New Sith Wars

For nearly a millennium following the seventeenth and final Alsakan Conflict, the galaxy experienced a time of relative tranquility and socioeconomic stability. The Sith Empire had disappeared sometime after the third Galactic War 1600 years prior, and even the limited remnants of that order, including Darth Desolous and the invasion of his army, were unable to overcome the now unchallenged, albeit complacent, Jedi.

During this era, a Jedi Master named Phanius relinquished his position, citing disagreements with the prevailing Jedi ideology. Despite his peers' differing viewpoints, the departure was amicable, and Phanius would be remembered as the first of the Lost Twenty, a distinguished group of Jedi who, nevertheless, felt compelled to leave the Jedi Order due to philosophical discrepancies.

Beneath this facade of cordiality, however, the Umbaran Jedi harbored concealed, malevolent intentions unknown to his Jedi colleagues. His true motivation for abandoning his Jedi commitment was his desire to explore forbidden teachings. Phanius vanished from the public eye, only to reappear as Darth Ruin, the first Dark Lord of the Sith in a thousand years, espousing a doctrine of malicious solipsism. Ruin's transformation was absolute, to the extent that his former Jedi associates never recognized that their new adversary was once their esteemed friend, Phanius.

Darth Ruin's fledgling order expanded rapidly, with fifty Jedi Knights defecting to join shortly after, an event later termed the Fourth Great Schism of 2000 BBY. He augmented his new order's ranks by first infiltrating and then unifying the remaining Sith clans under his leadership.

Ruthless and supremely self-centered, Ruin's unpredictable and egotistical inclinations resulted in the deaths of numerous followers. Ultimately, his obstinacy led to his downfall, as he was slain by his own minions following a defeat. Despite Ruin's demise, the Sith's resurgence was complete.

In the subsequent decades, the Sith swiftly established a vast dominion, creating a New Sith Empire, and their relentless assaults eroded the struggling Republic. They promptly reclaimed traditional Sith worlds, such as Yavin 4 and Ziost, in initial offensives, solidifying a new empire in the north-eastern sector of the galaxy. Furthermore, they covertly undermined the Republic's defenses.

The Jedi often spearheaded the Republic's war efforts, although not always favorably. A disastrous intervention to contain an outbreak of Ubese aggression in 1800 BBY at the Battle of Uba IV led to the destruction of a cache of superweapons. The ensuing chemical release decimated the Ubese, leading to accusations of xenocide that persisted for centuries. Mirroring the Old Sith Wars, the Republic amassed a formidable fleet, largely supplied by Kuat Drive Yards.

Following Darth Ruin's death, the first quarter of the New Sith Wars was marked by the enigmatic Dark Underlord, an emotionless revenant supported by the Sith faction known as the Black Knights. The Black Knights and the Underlord wreaked havoc on space stations along the Zona Miki route until the Republic launched a counterattack. The Underlord's final confrontation with the Jedi and the Republic occurred at Malrev IV around 1750 BBY, where Jedi Master Murrtaggh enlisted Mandalorian mercenaries to stage a diversionary attack against the forces commanded by the Underlord's Zeltron commander, while he personally confronted the Sith Lord. Although successful, the assassination led to Murrtaggh's descent to the dark side.

Slightly over five centuries after Ruin's betrayal, in 1500 BBY, the Republic had finally managed to strengthen its armed forces, achieving victories at Gap Nine, Corphelion, and King's Galquek, thereby halting Sith advances in the Expansion Region and Outer Rim Territories. Despite this, the Sith gained new allies, including the Devaronians and Hiitians, and in 1466 BBY achieved one of their most significant victories in history, crushing the Republic and Jedi forces at the Battle of Mizra. This brutal conflict was later immortalized by the poet Felloux. Over half a million soldiers perished in a single battle, and hundreds of Jedi succumbed to the Dark Side.

This devastating defeat triggered a crisis within the Republic and solidified Sith power, leading to, among other things, the tyrannical reign of Darth Rivan of Almas.

Despite Rivan's ultimate defeat at the Battle of Almas, the Republic descended into chaos. Mineral mines were depleted, corporations collapsed, and the Republic's borders began to contract for the first time since the Cold War as colonies were abandoned to the advancing Sith and the economic downturn. Law and order deteriorated as the Jedi found themselves stretched thin.

The disintegration of the HoloNet and interstellar commerce, along with the general decline of the Galactic Republic, continued unabated. Jedi were compelled to assume greater leadership roles, commanding the Republic military and even serving as Supreme Chancellors, despite public disapproval. In 1400 BBY, the last non-Jedi concluded their term as Supreme Chancellor. For the subsequent four centuries, only Jedi would hold this position. An outbreak of Candorian plague decimated two-thirds of the populations of certain Republic worlds.

The period from 1250 to 1230 BBY is recognized as the Sictis Wars. During this era, Belia Darzu reigned as Dark Lord of the Sith, deploying Technobeasts against the Jedi forces from her base of power on Tython. The Sictis Wars ended with Darzu's death at the hands of the Mecrosa Order, who, despite being nominally allied with the Sith Empire, poisoned Darzu due to unwelcome Sith intrusions into Tapani territory.

Following nearly a millennium of warfare, both factions were on the verge of collapse. Although the eleventh century BBY would later be characterized as the "Republic Dark Age," there is limited evidence of any significant Sith threat during much of this period. The Sith, despite their increased numbers, were divided, as the various warlords and self-proclaimed Dark Lords vied for supremacy. The Republic officially classified the war as a "series of protracted military engagements" against an illegal organization, but in reality, the Sith were rampaging across the galaxy virtually unopposed, oppressing entire star systems. While some new colonies were established, including Melida/Daan, and Tatooine was resettled, it was a dark era for most of the galaxy.

The Republic, for its part, was a mere shadow of its former self. Much of its former territory was under the control of independent, self-proclaimed Sith warlords, including Odion and Daiman. These warlords squabbled over the waning remnants of the Sith Empire, and their divisions provided the Republic with some respite. Certain Jedi, such as Vannar Treece and his apprentice Kerra Holt, attempted daring raids within Sith-held territory, but for the most part, the Republic made no effort to reclaim its lost worlds.

In response to the Sith threat, other members of the Jedi Order embarked on quests to eradicate Sith influence from entire systems and to purge those who sought to enslave or exploit the citizens of the Republic. Serving as the last line of defense for these systems, these individual Jedi gained renown and quickly amassed political power. As their constituent worlds recognized their service, these Jedi became barons or kings of entire systems and sectors, adopting the title of Jedi Lord.

Establishing castles and manors as their formal residences, these Lords established a formal hereditary system, passing down their titles to their descendants for generations. These peaceful regions of space stood as beacons of light amidst the Sith-created darkness, and even Coruscant and the Galactic Senate were presided over by Jedi Supreme Chancellors. During this period, the Jedi High Council competed directly with the Jedi Grand Council comprising Lords from across the galaxy.

The Sith interpreted the crippled state of the Republic as a sign of the Force's favor. However, their plans for an assault on Coruscant were thwarted by internal conflicts over who would govern the galaxy after the Republic's defeat. The Charge Matrica of 1066 BBY in the Grumani sector exemplifies such internecine strife.

Due to this infighting, the threat posed by the New Sith in the war's final century was less severe than it might have been, and the Sith civil war persisted until 1010 BBY with the rise of Lord Skere Kaan and the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Aware of the growing power and influence of the Jedi Lords, the Jedi High Council sought to cultivate their own champion against the Sith: Skere Kaan, a commoner born on Coruscant who was discovered by the Jedi Order and trained in the ways of the Force at the Jedi Temple. Possessing sophistication and knowledge of economic policy and fleet command, Kaan became a Jedi Knight and a symbol of hope for members of the Jedi High Council who aspired to finally destroy the reformed Sith Empire that had plagued the Galactic Republic for nearly two centuries.

Having mastered the art of battle meditation, Jedi Kaan was regarded as a valuable asset by the High Council, despite his radical belief that the Republic and the Jedi were responsible for the anarchy that afflicted the galaxy. In an attempt to temper Kaan's extremist views, the High Council bestowed upon him the title of Jedi Master. Perceiving the High Council as overbearing, Kaan led a group of loyal Knights away from Coruscant and defected to the Sith.

From the ashes of the Sith Empire, Kaan reorganized the Sith into the Brotherhood of Darkness, a force of over 20,000 strong. Seeking to end the internal strife that had fractured their Empire, Kaan abolished the tradition of a single Dark Lord of the Sith, recognizing every claim to the title by the rival warlords. Kaan forged his alliance on the principles of "Rule by the Strong" and "All are equal in the Brotherhood of Darkness." He established his headquarters on the planet Roon.

Beginning around 1010 BBY, this new group launched a series of attacks aimed at destroying the Jedi and the Republic. Kaan, along with the two strongest of the former warlords, Qordis and Kopecz, initiated their campaign with a daring and symbolic assault on the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban, which at that time was still nominally under Republic control. The successful capture of that world solidified their alliance and enabled the reopening of the ancient Sith academy under Qordis' leadership.

While Qordis trained new recruits, Kaan and Kopecz continued their war, seizing worlds such as Kashyyyk, and even briefly Corulag, Chandrila, and Brentaal IV. By 1001 BBY, they appeared poised to conquer Coruscant, pressing the Republic on multiple fronts with the assistance of allies such as the turncoat Jedi King Lahzar, who battled the Republic in the Tholatin system, and a colony of Chiss on Thule, abducted from the Unknown Regions by Kaan's agents.

However, Lord Hoth, a Jedi Master and Republic General, had been achieving his own victories against the Sith. Driving the Brotherhood from their stronghold in the heavily defended region known as the Cloak of the Sith, Hoth pursued them from world to world, from Hoth to Dromund Kaas to Malrev IV. In many of his earlier campaigns, he commanded Republic fleets and armies, but around 1002 BBY, he consolidated the bulk of the Jedi Order's fighting strength into an independent military force known as the Army of Light.

The war culminated with the armies of Hoth and Kaan confronting each other on the world of Ruusan. Lord Hoth's army comprised seven Legions of Light, each led by a Jedi Lord, including Valenthyne Farfalla, Gale, Saleeh Teepo, Berethon, and Newar Forrth. Serving under the Jedi Lords were Jedi Generals such as Kiel Charny. Kaan's Brotherhood was led by himself, Qordis, Kopecz, and lesser-known Dark Lords such as Seviss Vaa, LaTor, and Githany.

The Army of the Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness clashed seven times on the planet, with each battle resulting in devastating casualties as thousands of Sith and Jedi perished. Throughout the battles, additional reinforcements attempted to land on Ruusan, although many Jedi forces were destroyed by an orbiting Sith blockade, and many Sith reinforcements were destroyed by the Republic Navy en route to Ruusan.

Although the Army of Light won four of the seven battles, their losses were immense, and the campaign would later be regarded as the deadliest conflict between Jedi and Sith in galactic history. So many Jedi died that Hoth was compelled to enlist younger and younger Force-sensitive recruits, and Jedi scouts such as Torr Snapit began bringing pre-adolescents to the battlefield. While Hoth and his advisors found this distasteful, they reluctantly agreed to accept the child recruits, reasoning that it was preferable for them to be found by the Jedi than by Kaan's Sith.

Dissension was rampant in both camps. Among the Jedi, Hoth clashed with his fellow Lord Valenthyne Farfalla, a rift that deepened with the death of Pernicar, a Jedi Master who had mediated between the two Lords. Even when Farfalla arrived with over three hundred fresh knights as reinforcements, having defeated the traitorous King Lahzar and broken the Sith blockade over Ruusan, Hoth still refused to speak to him.

The Jedi were further undermined when a new recruit, Darovit, turned traitor, murdering General Charny and defecting to the Sith.

Within the Sith ranks, Kaan's leadership began to be questioned by Githany and Kopecz, and Kaan's botched attempt to eliminate his rival Darth Bane only made him appear foolish, especially after Bane defeated Qordis, Kaan's strongest supporter. Bane ridiculed Kaan's reliance on traditional weapons of war and goaded the Sith leader into using the dark side of the Force to destroy Hoth and the Jedi. With Bane's assistance, Kaan and the other Dark Lords devastated the unprepared Jedi with a Force Storm that ravaged Ruusan's surface.

However, fortune began to favor the Jedi due to the timely intervention of Farfalla's envoy and the assistance of Darth Bane (Bane's assistance was unknown to the Jedi), and Hoth's own vision of the deceased Pernicar. The two Jedi leaders reconciled, pooling their forces just in time to counter a renewed Sith surge, leading to the Jedi gaining the upper hand and the Sith losing numbers and subsequently being forced to retreat.

Finally, with both armies nearly destroyed, the Sith on the verge of defeat, and the once-lush planet utterly devastated, the seventh and final Battle of Ruusan took place. It ended with Kaan's decision to employ an ancient Sith technique known as the thought bomb, the instructions for which were secretly provided by Darth Bane in a plot to destroy the other Sith Lords and allow Bane to rebuild the Sith under the "Rule of Two." Bane had intentionally deceived Kaan into believing that the Brotherhood would survive the thought bomb. Lord Hoth, aware of his opponent's final gambit, took 99 of his most trusted knights with him and confronted Kaan in an attempt to dissuade the Sith Lord from unleashing the weapon. His friend, Tal, attempted to dissuade him, having foreseen disaster through the Force. Lord Farfalla did likewise, but Hoth asserted that Kaan had to be stopped.

This attempt proved futile, as Kaan's mind had fractured during the conflict, and the Sith Lord, his vision clouded by insanity, was determined to destroy himself and his followers, hoping to annihilate the Army of the Light in the process.

As Kaan unleashed his weapon, both his own army and Hoth's were obliterated in an instant. The Jedi who survived quickly rallied under Lord Farfalla, and the remaining Sith were easily defeated. Meanwhile, Darth Bane went into hiding with his apprentice, Zannah.

After a thousand years, the New Sith Wars had finally concluded.

With the apparent destruction of the Sith, Farfalla, as the highest-ranking surviving Jedi, used his authority to remove the Jedi from the positions of galactic leadership they had acquired over the preceding centuries and return control to civilian leadership. Tarsus Valorum became the first non-Jedi to serve as Chancellor in six hundred years, and with Farfalla's assistance, Valorum enacted far-reaching legislation that restructured both the Republic and the Jedi Order.

While the New Sith Wars had ultimately ended, the scars from the millennial-long conflict would plague civilization for centuries. The chaos of the wars had left many once-grand civilizations bankrupt and in disarray. The mere collapse of Inter-Galactic civilization set technological development back hundreds of years. Age-old advancements in architecture, machinery, and weaponry dating back to the Mandalorian Wars would remain in use for many centuries more.

There would be no full-scale war after the New Sith Wars for almost a thousand years, until the Clone Wars erupted in 22 BBY.

Unbeknownst to both the Jedi and the Republic, a lone Sith Lord lived on: Darth Bane, who masterminded the Brotherhood's demise through deception. He fled the devastation of Ruusan, discovering a Force-sensitive child named Rain among the young recruits of the Army of Light. Following the concluding conflict, the pair managed to avoid the effects of the thought bomb and independently journeyed to Onderon.

Rain was accepted by Bane as his apprentice, who renamed her Darth Zannah, and from her, a continuous lineage of Sith Lords would arise. This line would eventually lead to Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, who accomplished what previous Sith could not: the destruction of the Galactic Republic, and the near annihilation of the Jedi Order.

• Fourth Great Schism (circa 2000 BBY ) [2] [13] Phanius transforms into Darth Ruin. The genesis of the new Sith Empire.

• Approximately 2000 BBY A humanoid species embraces Bimm culture and integrates into Bimm society.[31]
• Approximately 1991 BBY Jomark is settled.[32]
• Around 1960 BBY The Amulet of Kalara is created.[33][34][35]
• 1989 BBY Bespin is initially colonized.[36] Foamwander City is erected on Dac.[37]
• 1800 BBY Uba IV is the site of a battle[8]
• Approximately 1750 BBY A series of campaigns against the Dark Underlord[5] The inaugural Battle of Malrev IV[5]
• Roughly 1569 BBY The zenith of Saffa painting concludes.[38]

• King's Galquek sees battle[8] Corphelion is a battlefield[8] Gap Nine is a battlefield[8]
• 1466 BBY Mizra is the location of a battle[2]
• 1400 BBY By this point, the last non-Jedi Supreme Chancellor had concluded their service.[19]
• Before 1250 BBY Almas is the site of a battle[18]
• 1250 BBY The Effulem era, characterized by rhythmic poetry and prose, unfolds.[20] The Sictis Wars commence as Belia Darzu assumes the title of Dark Lord of the Sith.[8] The planet Cularin was forgotten sometime after this date.[18]
• 1230 BBY The Sictis Wars draw to a close.[8]
• Around 1196 BBY The civilization on Hathrox III is annihilated in a biochemical conflict.[39]
• 1163 BBY More than a millennium from this date, Jedi Master Minos Fel'Kona would deduce that Darth Rivan's fortress on Almas predated this time.[40]

• 1100 BBY Tatooine is rediscovered by the Galactic Republic.[22]

• 1094 BBY The planet Melida/Daan is colonized by this date, at the latest.[21]

• 1066 BBY Vilia Calimondra initiates the Charge Matrica to determine which of her offspring will inherit her holdings.[41]

• 1058 BBY The Mandalorian movement known as the Return commences, with Aga Awaud summoning Mandalorians from across the galaxy to defend their plague-stricken homeworld.[24]

• 1057 BBY Daiman, a future Sith Lord, is born to the Sith warlord Xelian.

• 1051 BBY Aga Awaud becomes Mandalore the Uniter.[24]

• 1050 BBY Tarsus Valorum, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic during the Ruusan Reformations, is born on Coruscant. (Approximate date)[19] Kerra Holt comes into the world.[42]

• 1044 BBY The Sullustan female Tan Tengo was born.[43]

• 1042 BBY Lord Odion spearheads an assault on Aquilaris, resulting in the deaths of numerous sentients.[44]

• 1040 BBY Sith Lord Chagras is slain, leading to a power vacuum that causes the Chagras Hegemony to disintegrate.[7] Vilia Calimondra commences the Second Charge Matrica to locate a successor for Chagras.[41]

• 1032 BBY Kerra Holt successfully completes her Jedi Trials and is elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight.[23] Jedi Master Vannar Treece initiates Operation Influx within the Grumani sector.[42] The Chelloa campaign[6] Destruction of Chelloa[45] Battle of Gazzari. Fall of the Bactranate.[41] Battle of Byllura. The Dyarchy falls to the Arkadianate.[41] The Aquilaris campaign[4] Battle of Capital Cay[4] Capture of Devil Squadron[46] Great Aquilaris Deluge[47]

• 1026 BBY Darth Bane enters the world.[3]

• 1019 BBY Johun Othone is born on Sermeria.[19]

• 1013 BBY Darovit is born on Somov Rit.[19]

• 1010 BBY [48] – 1006 BBY [49] Sometime during this four-year span, Dannik Jerriko is born on Anzat.

• 1010 BBY The Sith civil war concludes (Approximate date)[3][8] The Light and Darkness War erupts. (Approximate date)[3] Sith Lord Seviss Vaa conjures the Behemoth from the World Below on Aduba-3.[50] Rain, who would later become Darth Zannah, is born on Somov Rit.[3]

• 1009 BBY Johun Othone enlists in the Jedi Order.[19]

• 1008 BBY Hurst perishes on Apatros.[3]

• 1001 BBY Spira is colonized.[51]

• Battle of Korriban ( 1006 BBY ) [3]

• Lord Hoth's campaign (c. 1004 BBY ) Battle of Hoth[26] Battle of Dromund Kaas[26] Battle of Malrev IV[26]

• Between 1004 BBY and 1000 BBY Battle of Ando[8] Battle of Bomis Koori[8] Battle of Castell[8] Battle of Corsin[8] Battle of Denon[8] Battle of Dorin[8] Battle of Druckenwell[8] Battle of Enarc[8] Battle of Gizer[8] Battle of Gyndine[8] Battle of Jabiim[8] Battle of Mindor[8] Battle of Monastery[8] Battle of Ord Mantell[8] Battle of Pax[8] Battle of Sanrafsix[8] Battle of Sy Myrth[8]

• Battle of Harpori ( 1003 BBY ) [52]

• Battle of Kashyyyk (c. 1002 BBY ) [3]

• Battle of Hsskhor (c. 1002 BBY ) [3]

• Battle of Phaseera ( 1002 BBY ) [3]

• Skirmish on Alaris Prime ( 1002 BBY ) [53]

• Duel on Balowa ( 1002 BBY ) [52]

• Battle of Ambria ( 1002 BBY ) [3]

• Lord Kaan's campaign ( 1002 BBY ) [3] Battle of Bespin[3] Battle of Sullust[3] Battle of Taanab[3]

• Bormea sector campaign _ (1002 BBY)[3]_ Battle of Corulag[3] Battle of Chandrila[3] Battle of Brentaal IV[3]

• Ruusan campaign ( 1002 - 1000 BBY ) [3] First Battle of Ruusan (1002 BBY)[3] Second Battle of Ruusan (1002 BBY)[3] Third Battle of Ruusan (1002 BBY)[3] Fourth Battle of Ruusan (1001 BBY)[3] Fifth Battle of Ruusan (1000 BBY)[3] Sixth Battle of Ruusan (1000 BBY)[3] Seventh Battle of Ruusan (1000 BBY)[3]

Born as Phanius, Darth Ruin was a brilliant and captivating Jedi Master renowned for his unsettling philosophical stance, incorporating elements of moral relativism and solipsism.

Phanius violated his vows and departed the Order to delve into forbidden teachings, thus becoming one of the initial members of what would eventually be recognized as the Lost Twenty.

Kerra Holt was born three decades prior to the conclusion of the New Sith Wars. Her sector of origin was taken over by the Sith, prompting her to seek refuge in the inner regions of the galaxy still under the control of the Galactic Republic. Within the Republic, she enlisted in the Jedi Order and received training from the adventurer Vannar Treece.

Kerra resolved to transform herself into a "living weapon" and, upon achieving this, returned to the Sith-controlled areas of the galaxy, determined to combat the Sith wherever they were found. The rival Sith Lord brothers Odion and Daiman were among the adversaries she encountered.

Vilia Calimondra, a Sith Lord and the family's matriarch, took numerous husbands, thereby expanding her empire. She bore seven children, each asserting their right to be Vilia's sole heir. In 1066 BBY, Vilia initiated the Charge Matrica, a competition where the victor would be determined by which of Vilia's children could most significantly expand her empire. Vilia's empire grew even further; however, her children eventually engaged in warfare with each other. Chagras ultimately triumphed over his rival siblings but met an untimely demise in 1040 BBY. Vilia was left with several grandchildren, including Odion and Daiman, each vying for her legacy. Vilia launched a Second Charge Matrica, but once again, Vilia's prospective heirs descended into conflict with one another.

Lord Hoth commanded the Army of Light against Skere Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness during the final decade of the New Sith Wars, culminating in their ultimate confrontation in the Ruusan campaign.

Assisted by his comrade Pernicar and fellow Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla, Hoth pursued the campaign against Kaan, grappling with challenges such as scarce supplies, dwindling morale, and harsh conditions. Hoth's legendary temper was matched only by his combat prowess, and following Pernicar's death, a feud between Hoth and Valenthyne Farfalla nearly handed victory to Kaan. Despite their animosity, the pair reconciled, enabling Hoth to confront his adversary in a final showdown. Aware that the desperate Sith would deploy a perilous Force power known as the thought bomb in an attempt to avert defeat, Hoth faced him nonetheless, compelling the Brotherhood of Darkness to self-destruct in the process.

Hoth's act of self-sacrifice preserved the Republic and neutralized the Sith as a galactic menace for nearly a millennium.

A former Jedi Master, Lord Skere Kaan served as the Dark Lord of the Sith during the concluding years of the New Sith Wars and ascended to leadership of the Sith Empire almost a decade before the Ruusan campaign, bringing an end to a prolonged and bitter civil war among various self-proclaimed Sith warlords.

Advocating for Sith unity and equality, Kaan successfully ended the Sith civil war that had raged for years, allowing the Sith to refocus their efforts on their true adversaries, the Jedi.

After consolidating the surviving remnants under his command, Kaan led them into a final war against the Jedi on the planet of Ruusan, where he and his opponent, Lord Hoth of the Jedi, fought to a stalemate. In desperation and with the hope of eliminating his opponent, Kaan annihilated himself and his followers using the thought bomb in the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, leaving the Jedi devastated but ultimately victorious, and the Sith presumed extinct.

Valenthyne Farfalla was a distinguished Jedi Master and Jedi Lord who participated in the Battle of Ruusan. A male Half-Bothan, Farfalla was known for being affected and conceited. He aided Lord Hoth and the Army of Light in the Ruusan campaign during the final years of the Light and Darkness War. In the campaign's last year, Farfalla departed Ruusan to gather three hundred Jedi Knights to bolster the struggle for the world.

Farfalla frequently clashed with Hoth, and when the latter's close friend Pernicar was slain by the Sith, he held Farfalla accountable, leading to a falling out between the two men. However, they eventually mended their relationship and rallied the Jedi for a final assault on the Sith stronghold. When Hoth and numerous other Jedi were killed by Lord Skere Kaan's thought bomb, Farfalla was left as the highest-ranking Jedi to survive Ruusan.

Farfalla continued to serve the Jedi for a decade, until he was killed by Darth Bane in a lightsaber battle on Tython.

Darth Bane, originally named Dessel, was both the Sith'ari and the Dark Lord of the Sith responsible for establishing the Rule of Two.

Rising from humble beginnings to join Kaan's Sith, he soon lost faith in the Brotherhood of Darkness, deeming Kaan a coward and a fool. Abandoning the order, he furnished Kaan with the secret of the thought bomb, thereby facilitating the Brotherhood's destruction and enabling him to create his own Sith Order. As the sole survivor of the Ruusan campaign, Bane then instituted the Rule of Two, stipulating that there could only be two Sith to prevent the infighting that had plagued the Sith for millennia. He adopted the name Darth Bane and chose a Human female as his apprentice, christening her Darth Zannah. Zannah would eventually kill her master, assuming his position as Sith Lord while perpetuating his legacy.

Nearly a millennium later, Bane's Sith Order would defeat the Jedi and overthrow the Republic.

As the Draggulch Period commenced, the Republic had enjoyed peace and prosperity for generations. However, with Darth Ruin's defection, it began to enter a period of decline, and by the final century of the New Sith Wars, it had effectively collapsed, with the era being labeled a "Dark Age" by subsequent historians.

The Jedi were intertwined with the Republic, and although they managed to avoid complete collapse, they were dragged down along with the government they served. The erosion of confidence and strength within the Republic was so profound following the Battle of Mizra that the Jedi were compelled to assume complete control of the remnants of the government apparatus, serving as Chancellors for an unprecedented four centuries. Long after the war, while post-Ruusan historians and imperial propagandists emphasized the anarchy of those centuries, they also recognized the period as the last great age of the Jedi Knights. Despite the widespread chaos, numerous systems thrived under their governance.

During the Light and Darkness War, the Jedi Lord Hoth assumed complete command of the entire Republic military and succeeded in halting Kaan's advance. Kaan and Hoth confronted each other on Ruusan, where both were destroyed by Kaan's deployment of the thought bomb. Valenthyne Farfalla assumed control of the surviving Jedi and declared victory, with the Sith presumed defeated. Farfalla aided Tarsus Valorum in ascending to the rank of Supreme Chancellor, the first non-Jedi to hold that position in centuries, and together, the pair enacted the Ruusan Reformations, marking the conclusion of the Draggulch Period.

Although Darth Ruin initially attracted only fifty fellow Jedi to his heresy, the new Sith Order rapidly expanded in the ensuing centuries and soon became capable of challenging the Republic on equal terms. Despite Ruin's death, his followers continued the war, and a subsequent Dark Lord, the Dark Underlord, managed to consolidate these gains, terrorizing the galaxy with his adherents, known as the Black Knights.

Following Mizra, the Republic existed in name only, and the Jedi were the true rivals to the Sith, organizing the resistance against the reign of Darth Rivan and Belia Darzu. During the Dark Age, the Sith holdings dissolved into rival, squabbling fiefdoms, constantly warring against each other, and a unified Sith threat did not emerge until Kaan reunited the remnants into the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Kaan and his Brotherhood achieved initial success against the weakened Republic and at one point came close to overwhelming the Core. However, the ascent of the Jedi Lord Hoth to leadership of the Republic and Jedi forces altered the situation, and the Jedi swiftly seized the initiative. Kaan and Hoth faced each other on Ruusan in seven titanic battles until Kaan made the fateful decision to employ the thought bomb. The Sith were completely eradicated, although the Jedi survived thanks to Lord Hoth's self-sacrifice. Only Darth Bane survived the apocalypse and he slipped into hiding, establishing a new, hidden order of Sith that would remain concealed from the Jedi for a thousand years.

While the Jedi Order and the Sith Lords were the major players during the Draggulch Period, other factions were involved in the fighting, frequently shifting their allegiance based on who seemed to be winning.

Mandalorian shock troopers participated in the New Sith Wars, selling their combat skills to the highest bidder with no regard for morals, justice, or honor. Mercenaries from Mandalore, contracted by Master Murrtaggh, aided the Jedi in their victory against the Dark Underlord's Black Knights. However, driven only by self-interest, they were also willing to fight for the Sith in their conflict against the Jedi.

Approximately one thousand years before the Battle of Naboo, the Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge served the Sith. He battled numerous Jedi, studying their techniques and creating strategies and equipment to defeat them. Following the Sith's downfall, Durge went into hiding, using various aliases to avoid retribution from the Jedi.

The Ubese developed a deep-seated animosity towards the Jedi following the disastrous Republic intervention on Uba IV, which resulted in the destruction of their homeworld.

During the Republic Dark Age, the remnants of the Sith Empire invaded and occupied Hutt Space. However, internal conflicts among the Sith allowed the Hutts to strategically position their forces and resources, ultimately leading to the Sith either cooperating with them or being completely destroyed. One such Hutt, Zodoh, began to encroach upon the Sith-controlled territory of the Bactranate, starting with Aquilaris, as he sought to expand his business empire. Lacking their Sith leadership, the Hutt forces easily overwhelmed the Sith troops and began deploying their atmospheric Stormdriver.

The development of the New Sith Wars' history is arguably one of the most complicated productions within the Expanded Universe.

The video game Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II provided the initial glimpse of what would become the war, featuring the Valley of the Jedi as the site of a vaguely defined ancient battle between Jedi and Dark Jedi. The novellas Dark Forces: Rebel Agent and Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, which retold the events of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, expanded upon the game's narrative, primarily introducing the Jedi Army of Light and its commander, Lord Hoth, and the Dark Jedi Brotherhood of Darkness, led by Lord Skere Kaan, as well as the [thought bomb], and establishing the battle as having taken place "centuries ago." Neither source explicitly identified the Brotherhood as Sith; instead, they were referred to as Dark Jedi, or simply Jedi. Around the time Jedi Knight was released, George Lucas was creating a backstory for the Jedi and Sith for the prequel trilogy of films. His version, largely presented as exposition in The Phantom Menace novelization, stated that the Sith originated from a Jedi Knight who broke away from the order and was corrupted by the dark side, two thousand years before the movies. Subsequently, the Sith engaged in internecine conflict for power, leaving Darth Bane as the sole survivor, who then established the rule of two. This backstory is alluded to in the film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace by Ki-Adi-Mundi's remark that the Sith have been extinct "for a millennium" and Mace Windu and Yoda's comments about the Rule of Two during the film's concluding scenes. In the Expanded Universe material, the first connection between the two events (the Jedi Knight backstory and Lucas' Episode I backstory) occurred a year after Episode I's release, in The Essential Chronology. To align with the established Expanded Universe, The Essential Chronology clarified that the founder of the Sith was merely the founder of a new sect of Sith, the New Sith. It slightly modified Lucas's timeline—following the Sith civil war, Kaan (now identified as one of the few surviving Sith Lords) formed the Brotherhood of Darkness (now identified as a group of Sith), with the Army of Light being hastily assembled to counter the new threat. Darth Bane was then established as the sole survivor of the Brotherhood's defeat at Ruusan.

The comic Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith, published a year after The Essential Chronology, depicted the final battles of Ruusan, drawing information from all three sources. Notably, it portrayed Bane as one of Kaan's followers and rivals, further integrating the two original perspectives. The vague references to the war in this work were greatly expanded in the subsequent New Essential Chronology and The Essential Atlas, by authors Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry. Fry later collaborated with Paul R. Urquhart on The Essential Guide to Warfare, which revealed more details about the conflict, including the origin and identity of many of the "Jedi Lords." After it was stated in Attack of the Clones that the Republic had only been around for one thousand years, the HoloNet News website created the Ruusan Reformation, stating that the Republic reset its measurements and reformed its government in totality following the end of the war on Ruusan. Author Drew Karpyshyn further developed the Ruusan campaign and its immediate aftermath, as well as the character of Darth Bane, in his novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and its two sequels, Darth Bane: Rule of Two and Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil. The ongoing comic series Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller featured the period before this, the Republic Dark Age. Miller himself compared the situation in the Republic Dark Age to Britain during the decline of the Roman Empire. The Knight Errant comic series was set during the last decades of the Republic Dark Age, focusing on the point-of-view of a young Jedi Knight named Kerra Holt. The comic series along with a related stand-alone novel by the same author also explored the intricate political and family dynamics of the various Sith warlords in the Grumani sector. The second arc in the comic series Star Wars: Knight Errant: Deluge introduced the concept of a Hutt crimelord as a archetype stock villain while exploring less ethical aspects of the Galactic Republic's role in the conflict, particularly the roles of Grace Command and Operation Deluge.

Of less significance are the revelations that the destruction of the Ubese homeworld, previously established, and the construction of the Sith temple on Malrev IV were consequences of the New Sith Wars. Additionally, as with most major Star Wars events, a range of sourcebooks and articles have covered a number of minor events and personalities from the New Sith Wars. Notably, Abel G. Peña has authored many of the latter.

Lucas clarifies that, in contrast to the thousand-year war against the Jedi depicted in Expanded Universe materials, there was never a Jedi-Sith war, and that the Sith destroyed themselves, not the Jedi. "'Oh, well, there was a war between the Jedi and the Sith.' Well, that never happened. That's just made up by fans or somebody. What really happened is, the Sith ruled the universe for a while, 2,000 years ago. Each Sith has an apprentice, but the problem was, each Sith Lord got to be powerful. And the Sith Lords would try to kill each other because they all wanted to be the most powerful. So in the end they killed each other off, and there wasn't anything left." Darth Bane emerged as the sole survivor, and developed the rule of two. "There can't be any more because they kill each other." Lucas explains "They're not smart enough to realize that if they do that, they're going to wipe themselves out. Which is exactly what they did."