Sith Warrior

"Constant war will be your life? Our life? Nothing more? I am a Sith warrior."

- Eleena Daru and Darth Malgus



Sith Warriors are described as "an unstoppable force of darkness", a name they more than live up to in their brutal conduct. The combat specialists of the Sith Empire, Warriors served as the champions of the battlefield, entrusted with the task of destroying the Empire’s enemies and enforcing Sith domination across the galaxy. Trained to rely on the emotions of fear, anger, and hatred to improve their connection to the dark side of the Force, channeling it's power through their bodies and purging weakness from themselves.

In contrast to the Sith Inquisitors, Warriors have little patience for careful planning, and waste no time with such manipulations. Instead, they demand absolute obedience from their followers, relying on power and intimidation to attain their ends. However, such blunt methods do not reduce them to single-mindedness, and Sith Warriors have been known to go renegade in order to pursue their own agendas.

Overview


The combat specialists of the returned Sith Empire, Sith Warriors channel their anger and hatred to purge their body and mind of weakness, and focus on becoming beings pure and lethal efficiency. Determined to eradicate the Jedi Order and rule the galaxy through fear and intimidation, Warriors have little patience for the calculated and careful planning favored by many of their compatriots, preferring instead to simply crush their foes. They demand absolute loyalty from their followers, and in turn demonstrate such traits towards their own Sith masters, often surprising enemies and allies alike with their self-discipline and strong sense of honor.

Some Sith Warriors have been known to go renegade and pursue their own agenda, though all such Darksiders can be trusted to never be far from the action. Their fierce hatred of the Jedi ensures that they will be at the forefront of any conflict with the Galactic Republic, though this uncompromising bloodlust does not render them tactless and single-minded. Due to their passionate dedication to their goals, Sith Warriors are natural leaders, inspiring both fear and undying loyalty amongst their allies. While they have little patience for failure, Warriors understand the need for strength in numbers against their foes.

Armor and Armaments


While Sith Warriors relied heavily on the strength of the Force for their power, their approach to combat was very pragmatic, and they had no compunction about heavy armor or cybernetic augmentations. In fact, Warriors often favored such dangerous and experimental technologies, with the goal of imbuing themselves with great physical strength and fortitude.

As far as their armament goes, Sith Warriors typical wielded standard lightsabers. However, in keeping with they pragmatic mindset, their lightsabers often featured more technical, squared-off designs, especially in comparisons to the more esoteric models favored by Sith Inquisitors, or the more rounded Jedi lightsabers. However, as their entire equipage is geared towards forcing opponents onto the defensive, Warriors have been known to favor more unorthodox lightsaber disciplines, such as saberstaffs or dual-blades.

All in all, a Sith Warriors equipment and weaponry is designed to accentuate his combat prowess.

Combat Tactics


In terms of their own combat training, Sith Warriors utilize bold lightsaber combat tactics and sudden bursts of Force powers, designed to force opponents onto the defensive before killing them. Considered unrivaled lightsaber duelists, Warriors utilize combat forms geared towards brute force, hammering their foes into submission with strong, crushing blows. Though their lightsaber is their prime method of attack, Sith Warriors do not neglect their skills in other areas of the Force, using it to paralyze, terrify, and kill. Protected by their heavy armor, Sith Warriors charge into the fray and release their anger and hatred against all who stand against them.

Sith Juggernaut
These Sith specialized in combat endurance and were known for wearing armor that provided them special protection in battle. Relying on the Force to boost their stamina, Juggernauts were capable of shrugging off damage that would destroy others. Charging into the thick of combat, Juggernauts take the brunt of the damage, all the while using the Force to cause terror and despair in enemy combatants. Juggernauts were even capable of draining the energy of their opponents to further strengthen themselves and their resolve.

Sith Marauder


The term "Sith Marauder" originally referred to all Sith combat specialists, though it eventually came to refer specifically to this specialized division of them.

Whereas Juggernauts focus on stamina and brute force, Marauders focus on speed and efficiency. Relying on the Force to intuit how to maximize every attack, Marauders cut down their enemies in the blink of an eye. Gearing themselves towards seeing every weakness in their foes and exploiting it to the maximum, Marauders never hesitate nor falter, and are considered the swiftest bringers of pain and damage in the galaxy.

They specialize in dual-lightsaber combat, a fighting form they utilize with unmatched aggression.

History


A war-like organization, the Sith have long made use of combat specialists, who focus on strength and power through rage, though at the cost of a more in-depth understanding of the Force. One of the early Sith Lords styled himself as a Sith Warrior. The Sith Triumvirate trained such warriors at the Trayus Academy on Malachor V, referring to them as "Sith Marauders". This was one of the heights of their strength, though it was swiftly brought crashing down when the Jedi Exile stormed the Trayus Academy in search of Darth Traya.

Under the reconstituted Sith Empire, Warriors were trained on Korriban, arriving on the planet at a young age as Sith Acolytes. Trained in the dark side of the Force, these fledgling Sith Warriors were taught to hate the Jedi, aspiring to destroy the Galactic Republic. As part of their training, they were eventually apprenticed to a Sith Lord, who tutored them individually. However, this training method was in fact quite common amongst the Sith, and not exclusive to Warriors. The Sith Warriors led the charge during the Great Galactic War, and notables such as Darth Malgus rose to prominence among them.

Darth Malgus himself was something of an oddity among the Sith, as he lacked the specieist bias that marked so many of his compatriots, and had little compunction over hiring mercenaries. While a dissenting voice within the Sith political circles, Malgus lacked a power base of his own, and could be counted on to take orders, tactics which protected him from other Sith Lords who would no doubt have otherwise moved against him. During the war, he led the Sith campaign on Alderaan, laying waste to most of the planet. He also led, with the help of his arch-rival Adraas, a contingent of fellow Sith Warriors during the Sacking of Coruscant, storming the Jedi Temple. During the Cold War, Malgus and other warriors led expeditions into the Unknown Regions, furthering the influence of the Sith Empire.

Sith Warriors would continue to see use amongst the various Sith regimes, with Lord Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness establishing specialized Sith academies for the training of such fighters. However, Sith Warriors would be effectively abolished by the Rule of Two Sith, as the individualized teaching methods utilized by the covert group rendered wide-scale classifications obsolete.

Behind the Scenes
In the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the Jedi Exile sends a strike team of three to the tomb of Freedon Nadd at one point in the story. These three characters travel into the tomb, fighting Sith troopers and Dark Jedi alike. When they first enter the tomb, the player is shown a cutscene of two Sith fighting hand-to-hand, presumably Sith Warriors. Later, at the entrance to the tomb chamber, there are two Sith, wearing the same garb as the prestige-class Sith Lords, and carrying the name "Sith Warrior." They attack the three characters with nothing but their fists.

The Sith Warrior will be a playable class in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and will include the Sith Juggernaut and Sith Marauder advanced classes.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Hope
 * Deceived
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace video game