The Final Order, alternatively called the Final Order fleet, the Sith Eternal fleet, the Sith fleet, the Sith armada, the New Order, the New Empire, or even the Sith Empire, represented a colossal fleet composed of Xyston-class Star Destroyers. This armada was secretly assembled by Sith cultists under the command of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious on the planet Exegol. The Final Order, in conjunction with a vast army of Sith troopers, marked the culmination of a grand plan spanning over a millennium and a conspiracy that had been brewing for decades. Each Star Destroyer was armed with a powerful [axial superlaser](/article/axial_superlaser] capable of obliterating entire worlds, and the Final Order's ultimate aim was to subject the galaxy to the eternal dominion of a resurrected Sith Empire through overwhelming military power.
While the Resistance was engaged in combat against the First Order, which was essentially a continuation of the Galactic Empire in all but name, the followers of the Sith religion, known as the Sith Eternal, were diligently working to construct the largest armada ever seen in galactic history. The existence of the Final Order was revealed to Supreme Leader Kylo Ren by the reborn Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. Sidious implored Darth Vader's descendant to seize control of the fleet and rule the entire galaxy as the new Galactic Emperor.
Even though Ren ultimately rejected the dark side of the Force, Sidious' schemes proceeded unabated, bolstered by the support of Allegiant General Enric Pryde. The Derriphan, just one of the many Star Destroyers that made up the Final Order, showcased its destructive capacity to the galaxy by annihilating the planet Kijimi. To thwart Sidious' ambition of establishing a new Sith Empire, the Resistance navy ventured into the Unknown Regions in a desperate attempt to prevent the Final Order from launching.
In the end, the Battle of Exegol resulted in a resounding defeat for Sidious and his adherents. The Final Order was completely obliterated by the combined efforts of the Resistance and a Citizens' Fleet. Consequently, the First Order military was openly attacked by a widespread uprising of people on countless worlds throughout the galaxy, spanning from Bespin, Jakku, and Endor, to Naboo, Corellia, and Coruscant.
The vast, planet-destroying fleet known as the Final Order belonged to the Sith Eternal cult and was commanded by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. It consisted of 1,080 Xyston-class Star Destroyers, whose overall design mirrored that of the Imperial I-class Star Destroyers employed by the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire. The Final Order also utilized AAL-2100/9.5 atmospheric assault landers and TIE/dg starfighters. However, the Xyston-class Star Destroyers were larger, featured red accents along the hull of their vessels, and were armed with a massive [axial superlaser](/article/axial_superlaser] capable of obliterating entire planets. This superlaser occupied the space typically used as a standard Imperial-class Star Destroyer's primary hangar. These Star Destroyers housed TIE/dg starfighters, distinguished by their triangular wings and red accents, which were adept at ship-to-ship combat. They also carried Sith troopers, including the Sith Jetpack Troopers variant, deployed via AAL-2100/9.5 atmospheric assault landers. These troopers were organized into traditional Sith legions, each named after deceased Sith Lords and comprising five thousand soldiers.
The Final Order's ranks included Petty Officers, lieutenants, and captains, and it was staffed by Fleet technicians and Sith Eternal officers.
The Sith cultists conceived the Final Order as the final component of Darth Sidious' Contingency. Sidious—the Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Emperor—intended to establish an everlasting Sith reign throughout the galaxy. As the First Order gained power under Darth Vader's grandson, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, the Emperor broadcast his threat of vengeance across the galaxy, which prompted Ren to seek out Sidious and attempt to kill him in 35 ABY. Using a Sith wayfinder that had once belonged to his grandfather, Ren discovered the hidden world of Exegol, where Sidious and the Sith Eternal were located. Within the Sith Citadel, he uncovered numerous secrets, including the origins of his predecessor, Supreme Leader Snoke, as well as Sidious' resurrection in a cloned body and the secret heritage of the Jedi apprentice Rey. In addition to these revelations, Ren learned that he was destined to inherit the new Sith Empire envisioned by the cultists and their master.
Snoke had fulfilled his purpose by dying at his apprentice's hand, the Sith Eternal having created the former Supreme Leader to ensure that Ren became a worthy successor to the Sith legacy. Upon Ren's arrival on Exegol, Sidious revealed the Final Order as a massive armada poised to conquer the galaxy under Ren's command as the new Emperor, supported by an army of countless Sith troopers also under Sidious' control. However, the Sith Lord presented a condition: Ren had to eliminate the Jedi Order by killing Rey; only then would Sidious grant the Supreme Leader control of the Final Order.
Despite Sidious' plans for Ren, the Skywalker heir abandoned the dark side and the First Order, choosing to return to the light side as Ben Solo. Allegiant General Enric Pryde, aboard his Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Steadfast, reaffirmed his allegiance to the Emperor he had once served. With Pryde's support, Sidious decided that the time had come to unleash the Final Order from Exegol. Although the First Order and the Sith Eternal both originated from the Emperor's Contingency, pragmatic First Order officers struggled to collaborate with the fanatical Sith Eternal cultists, but they had no choice if they wanted to avoid incurring Darth Sidious' wrath.
Acting on the Emperor's orders, General Pryde deployed a Xyston-class Star Destroyer, the Derriphan, from Exegol to demonstrate their power by destroying a planet near the Resistance with its axial [superlaser](/article/superlaser]. They selected Kijimi as their target, and the capital ship's superlaser unleashed a red laser beam that struck the planet's surface, using red bolts of energy to hit the planet. Enormous shockwaves reverberated across Kijimi, and eventually, the laser beam pierced through the world's core, tearing it apart. The destruction of Kijimi was broadcast across the galaxy by the Sith Eternal, who declared that the Resistance was finished and the Sith flame would burn, demanding the surrender of every world.
Due to the sheer number of warships in the fleet, they could not simultaneously exit Exegol without a guiding navigational beacon. Therefore, they relied on a navigation signal to initiate their launch from the Sith world. A navigation tower on the planet had been constructed for this purpose, but other ships could also fulfill the same function in emergencies.
Despite the decades of effort invested in constructing this immense force, the Final Order never achieved its intended purpose of retribution. It was confronted by a small contingent of the Resistance fleet, led by Generals Poe Dameron and Finn. Although this initial force was nearly wiped out, a "Citizens' Fleet" consisting of thousands of armed civilian vessels led by General Lando Calrissian emerged from hyperspace above the destroyers. Exploiting a design flaw in the Xyston-class, where their planet-killing cannons served as a vulnerable point, the reinforced Resistance fleet quickly overwhelmed the Sith fleet. The flagship of the armada, the Steadfast, was also destroyed, preventing any of the destroyers from escaping the battle.
Consequently, the Final Order suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Exegol, its warships reduced to wreckage on Exegol's surface. With the Sith fleet destroyed, the First Order faced widespread revolts throughout the galaxy.
The Final Order made its debut in the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, the concluding installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
While the Final Order is part of Star Wars Canon, the Dark Empire organization from Tom Veitch's Star Wars: Dark Empire comic book series in Star Wars Legends shares similarities with it. Like the Final Order, the Dark Empire was led by a resurrected Emperor Palpatine and aimed to dominate the galaxy like its predecessor, the Galactic Empire, and reestablish Sith rule. Furthermore, it included a group of dark side warriors (Knights of Ren/Dark Side Elite), both have an alternate name with "Empire" in it (Sith Empire and New Empire for the Final Order, and the Empire Reborn for the Dark Empire), both possessed starships equipped with superlasers and a fleet tasked with retaking control of the galaxy, from a secret Sith planet (Exegol/Byss), and both attempted to bring a Jedi over to the dark side (Rey/Luke Skywalker).