Rule of One

Darth Krayt, the originator of the Rule of One, alongside his One Sith. The Sith philosophy termed the Rule of One was conceived by Darth Krayt and put into practice by his One Sith organization. In contrast to the old Sith's emphasis on conflict and the survival of the strongest, Darth Krayt's doctrine, as implemented by the One Sith, prioritized obedience and a unified purpose under a single leader.

Overview

Darth Krayt, upon establishing his new Sith Order, discarded Darth Bane's Rule of Two. This older rule had dictated that the Sith should be limited to two individuals at any given time: a master to embody the power of the dark side, and an apprentice to covet it. Instead, he instituted the Rule of One, where the Sith Order itself was the "One," encompassing numerous minions, acolytes/adepts, and lords, all subservient to a singular Dark Lord of the Sith. Krayt's conviction was that he was providing the Sith and their power with a purpose, which contrasted with Bane's belief that power itself was the ultimate goal.

Under the Rule of One, Krayt's followers were indoctrinated with unwavering obedience and absolute loyalty to the Dark Lord, a stark departure from the scheming and internal strife that characterized previous Sith groups. In a manner reminiscent of the Jedi Order, Sith Masters would train a single apprentice. However, upon completing their training, apprentices were obligated to kill their Masters as a demonstration of their allegiance to the Dark Lord. This was similar to how, in the past, Sith Order acolytes were required to kill someone close to them to seal their transition to the dark side. Masters who believed their apprentices were prepared would willingly allow themselves to be killed, but only upon Krayt's command. The new Sith also mirrored certain aspects of the Jedi. While they harnessed passion, hatred, and aggression, their pursuit of power was not solely for personal gain. Instead, they aimed to serve the Dark Lord's will and enforce his order throughout the galaxy by any means necessary. Rather than limiting the number of Sith to prevent self-destruction, Krayt reshaped the Sith philosophy. He asserted that he was giving power a purpose. With the numbers as great as they were before the previous Rule's establishment, it allowed the Sith to match up in numbers with the Jedi. However, the ancient image of Bane insisted that the Rule of One would be the Order's downfall and it would turn on Krayt.

Ultimately, this prediction would prove accurate. As Krayt pursued his own life preservation, some of his followers began to doubt him. To safeguard Krayt's vision of a Sith-dominated galaxy, Darth Wyyrlok III assassinated the Dark Lord, perceiving that Krayt's focus on healing had diverted him from his original objectives, which Wyyrlok intended to fulfill in his stead.

However, contradicting Bane's prediction, Darth Krayt's story was not over. Using his knowledge of Dark transfer obtained at the brink of death, he managed to revive himself and restore his wholeness. He challenged and defeated his usurper in a duel for control of the order. Having proven his strength to the Sith, Krayt resumed his leadership of the One Sith unchallenged. He redirected his efforts toward realizing the One Sith's vision of a unified galaxy, this time through war and destruction, until his final demise in the Battle of Coruscant.

Following Krayt's death, Darth Nihl took over the One Sith as the new Dark Lord, and in accordance with the Rule of One, led them back into the shadows as he commanded.

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