Naga Sadow, a Sith of great power in sorcery and a Dark Lord of the Sith
A Sith sorcerer or sorceress designated an individual skilled in the arts of Sith magic, employing spells, incantations, or talismans to channel the strength of the dark side. Their initial discovery occurred during the era of the original Sith Empire. Through intensive study of Sith traditions and the application of the Force's dark side, Sith sorcerers cultivated their abilities. In certain instances, a sorcerer's powers could manifest spontaneously through inherent talent, instead of being cultivated through dedicated study, or granted by an external entity.
It's important to note that not all Sith sorcerers achieved the rank of Sith Lord. For instance, both Queen Amanoa and King Ommin were Sith sorcerers, having been trained by Freedon Nadd, but neither attained the title of Sith Lord. Conversely, figures like Naga Sadow, Freedon Nadd, Exar Kun, and Darth Zannah held the distinction of being both Sith magicians and Sith Lords concurrently.
Furthermore, the term was applied to Sith Inquisitors who served the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War and the subsequent Cold War around 3653 BBY. These Sith were experts in using ranged Force abilities, such as Force lightning and Force drain. Sith Sorcerers were known to primarily wield a single lightsaber in combat, and were skilled at variant applications of Force lightning during battles.
Even before the arrival of the Dark Jedi Exiles on Korriban, Sith sorcerers already held significant status within Sith society. In her personal writings, Sorzus Syn expressed admiration for the effectiveness of Sith incantations. She also recounted how, in ancient warfare, Sith kings would strategically position their most skilled sorcerers on elevated ramparts, away from close combat. From these vantage points, the magicians would unleash curses upon the enemy forces below.
During the era of the Sith Empire, Sith sorcerers were widespread. One of the earliest and most renowned sorcerers was Naga Sadow, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Lord Sadow is known to have initiated at least one apprentice into the practices of Sith sorcery, a young Human male named Gav Daragon. However, Gav's apprenticeship remained incomplete, preventing him from fully mastering the abilities of a Sith sorcerer.
Almost six centuries later, Naga Sadow encountered another individual whom he sought to instruct in the ways of the Sith: a fallen Jedi and Sith Lord named Freedon Nadd. Nadd utilized the knowledge he gained from Naga Sadow to conquer the planet Onderon, saturating it with the dark side of the Force. Following his passing, Freedon Nadd's descendants continued to rule Onderon for centuries, employing Sith sorcery to maintain their dominance over the world.
Four centuries after Nadd's demise, during the Freedon Nadd Uprising, Onderon was finally freed from the influence of the dark side, leading to the belief that the Sith teachings had vanished as well. Nevertheless, two young socialites, Aleema Keto and her cousin Satal, managed to escape Onderon with Sith knowledge acquired from King Ommin. Additionally, Freedon Nadd's spirit encountered them on Onderon and began to further instruct the Ketos in the Sith arts.
Aleema and Satal achieved success in their pursuit of dark side power. Renaming themselves the Krath, they harnessed their newfound abilities to orchestrate a takeover of the Empress Teta system. Simultaneously, Freedon Nadd's spirit located another Jedi with a strong desire for the dark side, Exar Kun, and provided him with extensive training in Sith magic. Subsequently, the Krath magicians initiated war against the Republic and the Jedi, in what became known as the Krath Holy Crusade. This crusade triggered a chain of events, including the defection of Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma to the Krath, the death of Satal Keto, and the rise of Exar Kun as a Dark Lord. Consequently, Sith sorcery spread rapidly throughout the galaxy. The Sith then united their forces and waged the Great Sith War against the Republic. The Jedi ultimately triumphed over the Sith in the decisive Battle of Yavin 4. While it was hoped that the galaxy had been cleansed of the Sith and their magic, this was not the case.
During the Great Galactic War and the Cold War, the resurrected Sith Empire employed Sith sorcerers against the Galactic Republic. These sorcerers served as specialized Sith Inquisitors.
After thousands of years, Sith magic resurfaced in the form of the young Sith apprentice Darth Zannah. Darth Bane presented his protege Zannah with the ancient Sith spells he had transcribed from Freedon Nadd's holocron, noting that her innate talents in the Force were suited for Sith sorcery. An eager learner, Zannah immersed herself in Nadd's teachings. As she progressed, her ability to cast spells grew considerably, sometimes requiring only simple thoughts or subtle hand gestures. Darth Bane encouraged his pupil's study of Sith sorcery because he himself possessed no aptitude for it.
In the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO video game, the Sith sorcerer is an advanced class option for the Sith Inquisitor class. This specialized class focuses on using a single lightsaber and Force lightning in combat, as well as Force drain and Force healing. The Jedi Sage serves as the Republic's equivalent to this archetype.