Order of the Sith Lords

"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody the power; the other to crave it."

- Darth Bane

The Sith Order under Darth Bane was created as a result of the devastating Seventh Battle of Ruusan, which saw the annihilation of the previous Sith Order. Bane's Sith Order, known formally as the Order of the Sith Lords, was founded upon the principles of Darth Revan's Holocron, wherefrom he formed the Rule of Two, utilizing stealth tactics and treachery to achieve their means. It would be this Sith Order, and its principles, that would finally triumph over the Jedi and the Galactic Republic nearly 1,000 years later.

Bane's reformation
"Any master who instructs more than one apprentice in the ways of the dark side is a fool. In time the apprentices will unite their strengths and overthrow the master. It is inevitable; Axiomatic. That is why each master must have only one student."

- Darth Revan's holocron



After the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, Darth Bane, the only surviving Sith Lord, started to reform the Sith in order to ensure their continued survival. To guard against the Sith destroying themselves or losing sight of their "ideals" once again, Bane took only one apprentice, restarting the tradition of one master, one apprentice and of passing the name "Darth" to each of his successors. Perhaps in a nod to Kaan's earlier pronouncement, both master and apprentice in Bane's Sith Order held the title "Dark Lord of the Sith", making them, nominally at least, equals. The new tenets of the sinister order would become cunning, stealth, subterfuge and most of all, a virtue borrowed from their worst enemy, patience.

Eventually, Bane inducted his new apprentice, giving her the name Darth Zannah, and set his new order in motion. Future Sith Lords were taught the virtues of patience, planning, and secrecy, and each was to take on the title of Darth, a tradition that had dated back to before the Jedi Civil War, nearly three millennia ago.

It would not be long, however, that Bane's fledgling order was rediscovered by the Jedi and (once again) thought eliminated. The Jedi discovered both the new Rule of Two and the identity of Darth Bane, but did not foresee that the new Sith he had founded would long survive Bane's death.

Quiet Times
After Bane's death the Sith went into hiding. For 1,000 years they watched and waited, doing their best to destabilize the Galactic Republic without revealing themselves. Many centuries passed. Around 188 BBY, during the Dark Jedi Conflict, Kibh Jeen told the Jedi that the Sith had survived and were operating under the Rule of Two, though his warnings were ignored or passed off as the rantings of a madman. Their presence was masked until Darth Maul attacked Qui-Gon-Jinn.

The Split
Sometime after Bane's reformation in 1,000 BBY, Darth Millennial, an apprentice in Bane's Order, rejected firm adherence to Bane's restrictive "Rule of Two," which mandated that there could only be two Sith Lords, master and apprentice, at any one time. Instead, Millennial believed in Lord Kaan's more martial philosophy of "Rule by the Strong," and his opposition to Bane's creed indicates he interpreted this to mean the strength of numbers. He abandoned his master, Darth Cognus, and disappeared to focus on Kaan's ideas, possibly hoping to establish a second Sith order based on these concepts.

Millennial settled on Dromund Kaas, the third planet in a system that had once been part of the backwater regions of the ancient Sith Empire. There he founded a new dark side religion, later called the Dark Force, which was the faith practiced by all his successors. Meanwhile, Darth Cognus, Millennial's abandoned master, found a new apprentice, and the Sith Order continued as before - silent, and in the shadows. Many more Sith would reign in secret in the centuries that followed, including the savvy Darth Vectivus, but the greatest was yet to come.

Palpatine era
"Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice."

- Yoda

Finally, quiet times came to an end with Darth Sidious, considered by many to have been the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith in the history of the Sith Order. He started implementing the great Sith plan set down centuries in the past. Even while still an apprentice to the Muun Darth Plagueis, Sidious began training his own apprentice - a talented Zabrak named Darth Maul. Eventually, not long after the birth of Anakin Skywalker (an event Plagueis may have engineered), Sidious slew his master and proclaimed himself Sith Master. The time for revenge was near.

The unification of the Sith splinter cults


But the possession of an apprentice of Maul's caliber&mdash;and the promise of an apprentice even greater than he&mdash;was still not enough for Sidious. There were other loose ends, the detritus of earlier Sith cults, that needed to be addressed. More often than not, these cults were harmless, disorganized, youngsters thoughtlessly rebelling against the staid world of their parents. Many of them had no real knowledge of Sith ideology or even power in the Force. But in some cases they could be dangerous, to Sidious as well as the innocent. To ensure the success of his plans, they had to be brought to heel according to his will, or scrapped.

One of these was a Sith-centered mercenary band, the Thyrsian Sun Guard. They were not Force-sensitive, but their fighting prowess was phenomenal. They were sheathed from head to toe in black armor, and their helmets bore at least a passing resemblance to the blue-robed elite Senate Guard (whether this was deliberate or just coincidence is not known). Sidious consolidated these Sith mercenaries in the Thyrsus system, and put them to work where they could be useful. Several of them guarded his Coruscant stronghold, and as time went on, others would perform far more heinous tasks.

There were also the practitioners of the Dark Force religion, the end product of Darth Millennial's thousand year-ago heresy. A collection both of able Force-users and naïve Sith enthusiasts under the leadership of a diminutive fallen Jedi by the name of Kadann, they were not strictly Sith, but upon discovering them, Sidious could see that they had potential. The way this secret order had developed Millennial's teachings interested him. At the appropriate time, Sidious came to their stronghold on Dromund Kaas and paid Kadann a visit, claiming to be intrigued by this prophet and his unique view of the Force. After many long conversations and debates, Sidious at last revealed to Kadann his true purpose:

"The future you see isn't yours. You are merely the messenger. Serve me. Become my prophet. Reveal the will of the Force as you see it and I will make your predictions come true."

- Darth Sidious

Kadann accepted his destiny. At Sidious's behest he assembled a small group of Dark Force devotees with particular talents for seeing portents and omens in the Force. These became the Prophets of the Dark Side, with Kadann as Supreme Prophet. By the time the New Order came to pass, Kadann would become one of the new Emperor's most trusted&mdash;and most secret&mdash;advisors.

The Great Plan
"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."

- Palpatine



In 52 BBY, Darth Sidious started infiltrating the Republic's government, carefully implementing the steps of a plan set down centuries in the past, preparing to address "wrongs" the Galaxy at large had long since forgotten with the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY. Though his apprentice, Darth Maul, was slain in that battle at the hands of Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, the day proved an unparalleled victory for the Sith; Darth Sidious, as Senator Palpatine of Naboo, was elected to the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.



More than a decade passed, during which Palpatine manipulated the Senate into granting him more and more powers. His new apprentice, Darth Tyranus, formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which seceded from the Galactic Republic, thus beginning a long and bloody conflict known as the Clone Wars. During this time as the conflict progressed, the Jedi began to suspect Palpatine's skeptical powers.

As the Clone Wars neared their climax, the Jedi ranks had been thinned considerably. At last, the moment had come for the Sith to reclaim their former glory. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine&mdash;who had been revealed as Darth Sidious by Anakin Skywalker&mdash;killed four Jedi Masters who had been sent to arrest him. He then crowned himself Galactic Emperor, and replaced the ancient Republic with a "New Order" — the Galactic Empire — a galaxy-spanning dark side theocracy masquerading as a dictatorship the likes of which had not been seen for millennia, through the Declaration of a New Order.



The Jedi Purge began with the issuing of Order 66, in which the clone troopers received their transmission from Palpatine to kill their Jedi commanders, and attack the Jedi Temple, led by Palpatine's third and greatest apprentice, Darth Vader. The Purge ensured that what few Jedi remained became even fewer, until only a handful of the original ten thousand remained. It was a dark time for the galaxy.

Eventually, however, the Alliance to Restore the Republic arose to overthrow the Empire a year before the Battle of Yavin. The 38-year Galactic Civil War drew many into its fold, perhaps the most notable of whom was Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker (or as he was better known, Darth Vader).



Shortly after Skywalker destroyed the Empire's terrifying Death Star superweapon, the Emperor and Vader became aware of the young man's identity. Both Sith Lords hoped to corrupt Luke to the dark side, but each had a different plan for the future. Vader desired to kill the Emperor and rule the galaxy with his son, but Palpatine wished to replace Vader with the boy as his fourth apprentice. Neither goal was successful, and it appeared that the Sith had finally come to an end, as originally prophesied by the Jedi. With the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, Darth Vader returned to the light side as Anakin Skywalker once again, slaying his former master and being slain in return.

The return of Anakin Skywalker, formerly Darth Vader, to the light side, and the death of the Emperor, who was the last true master of Darth Bane's reformed Sith Order, brought to fruition the prophecy of the Chosen One who would "bring balance to the Force."

Palpatine's return


But even death was not the end for Palpatine. Unlike his Sith predecessors, Palpatine had never intended to be replaced by an apprentice, expecting his Empire to rule the Galaxy eternally, with only himself as its true leader. At an unknown point in time prior to his death at the Battle of Endor, Palpatine had found a way to cheat death by preserving his spirit after the death of his body. He arranged for a series of clones of himself to be created for his spirit to possess, in the event that he would perish. His primary supply of clones was kept on Byss, guarded by loyal Dark Jedi and immense genetically-altered guards, and maintained by a trusted private physician. After the destruction of the second Death Star, Palpatine's spirit was forced to journey in the maddening, bodiless existence of the void, eventually taking possession of the body of Emperor's Hand Jeng Droga. Though Droga went mad in the process, he was able to journey to Byss, where Palpatine was able to take possession of a clone of himself. There, on Byss, he would remain for years and would rebuild his strength and Empire.

Palpatine's apparent death at the Battle of Endor fragmented the Galactic Empire. Without an heir, opportunistic Moffs and other officers turned into warlords and set out to carve their own kingdoms wherever they could. This worked to the advantage of the New Republic, which succeeded in reclaiming much of the Galaxy.

After Thrawn's death, the resurrected Emperor struck. Using his dark powers to create a powerful Force Storm, he swept Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to Byss. There, he revealed himself to Luke, and revealed the power of the dark side. Faced with an immortal foe, Skywalker did the unthinkable—in order to defeat the dark side from within, he knelt before Palpatine, and submitted himself as the Emperor's new Sith apprentice.

Resurrected, Palpatine planned to replace the Galactic Empire with a "Dark Empire", a universe-spanning magocracy ruled through the dark side of the Force alone, without the need for regional governors or technological domination.

Though he and his loyal Imperial forces managed to briefly retake the galactic capital of Coruscant and wreak havoc on the Galaxy for a year, the resurrected Palpatine's bodies started dying—for the treacherous Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax tampered with their genetic material. Palpatine died a final death on the planet Onderon, when dying Jedi Knight Empatajayos Brand, a survivor of the Jedi Purge, bound Emperor Palpatine's departing life essence to his own, taking the spirit with him as he became one with the Force. Thus, the end of the Order of the Sith Lords.

Post-Palpatine Sith
Bane's Order died with Sidious on Onderon, though the Sith tradition continued with two separate self-proclaimed successors, each whom built their own successor-cult.

Ranks
To ensure the continued survival of the Sith, Bane instituted the Rule of Two. In Bane's order, both Sith held the title Dark Lord of the Sith.

Sith Master

Sith Masters were Sith Lords that had an apprentice serving beneath them. Notable Sith Masters include Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis, and Darth Sidious.

Sith apprentice

Sith Apprentices were Sith neophytes that were studying under the tutelage of a Sith Master. Notable Sith Apprentices include Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, and Darth Vader.

Palpatine era
When Palpatine declared himself Emperor, the Sith controlled the known galaxy, in a political sense, for the first time. With this new, far-reaching authority came a need for functionaries throughout the Empire who were, to one extent or another, supporters if not adherents of the dark side. Though not Sith in any strict sense, these quasi-Sith minions were known generally as Dark Side Adepts. As Force-sensitive individuals serving the Emperor, they supported his Sith rule by working in the roles of servants, agents, intelligence operatives, military officials, etc. Dark Side Adepts were particularly important when Palpatine was reborn into his clone bodies, five years after his death.

Inquisitors

Inquisitors were the highest ranking Dark Side Adepts, members of the Inquisitorius, a special division of Imperial Intelligence.

Prophets of the Dark Side

The Dark Side Prophets were an ancient Outer Rim renegade Sith order founded by Darth Millennial. Though not Banist Sith, the Prophets were arguably a kind of true Sith. Darth Sidious rediscovered the group and brought them once again under his control, renaming them the Emperor's Mages.

Emperor's Hands

Emperor's Hands were top-secret special operatives trained in the Force by the Emperor himself. They were so secret they usually had no knowledge of each other. Mara Jade was one of the best-known Emperor's Hands.

Emperor's Royal Guard

These were hand-picked elite stormtroopers assigned to protect and serve the Emperor directly. They were required to have Force sensitivity, even if undeveloped. Those with advanced talents were assigned as Sovereign Protectors, and those with even more advanced talents underwent Force training under Dark Jedi tutors.

Dark Acolytes

Dark Acolytes were a group of Dark Jedi who served as acolytes and agents to Count Dooku as well as commanders and generals in the Separatist Army. Though trained in the Dark Side of the Force, they were taught little, if any, Sith techniques. Asajj Ventress, Sora Bulq, Quinlan Vos and Sevrance Tann were among the best known Dark Acolytes.

Dark Jedi

Although the name might imply otherwise, Dark Jedi were not synonymous with Sith, although Darth Vader among others used techniques drawn from the traditions of both the Dark Jedi and the Sith. It was much more likely for Dark Jedi to return to the Light (e.g. Kam Solusar).

Known Members

 * Darth Bane
 * Darth Zannah
 * Darth Cognus
 * Darth Millennial
 * Darth Vectivus
 * Darth Finn
 * Darth Finn's apprentice
 * Darth Marka
 * Darth Plagueis
 * Darth Sidious
 * Darth Maul
 * Darth Tyranus
 * Darth Vader

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Jedi vs. Sith
 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two
 * Darth Plagueis novel
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Episode I Adventures 3: The Fury of Darth Maul
 * Darth Maul: Saboteur
 * Jedi Council: Acts of War
 * Darth Maul
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Marked
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Outbound Flight
 * Jango Fett: Open Seasons
 * Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Republic: Sacrifice
 * Star Wars Republic 50: The Battle of Kamino
 * Star Wars Republic 63: Striking from the Shadows
 * Star Wars Republic 64: Bloodlines
 * Jedi: Count Dooku
 * Star Wars Republic: The Siege of Saleucami
 * Star Wars: Obsession
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Jedi Trial
 * Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comics
 * Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars: Purge
 * The Force Unleashed
 * Darth Vader: Extinction
 * Resurrection
 * Death Star
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Missions 18: Rogue Squadron to the Rescue
 * Star Wars Missions 20: Total Destruction
 * Vader's Quest
 * Splinter of the Mind's Eye
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Shadows of the Empire
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Dark Empire
 * Dark Empire II
 * Empire's End
 * Crimson Empire
 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * ''Exile
 * Sacrifice
 * Star Wars Legacy 8: Allies
 * Star Wars Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4
 * Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force