Darth Stryfe

"I am Darth Stryfe! I am death!"

- Darth Stryfe

Darth Stryfe was a male Human and a member of the One Sith Order led by Darth Krayt, a Dark Lord of the Sith. Eventually rising to the rank of Sith Lord, Stryfe served Krayt after the deposing of Emperor Roan Fel at the end of the Sith–Imperial War. In the time of the ensuing conflict, he was selected to be Krayt's Fist, the head of the Empire's military. In 137 ABY, Stryfe oversaw a search for Jedi in the academy on the planet Ossus, and ordered its destruction. In that same year, after Krayt's Hands, Darth Nihl and Darth Talon, let former Jedi Cade Skywalker&mdash;who Krayt sought for his healing ability&mdash;escape the Sith Temple on the galactic capital of Coruscant, Stryfe was named Krayt's new Hand to replace Nihl.

The Sith discovered that Skywalker and his companions had attacked an Imperial outpost on the Deep Core world of Had Abbadon, and that among them was the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur. After Muur requested a meeting with Krayt, Stryfe was among those Krayt took with him to Had Abbadon. Discovering that they had walked into a trap, the Sith engaged Skywalker and his allies. The Sith were defeated and Stryfe's body was recovered by Krayt's most trusted advisor Darth Wyyrlok, who placed the Human Sith Lord in a bacta tank. Unbeknownst to Stryfe, Wyyrlok had killed Krayt after the battle, deciding that the Dark Lord needed to die in order for Krayt's vision of the Sith to live. Taken to the Sith Temple on the Sith homeworld of Korriban for further healing, Stryfe awoke to discover he could no longer feel his Lord Krayt in his mind, and was convinced his master was dead. However, Wyyrlok convinced Stryfe that Krayt still lived, and explained that he would be taking control of the Empire while their Lord recovered. Believing the deception, Stryfe swore he would give his support to the Chagrian Sith Lord. Together the two left for Coruscant to secure the throne and implement the next stage in Krayt's plan for a unified galaxy.

After Darth Wyyrlok ordered the execution of the Final Protocol, a plan that saw the oceans of the Mon Calamari homeworld Dac poisoned and all of the inhabitants executed for their support of the commander of the Galactic Alliance Remnant, Admiral Gar Stazi, Stryfe was tasked with overseeing the Sith Empire's Outer Rim Third Fleet for the mission. During Stazi's operation to rescue the inhabitants of Dac, the Third Fleet engaged the Alliance fleet, aiming to ensure the evacuation attempts failed. However, after a fleet from Roan Fel's Empire-in-exile arrived to aid Stazi's forces, Stryfe was forced to withdraw.

Krayt's Fist
"Still, I smell Jedi. Target the Temple, Captain Meeshal. Level it. Burn it."

- Darth Stryfe ordering the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Ossus

The male Human Sith Lord known as Darth Stryfe was a member of the One Sith, serving Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt and his Galactic Empire, after Krayt deposed Emperor Roan Fel at the end of the Sith–Imperial War. In the time of the ensuing conflict, the Second Imperial Civil War, he was selected to be Krayt's Fist, the head of the Empire's military, a position that was once held by Darth Nihl before his promotion to a Hand.

In 137 ABY, Stryfe, aboard an Imperial Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer, personally oversaw and led the Imperial search for Jedi on the planet Ossus. Rumors had spread that surviving Jedi were hiding in the Jedi Academy on Ossus, and the Sith were determined to eradicate all Jedi. Stryfe sent Joker Squad of the 407th Stormtrooper Division to conduct a search of the surface, and the stormtroopers of the unit were terrified of failure, fearing punishment from Stryfe. The Jokers looked around Ossus keenly, but found nothing; the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;there to protect Jedi artifacts&mdash;and the Jedi present at the Academy had gone into hiding. As the Imperials were about to call off the search, Darth Stryfe commanded them to continue, as he could sense a whisper in the Force that suggested the presence of Jedi.

Ordered by Stryfe to continue looking for the Jedi, Sergeant Ran Harkas, Anson Trask, and Private Orland, as well as one more stormtrooper, continued the search amongst the remains of the Jedi Academy. Trask and a fellow stormtrooper reported that the Temple was empty after the Jedi Knight Shado Vao used the Force to persuade them. However, Lord Stryfe ordered Imperial Navy Captain Meeshal to destroy the Temple, as he still felt the presence of the Jedi hiding on the planet. The Imperials proceeded to fire on the Academy, and succeeded in injuring Jedi Master K'Kruhk, who had been hiding within the Temple. Nevertheless, the Jedi were able to survive the attack, and unbeknownst to Stryfe, they eventually escaped to their secret refuge, the Hidden Temple, which had been ordered into creation by the Jedi High Council at the start of the Sith-Imperial War.

In that same year, Darth Krayt succeeded in capturing former Jedi Cade Skywalker, a descendant of the famous Grand Master Luke Skywalker, who Krayt sought for his healing ability and hoped to turn to the dark side. After Skywalker escaped from his Hands, Darth Nihl and Darth Talon, in the Sith Temple on Coruscant, Stryfe was named Krayt's new Hand to replace Nihl.

Krayt's Hand
"You failed Lord Krayt once, Talon. I'm surprised he let you live.''" "We all'' live or die as Lord Krayt wills, Stryfe. At his word I would cut out my own heart. Or yours."

- Darth Stryfe and Darth Talon

When Cade Skywalker set his plan to kill Darth Krayt in motion, he initiated an attack on a Sith outpost on the Deep Core world of Had Abbadon, which was under the command of the Devaronian Sith Lord Darth Reave. Reave managed to escape, and brought the news to Krayt on Coruscant. During the attack, Reave had been bitten by a rakghoul&mdash;an ancient and thought-to-be extinct form of Sithspawn&mdash;while fighting Skywalker and his companions, and before he could complete his report, he succumbed to the effects of the bite. Transformed into one of the rakghoul mutants, Reave charged to attack Darth Krayt. However, he never reached Krayt, as Darth Stryfe intercepted the former Sith and proceeded to behead the creature. The head of Sith Intelligence and Assassination and Sith scientist, Darth Maladi, confirmed that the transformation was the result of ancient Sith alchemy.

Not long after, Lord Krayt was contacted via hologram by the spirit of Karness Muur, an ancient Sith Lord who was controlling the Old Republic Jedi Celeste Morne through the power of the Muur Talisman, an ancient Sith artifact. Muur informed Krayt that he was in control of Morne as well as the rakghouls, and proposed a meeting between the two Sith Lords. As an incentive, Muur offered Krayt his knowledge of dark side healing, as a method of aiding Krayt with his afflictions resulting from Yuuzhan Vong implants. Furthermore, Muur presented a shackled Cade Skywalker as his prisoner, and threatened to kill him if Krayt did not come to Had Abbadon. Krayt ordered his Sith Lords, including Stryfe, to leave for Had Abbadon immediately.

While en route to the planet in Krayt's royal transport, the Relentless, Stryfe had a small confrontation with Darth Talon, stating that he was surprised she had been allowed to live after failing Lord Krayt. Talon replied that she lived by Krayt's command, and at his word she would not hesitate to take her own life or Stryfe's.

Battle on Had Abbadon
"Mindless minions! Away from my Lord Krayt."

- Darth Stryfe engaging the rakghouls on Had Abbadon

Arriving at Had Abbadon, Darth Stryfe was one of the Sith who traveled to the planet's surface with Darth Krayt, along with Darths Talon and Maladi. Meeting with Muur, the ancient Sith Lord proposed an alliance with Krayt, offering to begin the healing process immediately as an act of good faith. As Muur began to heal Krayt, the pain caused Krayt to cry out, and Stryfe rushed to his Lord's aid. However, Stryfe was called off by Krayt, who could feel that the healing was working. It was at this point that Cade Skywalker took advantage of the commotion and unveiled his trap, calling on his companions&mdash;who had been hidden up until this point&mdash;to attack the gathered Sith. Furthermore, Morne also regained mastery over Muur, and therefore control of herself, as well as the Muur Talisman which controlled the rakghouls. She engaged Darth Krayt, and ordered the rakghouls to attack him. Darth Stryfe defended his master from the rakghouls, cutting through hordes of the creatures as they charged, until Krayt was able to repel the creatures with a torrent of Force lightning. Stryfe then dueled with Skywalker, who taunted the Sith Lord while they exchanged blows until Stryfe became enraged. Calling for his companion, Jariah Syn, to create an explosion, Skywalker landed a Force-assisted kick which drove Stryfe back to where Syn had placed the explosives. Darth Stryfe was severely injured in the blast and could not continue in the battle.

The battle continued as Krayt dueled with Morne and the spirit of Muur within her. One of Skywalker's allies, Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae, was able to launch an attack on Krayt while he was distracted, and drove her lightsaber through the Sith Lord's back. This gave Morne an opening, which she quickly took, unleashing a torrent of Force lightning on Krayt before Force-pushing him off a cliff. With the battle over, Krayt's most trusted advisor, Darth Wyyrlok, arrived on the planet and recovered Darth Stryfe, as well as Darths Talon and Maladi, who had also been wounded in the encounter. Wyyrlok ordered the three Sith to be placed in bacta tanks to heal their injuries while he proceeded to locate the body of Darth Krayt. Unbeknownst to Stryfe, Wyyrlok discovered that Krayt had survived the battle; however, Wyyrlok decided that Krayt had to die in order for his vision of the Sith ruling the galaxy as one to survive. Wyyrlok killed the Dark Lord with a burst of Force lightning, and brought his body aboard the same ship in which Stryfe was recovering; Wyrrlok intended to inter Krayt's bones among the ancient Sith on the Sith homeworld of Korriban.

A new leader
"I cannot feel the Dark Lord in my mind anymore&mdash;and Krayt is always present in my mind!"

- Lord Stryfe

Taken to the Sith Temple on Korriban, Stryfe was once again placed within a bacta tank in the Temple's Healing Chambers, under the watchful eye of a Koorivar acolyte. Stryfe awoke to discover he could no longer feel his Lord Krayt in his mind, and was convinced that his master was dead. Breaking free of his tank, Stryfe demanded to know the location of Krayt from the acolyte, who quickly pointed him in the direction of the Stasis Room. Rushing to the Stasis Room, Stryfe found the entry blocked by a young female Chagrian Sith apprentice. Stryfe demanded to see Darth Krayt, but the Chagrian refused, stating that Krayt was in stasis and could not be awakened. Convinced Krayt was dead, Stryfe attacked the Sith apprentice, certain that she would not be able to stop him. After a brief fight, however, the Chagrian managed to subdue him using the Force.

Having finished preparing Krayt's stasis chamber, Darth Wyyrlok appeared and stopped the fight, revealing the young Chagrian to be his daughter, Saarai. Leading Stryfe down to the chamber, Darth Wyyrlok explained that Krayt had been severely injured at Had Abaddon and needed to be kept in stasis to heal. Wyyrlok told Stryfe that the reason he was unable to feel his master was due to shields Wyyrlok had erected to protect the Dark Lord. Planning to take control of the Empire, Wyyrlok explained that he would again be assuming the duties that all Wyyrlok had held while Krayt was in stasis&mdash;as the voice of Lord Krayt and the regent of the Order&mdash;but this time he would also secure the Imperial throne on Coruscant. Aware of the many ambitious beings within the Order, Wyyrlok told Stryfe that he would depend upon the Hand's loyalty and strength to maintain control. Believing Wyyrlok's deception, Stryfe swore he would give his support to the Chagrian Sith Lord. Together, the two left for Coruscant to secure the throne and implement the next stage in Krayt's plan for a unified galaxy.

Wyyrlok and Stryfe arrived on Coruscant, joined by Talon, Nihl, and Maladi, where they were greeted by scores of Imperial stormtroopers and officers. The arrival of the Sith was watched by Moffs Nyna Calixte and Morlish Veed, who had been informed that the mission to Had Abbadon had been a failure, and that Krayt was being held in healing stasis. The two Moffs, however, suspected something else was going on, and planned to find out what the Sith were hiding.

The Final Protocol
"Our primary objective is the capture or destruction of the Alliance and Admiral Gar Stazi.''" "No, it is not, Moff Geist. My Master has ordained the extinction of the Mon Calamari species. That'' is our primary mission."

- Moff Geist and Lord Stryfe aboard the Relentless

After Darth Wyyrlok announced that it was Darth Krayt's will that the Mon Calamari species and their planet be exterminated for their support of the commander of the remnants of the Galactic Alliance, Admiral Gar Stazi, Stryfe was overseeing the Sith Empire's Outer Rim Third Fleet. Wyyrlok ordered the execution of the Final Protocol, a plan that saw the oceans of the Mon Calamari homeworld Dac poisoned and all of the inhabitants executed within one week. Knowing Admiral Stazi would return to rescue the inhabitants of Dac, the Outer Rim Third Fleet, under the command of Admiral Krion Grail and Moff Geist, was tasked with attacking the Alliance forces and ensuring the failure of the rescue efforts.

Ten hours into the Alliance rescue operation, the Third Fleet entered the system and engaged Stazi's forces. Moff Geist believed their main focus should be the capture or destruction of Stazi and his flagship, the Alliance; however, Stryfe, who followed Krayt's will to the letter, reminded the Moff that their main focus was the extinction of the Mon Calamari species. Although the Sith fleet outnumbered the Alliance forces, Stazi used ion bombs loaded aboard drone ships to take out much of the Third Fleet. The flagship of the Third Fleet, the Relentless, barely escaped destruction, and Stryfe ordered Grail to target the first wave of refugee ships as they attempted to leave the system.

While the Alliance protected the refugee ships from the Sith attack, another fleet entered the system and attacked Stryfe's forces. The fleet was from former Emperor Roan Fel's Empire-in-exile, come to aid in the evacuation of Dac. Knowing that the Relentless could not continue the attack without being destroyed, Geist convinced Stryfe to withdraw their remaining forces. Now able to continue the evacuation uninhibited by the Sith fleet, the Alliance and Imperial forces were able to evacuate twenty percent of the planet's population. Stryfe reported the failure to Lord Wyyrlok who was on Coruscant. Wyyrlok reassured Stryfe that the mission still succeeded in sending the galaxy a message of what it meant to oppose the Sith despite the small portion of Mon Calamari who survived.

Personality and traits
"Let nothing escape alive."

- Darth Stryfe, to Captain Meeshal, showing his brutal methods

Considered to be one of the most brutal of the One Sith, Stryfe focused his energies on brute force. Like most members of the Order, Stryfe's face and visible parts of his body were covered in red and black Sith tattoos. Darth Stryfe was a ruthless and efficient military leader known for his harsh treatment of soldiers of the Empire, who feared him for this reason. Stryfe was considered competent in the eyes of Darth Krayt, who promoted him to Hand because he believed Stryfe to be more reliable than both Darths Nihl and Talon. Stryfe was protective of his Lord Krayt, rushing to Krayt's defense when the the rakghoul-infected Darth Reave attacked his Master, as well as from the hordes of rakghouls during the Battle on Had Abbadon. Stryfe also believed in following Krayt's will to the letter, as seen during the evacuation of Dac when he ordered his forces to focus on the extinction of the Mon Calamari species over the more strategically viable goal of killing Admiral Stazi. During his duel with Cade Skywalker, Stryfe was angered by Skywalker's taunts, which caused him to lose focus. When he was refused entry to the stasis chamber which was holding Darth Krayt's body, Stryfe showed his arrogance in believing that Saarai was not powerful enough to stop him because she was only an apprentice, not a Darth.

Powers and abilities
"I sense a whisper in the Force&hellip;"

- Darth Stryfe

Darth Stryfe wielded a single red-bladed lightsaber, and in combat he was known to attack his enemies with intense, raw power. While he was skilled enough to cut through hordes of rakghouls with ease, Stryfe was unable to defeat Cade Skywalker in a lightsaber duel. Unlike most of the One Sith, who carried coral-like hilts,  Stryfe's saber hilt was smooth and metallic. Apart from his skill with a lightsaber, he was also strong in the dark side of the the Force. He was capable of using the Force to telekinetically push his opponents, and like many of the One Sith,  Stryfe was proficient in the use of Force lightning, employing it against the rakghouls on Had Abbadon. He was also able to sense the presence of other beings from a great distance, sensing the Jedi hiding on Ossus from a Star Destroyer far above the planet. However, despite his strength in the Force, Stryfe was overpowered by the Sith apprentice Saarai.

Behind the scenes
Darth Stryfe was first mentioned in the introductory supplement to the Star Wars: Legacy comic series, Star Wars: Legacy 0, released June 7, 2006. Stryfe was featured as a minor character in the early part of the series, appearing in two issues of the story arc Star Wars: Legacy: Claws of the Dragon, which were written by John Ostrander and penciled by Jan Duursema. His promotion to Hand was mentioned in a flashback in Star Wars: Legacy 27: Into the Core. However, in the later Vector story arc, as well as in the first issue of the Storms arc, Storms, Part 1, Stryfe began to take on a more prominent role.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Legacy 16: Claws of the Dragon, Part 3
 * Star Wars: Legacy 17: Claws of the Dragon, Part 4
 * Star Wars: Legacy 27: Into the Core
 * Star Wars: Legacy 30: Vector, Part 11
 * Star Wars: Legacy 31: Vector, Part 12
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Storms
 * Star Wars: Legacy 47: The Fate of Dac
 * Star Wars: Legacy—War 1