Githany

Githany, a Force-sensitive Human female, was born on an unknown planet roughly 20 to 30 years prior to the Ruusan campaign. As a young child, her parents entrusted her to the care of the Jedi Order. She received instruction from the Cathar Jedi Master Handa alongside another Padawan, Kiel Charny, during a period when multiple apprenticeships were still common practice.

During her training, the young Padawan became disconnected from the Force, struggling to comprehend its immensity. In response, her mind erected barriers to shield herself from such power. Only through the patient guidance of her Jedi Master was she able to overcome these obstacles and continue her training. As she matured, Githany developed romantic feelings for Charny. Their Master discovered their relationship and was angered, demanding that they cease their affair. While Kiel complied with his Master's demands, Githany refused and abandoned the Jedi, eventually aligning herself with the Sith. Charny, faced with a choice between his love and the Jedi, ultimately chose the Jedi, following the counsel of his close friend, Valenthyne Farfalla.

In the early stages of the Ruusan campaign, Githany succumbed to the lure of the dark side and joined the Brotherhood of Darkness, initially concealing her betrayal. Upon defecting, she met with Skere Kaan and the other Dark Lords of the Sith Lord, providing them with valuable strategic information about the Jedi. This included Lord Hoth's battle plans, which she had obtained through her relationship with Charny, who was one of Hoth's most prominent generals. After the Sith were satisfied with the information she provided, Githany was sent to the Sith Academy on Korriban to begin her training as a Sith.

While at the academy, she quickly befriended another student named Bane and manipulated him in her plot to defeat the school's top student, Sirak. Recognizing his potential, Githany secretly began to train Bane, even though no other Sith Master would, teaching him the skill of Force lightning. During these clandestine training sessions, Githany began to develop feelings for Bane, even sharing a kiss with him. Bane eventually fought Sirak and emerged victorious, but to Githany's disappointment, he spared the Zabrak's life. Feeling that Bane had failed to meet her expectations, Githany allied herself with Sirak. Together with fellow students Yevra and Llokay, Githany and Sirak ambushed Bane upon his return from the Valley of the Dark Lords. During the ensuing confrontation, Githany once again shifted her allegiance, killing Yevra and Llokay. Bane then killed Sirak.

Despite her eventual betrayal of Bane on Ruusan, Githany once again allied herself with him.

With the need for more Sith on Ruusan to fight against the Army of Light, Lord Kaan decreed that all students on Korriban be elevated to the rank of Dark Lord, including Githany. On Ruusan, Githany was tasked with assassinating Darth Bane, meeting him on the planet Ambria where she planned to poison him with synox, as well as with the application of Rock worrt venom to her lips. Bane received three lethal doses of this poison via a kiss, yet he managed to survive by seeking out a healer on the planet. The healer, recognizing Bane's dark side affiliation, initially refused to help him, but relented when Bane threatened his daughter.

Bane returned to Ruusan, disrupting a meeting of Kaan's inner circle. Despite being surprised by his survival, Githany joined the other Lords in welcoming Bane back into the fold. Pretending to forgive Kaan, Bane rejoined the Brotherhood and participated in the council of war, contributing to the development of a plan to draw out the Jedi using their combined dark side powers.

While their minions launched a diversionary attack on the Jedi, Githany, Bane, Kaan, and the other Dark Lords gathered on a high precipice, where Bane guided the Sith in a powerful ritual. Using their combined Force abilities, a massive wave of destruction swept across the surface of Ruusan, scorching the once-lush forests and decimating Republic and Jedi forces by the thousands. Following the success of this ritual, Lord Kaan led his forces into battle against the Jedi, and Githany followed.

During the Sixth Battle of Ruusan, Kaan, Githany, and other Dark Lords launched a surprise attack on the vanguard of the Jedi forces, led by Githany's former lover, Kiel Charny. The Jedi were still recovering from the diversionary attack and the Force wave, leaving them with little time to mount an effective defense. The Sith, riding on speeders, exploited their advantage and ambushed the Jedi camp.

Githany did not kill Charny during the initial attack, despite his vulnerability. When Kaan accused her of showing mercy, Githany assured him that she was merely "toying" with Charny. However, the arrival of Valenthyne Farfalla's forces changed the situation. Farfalla's assault forced the Sith out of the air, and Githany was separated from the Sith forces, stranded on the ground. Undeterred, Githany challenged Charny to a duel. With the help of Darovit, Githany managed to kill Charny. She then took Darovit as her student, and the pair departed, intending to rejoin Kaan at the Sith camp.

Upon arriving at the camp, Githany learned from Kopecz that Kaan had discovered a weapon to use against the oncoming Jedi forces. This "idea" turned out to be the thought bomb, an ancient Sith ritual that harnessed the collective power of those who activated it, targeting Force-sensitives and vaporizing everything within its blast radius. Githany, her respect for Kaan diminishing, dismissed him as a "weak, conceited idiot."

Realizing that the battle was lost, Kaan and the remaining Dark Lords retreated into a cave system, where they planned to destroy their enemies with the thought bomb. The remaining Lords gathered in a circle and began the ritual to unleash its power. Githany, however, managed to break free of Kaan's control and escape. She now realized that Bane had been right all along, seeing the madness in Kaan's desperate plan. She took Darovit with her and fled the scene.

As they escaped through the rear entrance of the caves, they encountered a Republic infiltration squad. One of the squad members was Hardin, Darovit's cousin, who had become a Jedi. Hardin used some Ruusan bats to attack Githany and Darovit. While Githany fought off the bats, Darovit engaged his former friend in a duel. As Darovit fought, Githany managed to kill the animals, but she was scratched and lost her right eye to one of them. When Darovit proved unable to kill Hardin, Githany used her lightwhip to sever Hardin's leg. As the power of the thought bomb began to resonate over Ruusan, Githany grew impatient with Darovit, who was lingering in the cave with a defeated Hardin. Unable to wait any longer, she abandoned her student and fled.

As she continued her escape, she realized that Bane had orchestrated everything. She then decided to become Bane's apprentice and learn everything from him, before eventually killing him. However, she was caught in the waves of dark side energy released by the bomb, which drained her life and reduced her to ash.

Her soul, along with Kaan, the rest of the Brotherhood of Darkness, Hoth, and the ninety-nine other Jedi who joined him, remained trapped for centuries until Kyle Katarn freed them.

Githany possessed a charming and seductive personality, making her irresistible to most men. She enjoyed using her charm to manipulate others into doing her bidding. This desire for control led her to feel anxious when she felt she lacked control over a situation, as was the case in her relationship with Darth Bane.

Despite her extroverted nature, Githany kept her true feelings hidden. She was hesitant to fully express her emotions toward Bane and kept the painful details of her past secret from most of her peers.

Githany was considered a highly attractive woman, even by members of other species like Kopecz. Although of average height, she had striking features, including thick, black hair, tanned skin, and captivating green eyes. She also had a circular black tattoo on her forehead.

Kiel Charny was Githany's childhood sweetheart. They met as Padawans training under Jedi Master Handa and began a secret relationship. When Handa discovered this, he ordered them to end it, leading to Githany's defection to the Sith. Charny chose the Jedi instead, ending any possibility of reviving their relationship.

Githany later questioned whether she had ever truly loved Charny, or if it was simply physical attraction heightened by their shared apprenticeship and the stress of the war.

Despite this, Charny still harbored feelings for Githany, an emotional weakness she exploited when they faced each other during the Ruusan campaign. Charny's attachment paralyzed him during their duel, allowing Githany to sever his arm with her lightwhip, leaving him vulnerable to Darovit.

Drawn to his strength and ambition, Githany began a relationship with the future Dark Lord while they were studying at the Korriban Sith academy. In Githany's eyes, Bane was everything Kiel was not: ambitious, impulsive, and unpredictable. Although they worked together to defeat rival students, Githany later betrayed Bane on Ambria. On the advice of Lord Kaan, she poisoned Bane with a kiss and left him to die.

However, the Sith Lord survived and returned to Ruusan. While surprised by his reappearance, Githany attempted to resume their relationship, hoping to become his apprentice in his "new order." Bane seemed indifferent, and they parted ways due to Githany's support of Kaan. Githany took Darovit as her apprentice, and Bane disappeared into the wilds of Ruusan.

Following her betrayal, Githany took Darovit as her pupil, perhaps as a replacement for Darth Bane, who was becoming increasingly distant. Despite this, Githany was willing to abandon Darovit to save herself from the thought bomb.

After defecting, Githany was fast tracked to the Sith academy on Korriban, where the Brotherhood of Darkness trained their most powerful Sith Lords. She demonstrated proficiency with both the lightsaber and the lightwhip, having defeated Kiel Charny in a lightsaber duel on at least one occasion. She also held her own against the Sith siblings Yevra and Llokay before defeating them. She was skilled in Force lightning, and even taught Darth Bane to harness its power.

Githany, one of the few female Dark Lords in the Expanded Universe, was created by author Darko Macan and first appeared in the Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith comic series in 2001. She is one of the four main Sith characters explored in the comic's storyline, alongside Bane, Kopecz, and Kaan. In the comic, her name is occasionally misspelled as Ghitany. She later appeared in Darth Bane: Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn, which further expanded on her background and character. However, the novel differs from the comic in several ways. Notably, Githany is never said to have taken Darovit as an apprentice, and her failure to escape the thought bomb is attributed to being lost in the cave system rather than being delayed by Darovit.