Code of the Sith/Legends

The Sith Code was the mantra that reinforced the core beliefs of the Sith Order.

The Code

 * 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

Analysis of the Sith Code
Some have speculated that the Sith Code was created in direct contrast with the Jedi code, to illustrate the fundamental philisophical differences between the orders. This could certainly account for the first line of the Sith Code discounting the Jedi's proclamation of peace, as well as the similar structure of the two Codes.

The Sith did not believe that victory by any means was desirable, but believed that unless victory proved your superiority, it was an illusion and temporary. Though there might be different types of victories - peaceful victory, victory by sacrifice, even a truce - Sith dogma taught that unless the victory was achieved by demonstrating that your power was superior it was not true victory. The stronger a Sith became in the Force, the more power they could achieve, but they always had to fight for that power.

The true meaning of the line "... my chains are broken" was argued often by many Sith. The chains represented a being's restrictions; not just a Sith but any being in the universe. The restrictions could be those placed upon a being by someone else, or restrictions that they placed upon themselves. The ultimate goal of any Sith was to free themself from such restrictions, but not (as many failed Sith pupils believed) in the simplistic meaning of just being able to do whatever they wanted. The Sith desired to free themselves in order to reach perfection and fulfil their potential. They wanted perfect strength, perfect power, and perfect destiny.

The Sith legend of the Sith'ari described them as the perfect being, a being who whould one day lead the Sith. The Sith'ari was supposed to destroy the Sith and then make them stronger than ever (and was possibly the same person as the Jedi Chosen One). This caused many Sith to treat perfection as a goal to work towards rather than a strict state of being, and in that way they were very like the Jedi.