First Sith Civil War

"There are many factions within the Sith, each attempting to take what little remains from the Jedi Civil War."

- Visas Marr

Following the Dark Lord Darth Malak's defeat during the final battle of the Jedi Civil War, several of the Sith Lords who had followed Darth Revan and Malak during the war attempted to take what they could from the ruins of the Sith Empire. Confrontation eventually destroyed the Sith in a bloody civil war centred on Korriban's Sith Academy (3,956-3,955 BBY). By the time the Exile began searching for what was left of the Jedi Council, much of the Sith Order had been decimated. However, the Exile did still have a hand in the death of the last of the major Sith Lords. Having discovered that the Sith under the command of the Darth Nihilus were striking from Malachor V, he destroyed Nihilus and travelled to Trayus Academy on Malachor V, defeating every Sith in the academy. Ultimately, however, the greatest blow to the Sith Order came from within. This conflict was known as the Sith Civil War.

If the civil war explanation for the decline of the Sith of that period is true, then it provides yet another reason for Darth Bane to have established his Rule of Two, many millennia later. With only two Sith in the galaxy at any one time, it would prevent a disaster such as the Sith Civil War from happening ever again.

It should be noted that the same records which tell of this little-known conflict also indicate that another "Darth" survived the Sith Civil War, ensuring the continuation of the "Darth" line of Sith for millennia to come until it came back into prominence with Darth Bane.

The Sith Civil War was the last known conflict in the Old Sith Wars.