec did not explode, but rather dissolved into dark side energy upon their death, leaving no remains of their bodies. It has not been canonically explained why these individuals died in this manner while other dark side users, such as Count Dooku, did not.

However, Shaak Ti was struck down by Galen Marek and thrown into the mouth of a giant sarlacc. Upon entering the creature's mouth, she died in a way similar to the explosions mentioned above, but was in no way a dark side user. The reason her death occurred in the manner it did has yet to be clarified.

Dark side powers
"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be&hellip;unnatural."

- Palpatine, to Anakin Skywalker

Those who wielded the dark side found many abilities of the Force easier to use, with some Force powers available only to Dark Jedi. Light side Jedi could use some dark side abilities, but most preferred not to since dark side abilities had aggressive, destructive, or perversely manipulative tendencies. Luke Skywalker, for example, used Force Choke at Jabba's Palace, which was almost unheard of for a Jedi to use, unless unarmed. The powers commonly associated with the dark side of the Force as listed below are:


 * Drain Life
 * Death Field
 * Deadly Sight
 * Force corrupt
 * Force Lightning
 * Force Shock
 * Force Storm
 * Force Wound
 * Force Choke
 * Force Grip
 * Force Crush
 * Force Slow
 * Force Destruction
 * Force Affliction
 * Force Plague
 * Force Fear
 * Force Horror
 * Force Insanity
 * Force Scream
 * Force Rage
 * Mechu-deru
 * Qey'tek
 * Thought Bomb
 * Torture by chagrin
 * Spear of midnight black
 * Midi-chlorian manipulation (Darth Plagueis was only known Sith capable of this power, though its been said it may be the same power as Force resurrection)

Not all powers of the dark side seem evil; Darth Plagueis had the ability to create and preserve life, while Darth Sion, Darth Bane, and Darth Vader used their rage on occasion to heal wounds.

Dark side organizations
"A Sith believes he commands the Force, but it is the dark side that commands him."

- Jolee Bindo

Some notable orders of the dark side include (see also History of the Sith for more):


 * Dark Jedi
 * Sith
 * Dark Acolytes
 * Disciples of Ragnos
 * Dark Side Elite
 * Inquisitorius
 * Krath
 * Mecrosa Order
 * Prophets of the Dark Side
 * Emperor's Hands
 * Bladeborn
 * Bando Gora
 * Nightsisters
 * Reborn
 * New Reborn
 * Believers
 * Blackguard
 * Emperor's Royal Guard
 * Emperor's Shadow Guard
 * Sovereign Protectors

Notable dark side users

 * Darth Bandon
 * Darth Bane
 * '''Depa Billaba
 * Brakiss
 * Darth Caedus
 * Tulak Hord
 * Jerec
 * Kaan
 * Kadann
 * Darth Krayt
 * Ludo Kressh
 * Exar Kun
 * Lumiya
 * Darth Malak
 * Starkiller
 * Darth Maul
 * Freedon Nadd
 * Darth Nihilus
 * Darth Nihl
 * Darth Plagueis
 * Ulic Qel-Droma
 * Marka Ragnos
 * Darth Revan
 * Naga Sadow
 * Darth Sidious
 * Darth Sion
 * Darth Talon
 * Darth Traya
 * Darth Tyranus
 * Darth Vader
 * Vergere
 * Dolph
 * Desann
 * Asajj Ventress
 * Tavion Axmis
 * Alora

Jedi who have broken away from the dark side

 * Ulic Qel-Droma
 * Revan
 * Bastila Shan
 * Quinlan Vos
 * Anakin Skywalker
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Cade Skywalker
 * Kyle Katarn
 * Juhani
 * Galen Marek
 * Visas Marr
 * Ferus Olin
 * Tahiri Veila
 * Darth Caedus (Possibly turned as his final act to save his daughter)

Media
[[Media:The_Dark.ogg|The Dark.]] (From the audio adaptation of the Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel)

Behind the scenes
Bogan was the name given to the dark side of the Force in early drafts of A New Hope and was established as canon in the Expanded Universe by the The New Essential Chronology. It was also said to be what the ancient Jedi and Sith called the dark side in Darth Bane: Rule of Two.

The Potentium view of the Force denies the existence of the dark side of the Force. Some of the fallen Potentium Heretics believe that what others call the dark side of the Force is in fact, the raw unleashed true nature of the Force, which is based on the core Sith belief. The difference between those who believe in the Potentium view of the Force and Dark Jedi/Sith, is that the Dark Jedi/Sith embraces the dark side of the Force with full knowledge of its existence, while the Potentium followers embrace the dark side of the Force by thinking that the Force does not have a dark side, becoming twisted and corrupted by their denial. However, none of the original proponents of Potentium philosophy by that name fell to the dark side, and later proponents such as the morally ambiguous (and stated to be Sith) Vergere and gray Sith Lumiya would debate the nature of corruption itself. Furthermore, there is a striking similarity between condemnation of the Potentium and the out-of-universe condemnation of moral relativism. In both cases, those opposed to morally questionable beliefs are quick to paint their opponents as highly susceptible to corruption. While some evidence of this corruption for Potentium thinkers exists, there is no evidence suggesting that there is greater "dark side" turnover rate among Potentium followers than among traditional Jedi and proponents of standard beliefs in moral dichotomy.

Appearances

 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight