Sith

Generations of Sith adhered to a philosophy of power through the dark side of the Force.

The Sith placed great emphasis on fundamental emotions, such as anger and suffering, as a method to harness power from the dark side of the Force. The Code of the Sith stood in stark contrast to the Jedi Code, yet, like its counterpart, it dictated the conduct and convictions of the Sith. The Sith code stressed the significance of passion and the rejection of tranquility.

The Sith often wore clothing that concealed their identities while operating in secret. They adopted the term "dark side" to maintain their secrecy. The Sith believed that maintaining secrecy regarding their identities and knowledge facilitated the imposition of order, or, as Lona Aphra phrased it, to remain "hidden—in the dark." The hex charm served as a traditional symbol of the Sith. Jedi Master Zallah Macri asserted that, in theory, the Sith Order's ideals might appear "good" to a Jedi, but their actions and the finer details provided a clearer understanding of their true nature. Indeed, many who aligned themselves with the Sith or related dark side factions initially attempted to justify their actions before succumbing entirely to the dark side.

The Doctrine of the Dyad preceded the Sith Order's Rule of Two.

The Doctrine of the Dyad originated from the concept of a Force dyad. A dyad represented a potent Force-bond linking two Force-sensitives; this connection transcended their physical forms, uniting them into a singular presence within the Force. Individuals within a dyad possessed unique and rare abilities exclusive to their bond, rendering them unattainable to those lacking a dyadic connection, regardless of their individual strength or experience with the Force. Over time, the Sith relentlessly sought to create a dyad through sheer willpower, believing it held the key to unlocking the ultimate power of the dark side. The Sith Lord Darth Sidious regarded the dyad as a source of limitless power.

The Doctrine of the Dyad was inscribed on the walls of the Sith Citadel on Exegol, long before Sidious's era, to remind the Sith of the dyad's significance to their Order. The Doctrine of the Dyad also influenced the Sith Eternal, a cult of Sith devotees who predicted the return of the dyad. Like the Sith Order, the Sith Eternal believed that the dyad was crucial to realizing the full potential of the dark side.

The Rule of Two governed the Sith Order for a millennium, from its ancient founder to the last Dark Lord of the Sith.

Even prior to the establishment of the Rule of Two, which stipulated that only two Sith—a Sith Master and a Sith apprentice—could exist at any given time, the Sith of old often found themselves governed by two specific Sith who would preside over their numerous fellow Sith. However, the Rule of Two officially limited the Sith Order's numbers due to the internal conflicts that had led to its downfall. The rule nevertheless ensured that the relationship between a Sith Master and their apprentice was not based on trust; both master and apprentice constantly sought any sign of weakness in the other, as a weak master deserved to be overthrown by their pupil, just as a weak pupil deserved to be replaced by a more worthy and powerful recruit. The Sith embraced this philosophy as a means to eliminate weakness and grow stronger over time, as only an apprentice who had surpassed all previous Sith could take their master's place through honorable combat.

The Sith were permitted to train dark side agents, identified as Sith acolytes, provided that these acolytes were not trained as true Sith Lords. However, it remained possible for a Sith apprentice to violate the Rule of Two by training an acolyte as a genuine apprentice, intending to enlist their aid in overthrowing the Sith Master. The concept of the dyad influenced the philosophy of the Rule of Two, emphasizing the power of two Force-sensitives working in unison to become even more powerful as an Order. As the successor to the Doctrine of the Dyad, the Rule of Two was considered a "pale imitation" of its predecessor by Darth Sidious.

Korriban, later known as Moraband, was settled by the Sith following their schism with the Jedi Order.

Originating around 5000 BBY, the Sith were the ancient adversaries of the Jedi Order, sharing their name with a red-skinned species. Founded by a rogue Jedi during the Hundred-Year Darkness, the Sith sought greater knowledge and power by exploring the dark side of the Force. Eventually, this Jedi managed to gather a Jedi splinter group with a substantial following, all of whom embraced this new philosophy that embraced the dark side. This division within the Jedi Order led to a civil war, where the Jedi and the newly formed Sith Order, once comrades in the Force, battled for supremacy. The war concluded with the Sith's defeat, forcing them to flee from known space. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, however, the Sith established themselves on Korriban, a world of red sands later known as Moraband, where they secretly rebuilt and awaited another opportunity to strike.

Sith temples and monuments were constructed on Korriban during the time of the ancient Sith.

As the Sith Order expanded, they constructed massive temples and tombs on Korriban in an area known as the Valley of the Dark Lords. The Sith built empires upon the backs of their slaves and waged wars against the Jedi for control of the galaxy. During these conflicts, they constructed colossal superweapons powered by enormous kyber crystals. Eventually, a trade route in the Outer Rim became known as the Cloak of the Sith, a name reminiscent of the dark cloaks often worn by Sith Lords.

The Sith encountered and later betrayed the Drengir.

It is believed that the lightfoil was created by the early Sith. The Sith also forged an alliance with the Nightsisters of Dathomir at some point, but this "old alliance," as they came to call it, eventually dissolved. Ultimately, the Nightsisters decided to remain loyal only to each other. Around 2500 BBY, the Sith allied themselves with the Drengir, and they collaborated for a time until they betrayed the living plants around the same year. The Sith left the Drengir imprisoned on the Amaxine space station using the binding statues.

Exim Panshard was a Sith viceroy who governed a forgotten planet with a reign of terror, culminating in the creation of a mask that, fueled by the deaths of countless civilians, allowed him to cling to life.

The Jedi and Sith waged a series of wars throughout their history so ruinous that at points each was brought to the brink of destruction.

Approximately five thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Sith waged war against the Jedi and the Old Republic. This occurred after years of exile on the planet Moraband following the Hundred-Year Darkness. During this war, the Sith attacked the Republic capital, Coruscant. This enabled the Sith to construct a shrine on the planet, which became a source of immense dark side power. Eventually, the Jedi managed to drive the Sith from Coruscant. The Jedi built their own temple over the Coruscant shrine in an attempt to contain and neutralize its power.

Around this period, the Jedi and Sith engaged in numerous battles and wars, such as the Great Hyperspace War and the Great Sith Wars. The Massassi, a slave race controlled by the Sith, constructed the Great Temple on Yavin 4, allegedly under the leadership of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow.

Jedi and Sith both perished when Malachor was scourged by the power within an ancient Sith temple.

The Sith continued to expand their empire, erecting temples on numerous planets. One such temple was built on the world Malachor. At the heart of this temple was a superweapon powered by a massive kyber crystal. The Jedi eventually discovered the weapon and assaulted the temple. A fierce battle ensued between the Sith Empire and the invading Jedi Knights. During the battle, the temple was activated, petrifying everyone on the planet. This resulted in the planet being forbidden to Jedi and becoming a legend for millennia to come.

The Sith resurged during a particularly desperate conflict, which likely led the Jedi Order to adopt Form VII "Juyo." However, this aggressive lightsaber combat form resulted in several Jedi falling to the dark side. After the conflict concluded, the Jedi banned its study.

Darth Momin venerated the power of the dark side of the Force.

The Sith Lord Darth Momin, after killing his Master Darth Shaa, sought greater knowledge of the dark side. He decided that the Force was his only audience and yearned to be worthy of it. He constructed a superweapon using resources inherited from Shaa and the assistance of acolytes eager to aid him. Darth Momin's superweapon possessed the power to incinerate an entire city, but his true intention was different. He aimed to channel the Force into the weapon's engine and freeze the terrified expressions of the people in time forever, creating an artwork depicting fear and pain dedicated to the dark side of the Force. When he attempted this, the Jedi intervened, and Momin's body was destroyed, but his mind remained within his mask, where he awaited his revival as ages passed.

However, the Sith suppressed knowledge of Momin and his ideas, believing him to be a heretic. The Sith refused to include information about Momin in their holocrons. The Jedi, too, made no mention of the Sith Lord in their holocrons and locked his mask away. Nonetheless, the Sith at some point used Momin's Fermata Cage to imprison a droid intelligence. The Fermata Cage was then hidden within a dark side hellscape known to Momin.

The Darkseekers were Sith tasked with hunting and eliminating threats to their order's rule over the galaxy.

Once, the Sith established a tyrannical regime across the galaxy. During this Sith domination, a group known as the Ascendant thrived, endeavoring to replicate Force abilities through technological means. The Sith, however, considered the Ascendant heretics and dispatched their Darkseekers to eliminate them. Although Miril, the Ascendant's leader, once evaded Darkseekers in the Floating Catacombs, the Sith eventually discovered the Ascendant's main sanctuary on Bar'leth and launched an assault as the Ascendant worked to complete the Spark Eternal. As her fellow members were slain, Miril sacrificed herself to conceal the Spark, preventing its capture by the Sith.

In a past conflict, the Jedi and Sith clashed on the world of Takodana. Later, the pirate Maz Kanata erected her castle atop the legendary battlefield. A notable Jedi, Jedi Master Tal Bota, frequently fought the Sith. His exploits inspired holostories, including one depicting him battling numerous Sith soldiers simultaneously.

The renowned Sith Darth Wrend engaged in combat with the Jedi. Despite being presumed dead, Wrend reappeared to continue fighting. At some point, the Jedi Radaki succumbed to the dark side, becoming the Sith Darth Krall and achieving victory in the Battle of Wasted Years. He also subdued the Nightmare Conjunction and wielded a lightsaber featuring a gold hilt.

During the era referred to as the Dark Age, the Jedi-Sith War erupted. Early in this conflict, the Sith assaulted Coruscant, the Old Republic's capital. They successfully seized control of the planet and the Jedi Temple. The Liberation of Coruscant marked one of the final engagements of the Jedi-Sith War, resulting in the Sith's expulsion from Coruscant.

Though the Sith numbered in the thousands, they were ultimately defeated on Ruusan in the Mid Rim Territories. Despite the Sith armada having more ships than the smaller Ghostfinder fleet, the Sith were overcome. Their pursuit of power led to their downfall, as the dark side caused internal conflict. Within a year, the Jedi subdued the remaining Sith, crippling the dark order. However, Darth Bane survived. With the other Sith Lords gone, he reshaped the order by creating the Rule of Two, dictating that only a master and an apprentice could exist at any one time to avoid infighting. To perpetuate Bane's ideology, the apprentice had to kill their master and find their own apprentice, or the master could train a new apprentice to kill and replace the existing one. Bane also initiated a revenge scheme against the Jedi, known as the Grand Plan.

The Sith abandoned their traditional homeworld of Moraband after it was ravaged by numerous wars. Eventually, Darth Bane was killed and buried in the Valley of the Dark Lords, but the Rule of Two persisted through his apprentice, Darth Zannah. Rumors suggested Zannah killed Bane on the Inner Rim planet of Ambria. The Jedi believed they had ended Bane's rule and, wrongly assuming the Sith were extinct, entered a golden age called the High Republic Era. Many Sith worlds were quarantined, including Rhelg, Jaguada, and Ziost. Some worlds had their Sith history so thoroughly erased that even locals were unaware of their past. The Lerct Historical Institute prohibited research into the Sith, deeming it an arcane and occult subject unsuitable for their work.

For a millennium, the Sith remained hidden, their existence unknown to the Jedi, while they continued their revenge through Bane's Grand Plan. The Sith teachings, passed down through Bane's Rule of Two, allowed the Order to endure. During the High Republic Era, the beings known as the Nameless emerged as a significant threat to Force-sensitive individuals. Former Jedi Azlin Rell, who fell to the dark side due to fear and madness, sought to eliminate the entire species, believing it would benefit all Force-sensitives, including the Sith. While he assured the Jedi High Council that he was not their enemy because he was not a Sith, Rell ensured a city on Travyx Prime was destroyed, thus eliminating a potential lead to the Nameless' homeworld, Planet X. He told Yoda that his actions were a gift to all Force users, including the Jedi and Sith, but Yoda did not see this as proof of the Sith Order's return.

Toward the end of the High Republic Era, a Dark Lord of the Sith named Darth Plagueis was active. Additionally, a human Jedi trained by Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh embraced the dark side and left the Jedi Order, remaining out of Rwoh's reach. This individual, who claimed to have no name and was thus called "the Stranger," became a Sith apprentice to Plagueis.

The Stranger also operated publicly as the merchant Qimir. He concealed his identity and sought the Jedi Order's downfall, desiring to wield power without restraint. He established a base within an island cave on an unknown world, a location also known to Plagueis, to operate undetected by the Jedi.

Eventually, the Stranger sought a disciple to train, despite the Rule of Two, deciding to train a Sith acolyte, a position theoretically outside the rule. He found Mae-ho Aniseya, a human woman who had been part of a witch coven with her twin sister Verosha Aniseya until an incident involving the Jedi Order in 148 BBY. Keeping his Sith identity secret, Mae pledged herself to the individual she knew only as "the Master," driven by a desire for revenge against the four Jedi involved in the Brendok mission, including Jedi Master Sol, who had mistakenly killed her mother Aniseya and covered it up. Mae sought to please "the Master" but also feared him. Under his public guise, "Qimir" worked with Mae as a trader of rare goods and fellow servant of the Master, with Mae unaware that he was her mentor. The Master, as "Qimir," also "collected" people, which served as "Qimir's" cover story.

Under the Master's guidance, Mae became a Sith assassin and acolyte. He eventually demanded that she kill a Jedi without a weapon as her final test. Following his instructions, Mae embarked on a quest to kill the four Jedi from her past, Masters Sol, Torbin, Indara, and Kelnacca, in 132 BBY. After Indara's death at her hand with a knife and Torbin's suicide when confronted by Mae, Mae discovered that her sister was alive, which convinced her to abandon her life as the Master's servant during her mission to slay Kelnacca. Unbeknownst to Mae, the Master himself had arrived—as he was Qimir, whom she had betrayed and left "trapped" in the woods—and killed Kelnacca himself. He then fought a group of Jedi under Sol who had come to Kelnacca's shelter, killing all but Sol. During this incident, the Stranger's mask was removed, revealing to Mae that Qimir and her dark master were the same person. The Stranger also revealed himself as a Sith to Sol.

After Qimir's true identity was revealed and the Sith was attacked by umbramoths, Mae knocked out her sister and switched places with her, returning to the Jedi transport with Sol. Meanwhile, the Stranger retrieved his mask and cloak and found the unconscious Osha, taking her back to his base on the unknown world. Waking up in the Stranger's custody, Osha followed him as he went swimming and claimed his lightsaber, unaware that he knew her actions. Noticing her belief that killing an unarmed foe was dishonorable, the Stranger convinced her to spare him and revealed details of his past, attempting to make her doubt the Jedi's ideals and embrace his own. Meanwhile, Sol discovered that Mae had switched places with her sister and subdued her, leaving Khofar's orbit and promising to save Osha from Mae's master once they could talk.

As Sol departed, a Jedi investigation team under Master Vernestra Rwoh arrived on Khofar, discovering the aftermath of the battle with the Stranger. Unaware of who was responsible for the massacre, Padawan Mog Adana suggested that Sol had fallen to the dark side. With all parties converging on Brendok as Sol activated his tracking beacon for the Jedi and Osha had a Force vision of his death, Sol and the Stranger began a final duel. Mae rejected anger and instead wanted Sol brought to justice for killing her mother and lying about it. However, the revelation that her master had killed her mother broke Osha, who Force-choked the Jedi Master—killing a Jedi without a weapon—and bled his lightsaber. Osha accepted the role of the Stranger's acolyte, while Mae allowed her memory of her sister to be erased so she could be handed over to the Jedi. As the Jedi party under Rwoh arrived too late to catch the Stranger, Rwoh blamed Sol for the murders of Kelnecca, Indara, and Torbin. Sensing her former disciple's presence, she met with Mae and requested her help in finding the Stranger.

In 82 BBY, the Jedi Padawan Dooku, after encountering the Presagers of Hakotei cult, experienced a Force vision in which he heard the voice of the Sith Lord Darth Skrye. In this vision of a possible future, Skrye declared that the Sith had been reborn and that the Cauldron was opening, accompanied by the sound of a planet being torn apart and an explosion.

Eventually, the Sith apprentice Darth Sidious betrayed and killed his master Darth Plagueis in his sleep, claiming the title of master and advancing his plan to destroy the Jedi. Generations after the fall of the Sith, Sidious moved to strike a fatal blow against the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. Orchestrating his public persona's rise to the Republic's Chancellorship and creating an army to purge the Jedi, Darth Sidious brought about the return of Sith rule over the galaxy, establishing the New Order with himself as Emperor.

The Sith were largely forgotten until the final years of the Galactic Republic, when Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Maul, revealed themselves to the Jedi. Although Maul yearned to avenge his Sith ancestors, he acknowledged that the Jedi Order was too powerful to challenge directly, mainly due to their superior numbers and the Republic's support. Sidious assured his apprentice that they would gradually weaken the Order through careful planning.

Sidious operated secretly as the unassuming Senator Sheev Palpatine of Naboo. This allowed him to infiltrate and deceive the Galactic Senate and the inner circle of the Monarch of Naboo, Queen Padmé Amidala, whom he served as a close advisor. Sidious orchestrated the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation to gain more political power at the expense of his people and homeworld. This allowed him to vie for the galaxy's highest office in his civilian persona and set the stage for the Sith's revenge.

During the Battle of Naboo, Maul killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn but was defeated and presumed dead by Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Despite Maul's loss, Sidious saw potential in Anakin Skywalker, a child exceptionally strong with the Force. However, Skywalker had been discovered and recruited by the Jedi Order. Sidious vowed to monitor Skywalker's progress, intending to turn the Jedi Order's prophesied Chosen One to the dark side. Furthermore, Sidious succeeded as Palpatine in being elected as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

After Maul's apparent death on Naboo, Darth Sidious approached the fallen Jedi Master Dooku, who had become the Count of Serenno, and offered him the chance to destroy the Jedi Order and reshape the Republic as his new apprentice. Dooku accepted and was named Darth Tyranus, seeking both power and the elimination of the Republic's corruption. Tyranus also trained the fallen Dathomirian Jedi Asajj Ventress as his assassin and potential Sith apprentice while still Sidious' apprentice.

For nearly a decade after Sidious' offer, Tyranus helped lay the groundwork for the Clone Wars. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas secretly commissioned the creation of an army of clone troopers, foreseeing a future conflict. However, the Sith took control of Sifo-Dyas' project after arranging his assassination by the Pyke Syndicate. Tyranus personally recruited the bounty hunter Jango Fett to be the clone template for the Grand Army of the Republic, which the Sith intended the Jedi to lead. A crucial part of the Sith's plan was the behavioral modification biochip; every clone trooper was engineered with a biochip in their brain to ensure compliance with Order 66 when the time came to destroy the Jedi.

Under his public identity as Dooku, Darth Tyranus dramatically reentered the public eye, commandeering a Galactic Republic Holonet station in the Raxus system and delivering a speech criticizing the Republic's corruption and shortcomings. He then rallied rebellious star systems to his cause and secretly allied with powerful commercial entities, forming the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

War erupted as the Confederacy's droid armies and the newly formed Grand Army of the Republic fought over the desert landscape of Geonosis after Tyranus' secret alliance with the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Corporate Alliance, and the Commerce Guild was revealed. Although the Republic won, Tyranus and the Separatist leadership escaped.

In preparation for the upcoming galactic war and its aftermath, Tyranus traveled to Coruscant's industrial district, the Works, after the First Battle of Geonosis, where he met Sidious and delivered the "good news" of the war's beginning, as well as presenting him with the plans for the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station.

Following the battle on Geonosis, the Jedi transitioned from peacekeepers to generals and commanders, positions previously denied due to the Jedi Code. During the war, Dooku was briefly captured by the Ohnaka Gang. Pirate leader Hondo Ohnaka, unaware of what a "Sith" was, believed Dooku was simply a rogue Jedi who had broken away from the Republic. Upon hearing Dooku declare himself a Sith Lord, Ohnaka remained unconcerned and focused on the ransom he would receive for the Separatist leader. However, Dooku escaped when Ohnaka was distracted by Kenobi and Skywalker, who were also captured for ransom. Dooku decided not to tell his master about the incident, considering it an embarrassment.

During her assignments for the Sith, Ventress frequently battled Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano in lightsaber duels. Despite her loyalty, Darth Sidious ordered her Master to betray her. Subsequently, Dooku journeyed to Dathomir, seeking a new apprentice from the Nightsisters. Together, Dooku and the Nightsisters selected Savage Opress, a young Zabrak and brother of the presumed-dead Darth Maul. However, Asajj Ventress, seeking retribution for Dooku's betrayal, manipulated Opress to achieve her aims. Eventually, Opress, caught between two demanding masters, turned against both Dooku and Ventress.

Opress returned to the Nightsisters and discovered that his brother, Maul, had not perished as previously thought. Maul had endured his injuries on Naboo due to his profound connection to the dark side and was residing in the scrap heaps of Lotho Minor. However, Maul's traumatic experiences had led to mental instability. He only remembered one word: "Kenobi." Guided by an Anacondan named Morley, Opress facilitated Maul's return to the Nightsisters for healing. After being fully restored by the Nightsisters' magic and provided with robotic legs, Maul initiated a quest to find Obi-Wan Kenobi, the individual who had nearly ended his life.

Maul's pursuit of revenge culminated in his control of Mandalore and the demise of Satine Kryze. However, Darth Sidious, sensing the actions of his former apprentice and his potential threat, traveled to Mandalore to eliminate him. He killed Opress and imprisoned Maul in the Spire, an ancient mountaintop prison, as part of an intricate Sith strategy to resolve a long-standing and lethal conflict with the Nightsisters.

Later in the conflict, Yoda visited Moraband, the Sith's original world. The Jedi Master encountered an illusory apparition of the ancient Sith Darth Bane, buried on the desolate planet, and engaged Sidious in a spiritual battle stemming from an ancient, mystical Sith ritual. This experience granted Yoda a new perspective on the Force, unforeseen by the Sith.

After the Clone Wars had raged for three years, Darth Sidious was nearing the completion of his master plan. He sacrificed Count Dooku, betraying him to a violent end at the hands of Anakin Skywalker, all to manipulate the young Jedi. As Palpatine, he shared with Anakin a Sith legend concerning Darth Plagueis the Wise. Plagueis, through the dark side, had mastered the ability to prevent death, only to be killed by his apprentice in his sleep. This narrative captivated Anakin, who desperately sought this power to save his wife, Padmé Amidala.

Ultimately, Palpatine revealed his true identity as Sidious and converted Anakin to the dark side. Jedi Master Mace Windu attempted to arrest the Dark Lord, but was killed after Anakin betrayed Mace and the Jedi. Following this, Anakin pledged his allegiance to his new Sith Master, Sidious, becoming Darth Vader.

With Windu's attack and a new Sith apprentice at his side, Sidious saw this as the perfect moment to destroy the Jedi. He commanded Vader to lead the 501st Legion in an attack on the Jedi Temple, and then proceed to the Mustafar system to eliminate the Separatist Council. While Vader attacked the temple, Sidious initiated Order 66, causing the clones' biochips to activate and brainwash them into killing the Jedi. Thousands of Jedi across the galaxy were subsequently betrayed and murdered by their clone troopers. Before Vader's arrival on Mustafar to execute the Separatist Council, Sidious deceived the council into believing that Vader would protect them. After Vader slaughtered the Separatists, Vader followed Sidious's third order by shutting down the droid army, which ended the Clone Wars. In the political arena, he reorganized the Republic using the powers given to him as a result of the Clone Wars to transform the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire to restore the Sith Empire, installing himself as Emperor. Once more, the Sith ruled the galaxy, unbeknownst to all but the few surviving Jedi.

Following the restructuring of the Republic and the purging of the Jedi Order, Darth Sidious and Vader governed the First Galactic Empire for over two decades, until the Battle of Endor. The two Sith Lords formed a group of Dark Side users known as the Inquisitorius. The Inquisitors were tasked with hunting down Jedi Purge survivors and preventing Force-sensitive children from becoming Jedi. The Inquisitors were led by a Pau'an Grand Inquisitor, a former Jedi Sentinel and Knight. Vader trained the Inquisitors, who wielded double-bladed spinning lightsabers.

During the Imperial Era, Vader undertook a mission to Mustafar. He brought along Colonel Alva Brenne, the Chief Imperial Architect, her assistant Lieutenant Roggo, and the mask that once belonged to Momin. Sidious had assured Vader that Momin's mask would guide him in his studies there. While on the planet, Vader meditated in the Sith cave. At that point, Momin's mask possessed Roggo, and Momin used his body to design a structure. When Brenne discovered this, she was shot dead, alerting Vader to the situation. Vader killed Roggo and removed the mask from his body.

Vader brought the mask to the cave and used the Force to reach into it. Momin revealed himself to Vader and recounted his history, before attempting to possess him as well. Vader resisted but allowed the mask to control a Mustafarian, giving Momin a body once more. The two discussed the structure Momin had designed, and Momin claimed it could tune the energies of the dark side locus on Mustafar, opening the door to the dark side that could resurrect Padmé Amidala. Vader then agreed to let Momin build Fortress Vader.

In reality, Momin intended to use the energies to revive his own body. As the Battle of Fortress Vader raged outside, Momin successfully resurrected himself. During his duel with Vader, Momin criticized the current state of the Sith as "Jedi-obsessed weaklings," stating that it saddened him and disgusted the dark side itself. Vader ultimately defeated the ancient Sith and killed Momin again. Nevertheless, his mask survived again and was returned to Sidious by Vader, who tried and failed to use the portal to resurrect Amidala. For its failure, he destroyed the gateway. However, the incident had concluded with Vader fully committing himself on the path of the dark side.

Five years after the Clone Wars concluded, the Free Ryloth Movement led by Cham Syndulla launched a major operation to assassinate the Emperor and Vader. Cham aimed to eliminate the two Sith Lords to bring about the Empire's downfall. However, Sidious had anticipated Cham's plan, and the two Sith evaded Cham's assassination attempts. This operation dealt a significant blow to the Free Ryloth rebels, forcing them further underground, and also exposed Colonel Belkor Dray as a traitor. Despite Sidious' hopes, he failed to stamp out the sparks of the growing rebellion.

Among those opposing Palpatine's rule was Luthen Rael, who disguised himself as an innocent collector and dealer of artifacts while secretly establishing a rebel network. Rael's collection included a Sith holocron, kept in the back of his Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest store, and various pieces of Sith armor. After the Lothal insurgency began roughly four years before the Battle of Yavin, Sidious sent Vader to hunt down the Spectres, who were part of the growing rebellion. Vader lured the Spectres into a trap on Lothal in an attempt to locate the Phoenix Cell. Vader led an attack on the Phoenix fleet, destroying the rebel flagship Phoenix Home, but failed to crush the rebellion. During the skirmish, Vader realized that his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano was still alive. Under Sidious' orders, he dispatched more Inquisitors to hunt down the Jedi Purge survivor Kanan Jarrus and his apprentice Ezra Bridger.

A year later, Vader visited the Lothal Jedi Temple where the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister had attempted to capture Bridger, Jarrus, and Tano. Vader remarked that the Emperor would be pleased with their discovery. When the Fifth Brother remarked that the power of the Jedi was growing, Vader responded that it would be their undoing. The Sith Lords later took an interest in the Sith temple on Malachor, which was rumored to house a weapon capable of destroying all life. Vader sent another Inquisitor, the Eighth Brother, to hunt down a "shadow" and acquire a Sith holocron.

Bridger, Jarrus, and Tano encountered the former Sith apprentice Maul—the "shadow" Vader had sent the Eighth Brother to find—in the Malachor Sith Temple. Maul had been stranded on Malachor for several years and had discovered a secret within the Sith temple that could destroy the Sith. However, he lacked the strength to do it alone. Maul managed to befriend Ezra, and the two Force-users succeeded in obtaining the Sith holocron. Maul then assisted the Jedi in driving away several Inquisitors. Despite Jarrus and Tano's mistrust, Maul managed to convince them to help him by promising the opportunity to destroy the Sith once and for all.

Maul convinced Ezra to place the Sith holocron in the obelisk at the top of the temple complex. He then helped Jarrus and Tano kill the Inquisitors before turning on both of them. Eventually, Maul blinded Jarrus. Despite this, the Jedi Knight defeated Maul in combat and pushed him off the edge of the temple. Meanwhile, Ezra discovered that the Sith holocron was the key to reactivating the Sith temple, which was a powerful superweapon capable of destroying life. Shortly later, Darth Vader arrived to claim the temple's power for the Sith. Darth Vader fought with Ahsoka while Jarrus and Bridger removed the holocron; triggering the temple's implosion. Bridger and Jarrus escaped the temple, but Vader and Tano were trapped inside when the Temple began to implode. Vader and Tano survived and parted company.

Later, Bridger came under the influence of the Sith Holocron, which was inhabited by an entity called Presence. Under the holocron's guidance, Ezra learned more aggressive combat techniques including forcing an AT-DP walker driver to attack his comrades and walk his machine off a bridge. Bridger's use of the Sith Holocron strained relations with his master Jarrus, who confiscated it. Jarrus later met a powerful Force-wielder called the Bendu, who formed a middle ground between the light and dark sides. He advised Jarrus that an object could be used for both good and evil and that only the person had the power to change it. Jarrus left the Sith holocron in the Bendu's care.

Maul, who was revealed to have survived the events on Malachor, later captured Jarrus and Bridger's rebel friends and used them as hostages to force the two Jedi to bring him the Sith holocron and Kanan's Jedi holocron. Jarrus and Bridger recovered the Sith holocron from the Bendu, who warned them that Maul planned to combine the power of the holocrons to provide clarity of vision. After rendezvousing with Maul, Bridger and the former Sith combined the two holocrons. Bridger wanted to find a way to destroy the Sith while Maul was looking for hope. The holocrons projected a vision of twin suns, an old enemy of Maul, and offered to show Bridger the "key" to destroying the Sith. However, Jarrus convinced his apprentice to look away, and the two holocrons separated. Maul took the opportunity to escape into space.

Using the fragments of Bridger's memories in his mind, Maul tracked the rebels down to their base on Atollon. Using the dark side of the Force, Maul manifested in Bridger's visions. Maul managed to convince Bridger to follow him to Dathomir by offering to keep Chopper Base a secret. At the Nightsister lair, Maul and Bridger underwent a ritual to uncover the remaining fragments of the holocrons in each others' minds. After drinking a magic potion, Maul learned that Master Kenobi was still living on the planet with twin suns while Bridger learned that Kenobi held the key to destroying the Sith. The two were then attacked by the spirits of the Nightsisters, who demanded payment in flesh and blood for their services. Jarrus and the Mandalorian weapons expert Sabine Wren arrived to confront Maul but were possessed by the spirits. Bridger and Maul managed to flee outside the lair. When Maul offered Bridger a place as his apprentice, the young Jedi refused to abandon his friends. After exorcising Jarrus and Wren, the three resolved to find the planet with twin suns and to reach Kenobi before Maul could kill him.

In the years preceding the Battle of Yavin, the Empire faced an escalating rebellion that evolved into the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Secretly, the Emperor authorized the construction of the Death Star, a colossal superweapon capable of annihilating entire planets. After rebel operatives stole the Death Star plans, Vader commanded a secret mission to Tatooine that resulted in the capture of Princess Leia Organa, the adopted daughter of Bail Organa and one of Anakin Skywalker's children. Shortly thereafter, the Emperor dissolved the Imperial Senate and ordered Alderaan's destruction.

Lord Vader and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin oversaw Alderaan's destruction in the presence of Princess Leia. Before they could execute Leia, she was rescued by a group of travelers including Anakin's son Luke Skywalker, the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and the Jedi Master Kenobi. While the other rebels escaped aboard the Millennium Falcon, Kenobi sacrificed his life to delay Vader. Leia and her rescuers retreated to the rebel base on Yavin 4. The Death Star traveled to Yavin base in a bid to destroy the Rebel Alliance once and for all but this plan was ruined by a rebel starfighter force. During the Battle of Yavin, Vader sensed that the Force was strong in the rebel pilot Skywalker; who fired the missile that destroyed the Death Star, Vader, however, survived the destruction.

Three years after the events on Yavin and following the Battle of Hoth, the Emperor revealed that Luke was one of Anakin Skywalker's offspring, a fact Vader already knew. Vader believed that Luke would be a valuable asset if turned to the dark side. The Emperor tasked Vader with persuading Luke to join them, or destroying him if he refused. During that time Luke had traveled to Dagobah, where he had been trained by Yoda, a Jedi Master who was once the leader of the Jedi Order. Vader managed to capture Leia, Han, C-3PO and Chewbacca in Cloud City on Bespin. Sensing the danger that his friends were in, Luke left his training and traveled to Cloud City where Vader was waiting for him. During their confrontation, Vader severed Luke's right hand and revealed that he was Luke's father. Despite the pain, Luke refused to join Vader, threw himself down a vane and escaped.

Secretly, the Emperor oversaw the construction of a second Death Star above the forest moon of Endor. Seeking to annihilate the rebellion once and for all, the Emperor arranged for intelligence about the second Death Star to be leaked to Bothan spies. Based on this information, the Rebel Alliance prepared to launch an attack on the second Death Star. Before the Battle of Endor, Vader traveled to the second Death Star to warn Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod to accelerate construction. Shortly later, Sidious traveled to the battle station to oversee the final construction stages.

Luke confronted Yoda and the Force spirit of Kenobi about Vader's claims on Bespin, and accepted that the Sith Lord was in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker, after his mentors confirmed it. Luke accompanied the Rebels to Endor intending to confront Vader, believing he could help the former Jedi return to the light side. Likewise, the Emperor sought to turn Luke to the dark side to replace Vader as his apprentice. On the second Death Star, Luke confronted Sidious, who sought to provoke Luke's anger by having the Imperial Navy engage the Rebel fleet, thus endangering his friends' lives.

Luke and Vader clashed lightsabers as the Emperor watched from his throne, goading the Jedi apprentice to embrace the dark side. When Vader revealed the existence of Luke's sister and threatened her conversion, Luke succumbed to his rage. Witnessing the power Luke displayed in defeating Vader, Sidious betrayed his apprentice, demanding Luke take Vader's place by his side. Luke, however, resolutely refused. Realizing Luke was a true Jedi, uncorruptible, Sidious tried to end Luke's life by torturing him with Force lightning. Torn between his fealty to Sidious, his Jedi past, and his son, Vader ultimately hurled the Emperor into a reactor shaft, destroying him and restoring equilibrium to the Force. His life-support armor critically damaged by the Emperor's Force lightning, Darth Vader passed away, but his heroic sacrifice allowed him to become one with the Force as a Force ghost, "reborn" as Anakin Skywalker. Thus, the Sith Order and their oppressive rule ended, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

Although the Sith Order met its end during the Battle of Endor, it represented only one iteration of many Force-based religions throughout the galaxy's history. The Sith's long-standing reputation as enemies of the Jedi, and at times, rulers of the galaxy, continued to resonate long after their demise. The void left by the Sith's fall at Endor was quickly targeted by others, such as the Knights of Ren. Therefore, while the ancient prophecy concerning the Sith's destruction was realized, it did not predict the end of darkness itself; where light exists, shadow will inevitably follow.

In the immediate aftermath of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader's deaths, numerous individuals and groups continued to embrace their ideology. Yupe Tashu, a former advisor to Sidious, admired the Sith's interrogation techniques, teachings, and cunning. He advocated for the remaining Imperial Military to retreat "beyond the veil of stars" into the Unknown Regions, seeking the source of the dark side that Sidious had sensed. The Acolytes of the Beyond, devoted to the Sith, gathered Sith artifacts, including what they believed to be Darth Vader's lightsaber, with the intention of destroying them and returning the relics to their deceased owners. The Acolytes eventually disbanded, but Kiza, one of their members, was corrupted by the mask of Viceroy Exim Panshard and the promises the dead Sith gave her if she could bring him to Exegol.

Around 9 ABY, a Force-sensitive human named Rieve joined the Hunters of the Outer Rim tournament, adopting the stage persona of a Sith Lord. As part of her act, she brandished a red lightsaber and wore a customized suit of Sith armor. While their relationship grew in private, they maintained a strong on-stage rivalry with J-3DI, a droid programmed to believe he was a Jedi.

Their rivalry was featured in the first edition of Arena News, which refreshed fans on the concept of the Sith. After challenging J-3DI to a battle and abruptly ending an interview with Arena announcer Boz Vega, who proclaimed Rieve a Sith Master, Rieve secured an "epic victory" against J-3DI, which Arena News declared brought glory to the Sith. Arena News' report referenced the Rule of Two, despite admitting their ignorance of its meaning. Rieve sought to learn more about the Sith, but found limited information about the order in the available records. However, she discovered information about Maul and his brother Savage Oppress in Sith-related documents.

Despite his demise at Endor, Darth Sidious defied death by using the dark side to transfer his essence from his dying body into a clone located far from Endor, thus returning to life. Sidious established himself on the hidden Sith world of Exegol in the Unknown Regions, alongside a cult of followers known as the Sith Eternal. However, the clone body was unable to fully contain Sidious' power, leading to physical decay and the need for cybernetic components, such as an Ommin harness, to sustain and mobilize him. On Exegol, the Sith Eternal oversaw the construction of the largest fleet in galactic history, the Final Order, intended to establish a resurrected Sith Empire. Meanwhile, due to a secret Contingency plan orchestrated by Sidious, former Imperial officers, nobles, and technologists escaped into the Unknown Regions, forming the First Order.

The Sith Eternal engineered artificial clone humanoid aliens, one of whom, Snoke, became the Supreme Leader of the First Order. The First Order remained ignorant of Snoke's true origins, the existence of the Sith Eternal, and the fact that their former Emperor was still alive in some form. In 21 ABY, Skywalker sensed a growing darkness in the Force and embarked on a quest for Exegol after learning from his father's spirit that it was the planet at the heart of his visions. Simultaneously, Kiza and the spirit of Panshard continued their own search for Exegol, while the Sith assassin Ochi hunted Rey on behalf of the Sith Eternal and Sidious. After Kiza's death and the destruction of Panshard's mask, which permanently eliminated the Sith viceroy, Skywalker believed the disturbance had ended. However, his friend Landonis Balthazar Calrissian chose to remain on Pasaana for any sign of Ochi, who had perished in the Forbidden Valley, any sign of his daughter Kadara Calrissian, who had been abducted by the First Order, and any sign of Rey. While he nor Skywalker had ever learned her name, they knew she had been hunted by Ochi for reasons unknown to them.

The birth of Ben Solo gave Darth Sidious another opportunity to turn a member of the Skywalker family to the dark side. As Darth Vader's grandson, Solo possessed a strong connection to the Force from birth. Sidious planned to corrupt Solo through Snoke, using him as a proxy. Over time, Snoke successfully turned Solo to the dark side. Solo's descent was triggered by several events, including his belief that his uncle Luke Skywalker attempted to kill him, a mysterious storm he summoned that destroyed the Jedi training temple, and when "Ren" killed his friend Tai. Solo yielded to the darkness, killing Ren, adopting the name Kylo Ren, and becoming the new master of the Knights of Ren, a group of dark side users. Although Snoke was not a Sith, he wielded considerable Force power. Snoke took Ren as his apprentice and instructed him in the ways of the dark side, but Sidious considered himself Ren's true master. Elsewhere, Skywalker retreated into self-imposed exile, his location unknown.

Kylo Ren vowed to complete what his grandfather Darth Vader had started, although Supreme Leader Snoke dismissed Vader's sentimentality as the cause of the Empire's failure. Ultimately, Ren aimed to develop an immunity to the light and succeed where Vader had failed. Luke Skywalker, Ren's former master and the last Jedi, attributed Darth Sidious' rise to power to the Jedi Order's failings. Unbeknownst to Ren, Sidious monitored his dark side training. The Dark Lord considered Ren a worthy apprentice and Vader's heir. While he did not see Ren as a true Sith, Sidious acknowledged his power in the dark side. Ren became a warlord and champion of the First Order during the First Order-Resistance War, a galactic conflict between the First Order and the Resistance following the New Republic's destruction in 34 ABY. During the First Order's initial invasion from the Unknown Regions, Ren discovered a powerful Force-bond with Rey, a Force-sensitive scavenger from Jakku, who was being trained by Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Jedi.

Their connection led Rey to believe that Ben Solo could be redeemed; although they successfully eliminated Snoke and his Praetorian Guards during the Battle of Oetchi, Kylo Ren remained committed to the dark side, usurping his master's title as Supreme Leader of the First Order. Ren rejected both Jedi and Sith legacies. He proposed that Rey join him in ruling the galaxy as leaders of a new order, but she refused, leaving Ren to rule the First Order alone. Ren sought to destroy his enemies during the Battle of Crait, vowing to eliminate the past and all opposition to his rule, but through Luke Skywalker's sacrifice, Rey and the Resistance escaped Ren's forces.

Kylo Ren was not a Sith, yet his dark side training drew upon Sith teachings and practices, like the Sith trial of ascendancy, which Ren completed by murdering his father, Han Solo, in an act of patricide. Furthermore, Ren's killing of Snoke was reminiscent of the Rule of Two. However, even Snoke's death failed to resolve the conflict within Ren, a product of both Jedi and Sith influences. Despite his efforts, he struggled against the pull of the light, which prevented him from fully embracing the dark side. Ren looked to his grandfather, Darth Vader, for inspiration on his own dark side journey, yet he feared never becoming as powerful as Vader. However, upon becoming Supreme Leader, Ren began to doubt his desire to follow Vader's path. In embracing the dark side, Ren had sacrificed everything he once valued for a solitary existence, devoid of love and friendship, spent with a master he hated and followers he distrusted.

The absolute power of his new position as Supreme Leader did not bring Ren fulfillment. While he acknowledged his family's significant role in galactic history, Ren questioned how his grandfather could have been content ruling over "weaklings." His disillusionment with his heritage fueled a desire to "kill his past," which he believed was the source of his ongoing conflict. As a result, Ren became convinced that his obsession with Vader's legacy was another anchor to the past, and he sought to destroy his grandfather's memory. But upon meeting Vaneé in Fortress Vader on Mustafar, Ren was tempted by the prospect of learning how his grandfather channeled his past pain into dark side power. Vaneé mocked Ren's rejection of his legacy, but having devoted his life to serving the Dark Lord of the Sith, he offered to serve his late master's grandson and heir.

In the year that followed, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren located Exegol, where he discovered Sidious, the Sith Eternal, and their fleet, the Final Order, which he planned to unleash upon the galaxy to establish a new Sith Empire. Sidious revealed that Rey was his granddaughter, the daughter of his son and his son's wife, both of whom Sidious had murdered. Sidious offered Ren the Sith fleet and a new Sith Empire in exchange for killing Rey. Ren later informed the First Order Supreme Council about the existence of the Sith fleet. Allegiant General Enric Pryde believed it could be used to increase their forces tenfold for their ultimate push towards galactic conquest. After Ren abandoned the First Order, General Pryde, a veteran of the Old Empire, was given command of the Sith fleet for swearing fealty to Sidious.

Rey arrived on Exegol to confront her grandfather in his throne room, before an amphitheater filled with his chanting followers. Sidious told Rey he never planned to kill her, having manipulated Ren, but instead wanted her to take his place on the Sith throne. Sidious pressured her to sacrifice him, intending to use an esoteric power to transfer his spirit into her body. During his temptation, Sidious revealed the unfolding Battle of Exegol, which erupted after Rey sent the coordinates to Exegol to her friends in the Resistance. Although the Resistance was initially outnumbered by the Sith Eternal forces, they were reinforced by a Citizens' Fleet.

A redeemed Ben Solo arrived on Exegol, defeated the Knights of Ren, and joined Rey, standing side-by-side against the Dark Lord of the Sith. Sidious angrily seized them both with the Force, inadvertently drawing some of their life force and causing his body to begin healing. Realizing their connection was a dyad in the Force, Sidious siphoned the life force of their bond to rejuvenate his body. Out of spite for the Skywalker bloodline, Sidious cast Solo into a nearby abyss. Sidious ascended the Sith throne and unleashed Force lightning upon the Resistance and citizens' fleet.

Rey, empowered by the spirits of past Jedi, rose to meet the challenge. Sidious directed his lightning at her, intending to kill her, but Rey defended herself with Anakin and Leia's lightsabers, deflecting the lightning back at Sidious, who disintegrated, destroying the Sith and unleashing an explosion that caused the entire amphitheater to collapse. Rey died, but Solo survived and climbed out of the pit, finding Rey lifeless on the ground. He crawled to her, gave her his life force to resurrect her, and died shortly thereafter. Rey ultimately rejected her dark ancestry; she adopted the Skywalker surname to honor the extinct Skywalker family and remained a Jedi, permanently preventing the Sith's return.

Without the Sith, the First Order faced widespread attacks as people rose up across the galaxy, inspired by the Resistance's victory and the citizens' fleet at Exegol.

The Sith initially served as the main antagonists in George Lucas' Original trilogy and the Prequel trilogy. In the 1975 second draft of A New Hope, the Sith were introduced as the "Black Knights of the Sith," a mercenary group who used the "Bogan," the dark side of the "Force of Others." The story described the Sith as former pirates who were taught the evil side by a fallen "Padawan-Jedi" named Darklighter. The term "Sith" appeared in the 1976 novelization of Star Wars as part of Darth Vader's title, "Dark Lord of the Sith," a phrase omitted from the original film. The Phantom Menace, released in 1999, was the first film to use the word "Sith" directly and established key concepts like the Rule of Two. Furthermore, the origins and history of the Sith were explored in various non-canon Star Wars Legends works, including the 1991 Dark Horse Comics Star Wars: Dark Empire story arc, the mid-1990s Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comics, the 2003 BioWare game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequels, Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane Trilogy, the futuristic Star Wars: Legacy comic series, and John Jackson Miller's Lost Tribe of the Sith novellas. More recently, the canon television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have explored the origins and history of the Sith.

Sam Witwer, who voiced Maul and Sidious in animation, suggested that the Sith do not believe in an afterlife, which explains their extreme measures to survive. In contrast, the Jedi are willing to sacrifice themselves, believing their deaths can inspire others. "You have Darth Vader, who lives a terrible life, he lives a pathetic, tortured existence but it's still preferable to having nothing, which is how he views death. The same thing with Darth Sidious, you look at him in Return of the Jedi. He's over 100 years old and is a bent, old man. But that's better than the alternative, which is nothing." A planned appearance by the Force spirits of Darth Bane and Revan in "Ghosts of Mortis" was removed by George Lucas at the last minute because the Sith returning after death contradicted his views on the Force. As later episodes showed, transcending death as a Force spirit could only be achieved through the light side. Nevertheless, Sith members sought to escape death through other means, including Darth Sidious in both canon and the Expanded Universe.

According to Shadow of the Sith author Adam Christopher, the Sith were not always an organized faction, and the title "Darth" did not exist during that period. Christopher believes that the Sith Lord Exim Panshard originated from this era. In the non-canon animated television series LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, the main antagonist Naare is identified as a Sith agent of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader. The non-canon comic Visions – Peach Momoko 1 features the Ankok, a cult dedicated to a deceased Sith Lord.