Dark Jedi were individuals sensitive to the Force who embraced the dark side of the Force, yet they were neither Sith nor members of the Inquisitorius. A Dark Jedi, whose ascent was foretold in a Jedi prophecy, was the offspring of an ancient duchess from Malastare. Asajj Ventress was regarded as a Dark Jedi, particularly while she served Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
In the New Republic Era, [Baylan Skoll](/article/baylan_skoll], a former Jedi General, and his apprentice, Shin Hati, were employed as mercenaries by Morgan Elsbeth as she attempted to locate Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The phrase "Dark Jedi" was initially created by the writer Timothy Zahn for his 1991 Star Wars Legends book Heir to the Empire to describe a Jedi who had succumbed to the dark side, because the term "Sith" had not yet been formally defined. He later commented that the term became somewhat "squishy" and was discouraged for this and other reasons, even though it was the best term available at the time.