Sith training

The ultimate objective of all Sith training regimens was the same: to mold the student into a potent weapon fueled by the dark side. However, the specific techniques and traditions employed varied significantly due to the frequent reforms enacted by different Sith regimes. Despite these variations, certain core elements persisted.

Notably, the Sith held far more stringent standards than the Jedi, resulting in a considerably more brutal training process. Designed to eliminate the weak, this training often carried a significant risk of death. Overseers employed manipulation, deception, and cruelty to shape aspiring Sith. Some students were prepared for this path from the moment their Force sensitivity was detected, while others attempted to conceal their abilities to avoid the harsh training, only to be forced into it eventually. If parents attempted to hide their children's Force abilities, the Sith would forcibly take the children and punish the parents for depriving the Empire of a potential Sith. Initially, only pureblood Sith and humans from the Empire were eligible to become Sith, but later, the Academies pressured any Force-adept to undergo the demanding trials, much to the frustration of traditionalists who viewed other species as a disgrace to the Sith. Sith adepts were instructed to harness their rage and wield the Force as both a weapon and a tool for personal gain. Emphasis was placed on overt displays of power, such as advanced Force techniques and exceptional martial skills.

The process of entering Sith training was heavily influenced by the dominant organization. The Sith Empires relied on academic institutions to educate prospective Sith, while the Rule of Two Sith Lords favored a more selective approach, scouting and recruiting individual students. The key difference between these two systems lies in the fact that the academy system was used when the Sith were united as a political and military power, requiring a large number of recruits, whereas the Rule of Two system was implemented when the Sith intentionally limited their numbers to two, necessitating a higher standard for selection.

Admission to Sith academies was also contingent on the prevailing rules of the dominant organization. Under Darth Revan's empire, prospective students needed sponsorship from an academy instructor, while under Lord Kaan, the only apparent requirement was Force sensitivity, with the rigorous training itself serving to weed out unsuitable candidates.

The "sacrifice," a concept emphasized by figures like Lumiya, was less a training method and more a test of the initiate's unwavering commitment. It typically involved forcing the adept to kill someone they loved. The timing of this sacrifice varied depending on the teacher's discretion and the acolyte's needs, often occurring at the beginning to ensure commitment or at the end as a final test. For instance, Darth Tyranus made his sacrifice early in his training, killing his former friend Sifo-Dyas, while Darth Caedus performed his at the end, sacrificing his aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker.

Darth Maul's sacrifice was unique. Having been trained from a young age by Darth Sidious, his master was his only attachment. Therefore, Sidious was the subject of Maul's sacrifice. However, instead of requiring Maul to kill Sidious, the test aimed to force Maul to relinquish his attachment to his master and demonstrate a willingness to kill him. Sidious survived, and Maul proved his worth.

It's important to note that the student didn't necessarily have to directly kill or attack the subject of their sacrifice; merely facilitating their death sufficed. This was the case with Anakin Skywalker, who severed Mace Windu's lightsaber hand, leaving him vulnerable to Darth Sidious's attack. While Skywalker was merely an accessory to the murder, his actions severed his ties with the Jedi, leaving the Sith as his only option.

The training programs within large-scale Sith organizations were structured around a classroom environment, fostering competition and isolation rather than cooperation. Academy instructors taught multiple students simultaneously. During Darth Revan's reign, classes typically consisted of three to four students learning from a single instructor. Under Kaan's leadership, class sizes expanded to over twenty. This system fostered intense competition, with students vying for recognition. The most talented students were celebrated, while the weaker ones were eliminated from training. In addition to classroom instruction, students were expected to study and practice independently.

Furthermore, it was not uncommon for Sith masters to take individual apprentices under their wing, as demonstrated when Darth Malak mentored Bandon. During Kaan's rule, such practices were forbidden and had to be kept secret from the academy headmaster, though they still occurred. After Darth Bane's reformation, this training method became the standard, with the Sith organization revolving around a single master and apprentice.

According to Darth Sidious, the purpose of Sith training was to force the apprentice to struggle for every piece of knowledge they acquired. Conversely, the master would withhold as much information as possible for as long as possible, aiming to prolong their own life. Sidious also cautioned that while an apprentice strong enough to be an effective agent or enforcer was practically required, one must be careful not to choose an apprentice who was too strong or capable.

Combat training in the academies took place in a classroom setting. It began with teaching students the fundamentals of lightsaber combat, then guiding them toward a form that best suited their physical attributes. Under Revan's Sith Empire, instructors would teach approximately three to four students, providing individual tutoring through sparring. During Kaan's reign, the twenty students would be trained collectively by the resident Sith Blademaster through repetitive sequences.

In addition to classroom instruction, students were provided with facilities for private practice. During Malak's reign, a sparring ring with cages containing Republic prisoners of war was established, where students would engage in lethal duels to the death. If Republic prisoners were unavailable, the cages would contain beasts captured from the local wilderness, and trainees would be graded on their performance against them.

Ultimately, due to the Sith emphasis on martial prowess, some Sith academies specialized in training Sith who focused on physical combat and lightsaber skills. These combatants were known as Sith warriors and marauders.

Under the Rule of Two, combat training, like all other forms of instruction, was conducted at the discretion of the master and based on the student's needs. For example, Darth Bane trained Darth Zannah using pre-practiced sequences, similar to his own training. Darth Vader, on the other hand, trained his apprentice only in the basics, then engaged him in frequent, brutal sparring matches, encouraging improvisation and the development of his own combat style rather than formal training in existing methods.

Occasionally, combat training was omitted entirely if the student already possessed extensive knowledge of combat techniques. This was the case with Darths Tyranus and Vader, both former Jedi renowned for their martial skills. However, even fully trained Sith duelists continued to engage in combat training to maintain their skills.

Some academies were known to use the supposedly non-lethal Sith training saber during combat instruction. Training sabers consisted of a metal shaft balanced to mimic a lightsaber, with a mock hilt at one end. The shaft was covered in microscopic barbs from the Pelko bug, which caused paralysis upon contact with skin, simulating the effect of losing a limb. However, these sparring swords were not universally used and were entirely avoided by the Rule of Two Sith.

During the Sith empires, this training was conducted in a classroom environment. A single master would teach multiple students to draw upon their anger and focus on offensive applications of the Force. Training began with simple skills like telekinesis and progressed incrementally, culminating in powerful displays such as telepathy or Force lightning.

Under the Rule of Two, Sith training continued to incorporate these elements but also emphasized concealment. Abilities such as Force stealth were stressed, as Sith often needed to move through public areas undetected by the Jedi. In fact, Rule of Two Sith Lords refined this technique to the point where they could conceal their Dark side signatures from powerful Jedi, even in the same room, appearing completely benevolent.

Given the frequent state of war between the Sith empires and the Republic, these skills were highly valued. In Sith academies, interrogation and torture were actively taught to apprentices, often using live subjects such as prisoners of war or local criminals. Rule of Two Sith actively used the Drain Knowledge ability for this purpose.

During the Sith empires, assassination was considered so crucial that entire academies were dedicated to training Sith assassins. These killers were taught to feed off the Force presence of their targets, becoming stronger, and to prepare themselves for confronting Jedi. They relied on ambush tactics and often used more conventional melee weapons, such as Force pikes, instead of lightsabers.

Under the Rule of Two, most apprentices were trained to become skilled assassins, often serving as the Sith master's enforcer and primary agent. The concealment techniques emphasized by the organization were geared toward this purpose. However, this training was not universal, as some apprentices, like Darth Tyranus, had to operate as public figures, and others, like the cyborg Darth Vader, were simply incapable of such abilities.

Numerous other areas of Sith knowledge were not taught in academies or by Rule of Two masters, as apprentices were expected to research these abilities independently. Darth Zannah learned Sith sorcery from ancient manuscripts in her master's possession, mastering unique and terrifying abilities that gave her an advantage over Darth Bane when they finally confronted each other. Darth Maul learned the ancient skills of Mechu-deru, which he used to modify his personal protocol droid into a capable assassin and create his Dark Eye probe droids.

The Korriban academy was established by the ancient Sith Empire and served as a training center for prospective Sith for centuries. However, with the Empire's defeat and retreat, the academy was abandoned.

Under Exar Kun, formalized Sith training was largely absent, as most of his acolytes gained power through possession by Sith spirits, and he himself was personally tutored by Freedon Nadd and self-taught using Sith holocrons and manuscripts.

When Darths Revan and Malak rose to power, they reestablished the Sith academy on Korriban. Employing a system of instructors tutoring multiple students, the academy trained numerous Jedi and Force-sensitives who flocked to Revan's banner in the ways of the Sith. Under Malak's sole rule, the academy remained active, producing new Sith warriors to fuel his vicious war effort.

However, when Malak was killed by the redeemed Revan, the Sith were left without a strong leader to unite them. Turning on each other, they ignited the Sith Civil War, and the Korriban academy became a focal point of the conflict. It was eventually deserted as the fighting moved elsewhere.

When the Sith Triumvirate emerged to fill the power vacuum, the center of Sith training shifted to the Trayus Academy on Malachor V. As these new Sith operated covertly and aimed only to destroy the Jedi, the Academy focused on training Sith assassins rather than an army of Sith Warriors. When the leader of the Triumvirate, Darth Traya, was betrayed by the other two members, Sion and Nihilus, the Sith Order split. They peacefully separated, with Sion retaining control of the Trayus Academy and Nihilus establishing a mobile facility aboard his ship, the Ravager. Both were eventually destroyed by the Jedi Exile.

When the Sith Empire returned and invaded the Republic, they quickly reconquered Korriban and reestablished the academy. Any Force-sensitive individual was sent, willingly or not, to the academy as an acolyte. Groups of acolytes were instructed by a single Overseer and, much like previous incarnations of the academy, attempted to surpass their peers in order to gain the attention of a visiting Sith Lord and become their apprentice. Various trials existed, such as judging prisoners and enduring tests of strength. Students often ventured into the wilderness or explored ancient Sith tombs as part of their training. After the final disappearance of the Sith Empire, the Korriban academy remained abandoned for centuries.

When Darth Desolous rose to power, he reigned as the sole Dark Lord of the Sith and, as far as is known, trained no apprentices.

When Darth Ruin emerged and initiated the Fourth Great Schism, numerous Jedi joined his cause. While his training methods remain unknown, he is known to have raised a massive army of Sith. Although he was eventually assassinated by his followers, the new Sith Empire he established would rise repeatedly to challenge the Jedi and the Republic.

When Lord Kaan rose to power, he led one of the most successful Sith campaigns in history. Reclaiming Korriban, he reestablished the academy. Appointing Lord Qordis as headmaster, Kaan based the academy on a classroom system, with single instructors tutoring as many as twenty students simultaneously.

When Darth Bane reformed the Sith Order after the destruction of the New Sith Empire, he limited their numbers to only two. The reigning Dark Lord would train only a single apprentice, who would eventually succeed him through assassination. This ensured the Sith remained a covert organization and grew increasingly stronger with each generation, as weaker apprentices would simply perish.

This system placed the training of apprentices entirely at the master's discretion. With training focused on a single teacher and student, formalized training programs were abandoned, and masters tailored their techniques to their personal preferences and the student's needs.

For instance, Bane trained his student, Zannah, using the scheduled and repetitive methods employed by the Korriban academy during his time there. Darth Vader, on the other hand, trained his student, Galen Marek, through trials. He provided Marek with only basic skills and then placed him in situations that forced him to improvise and develop independently, allowing Marek to grow without direct guidance. Vader's master, Sidious, trained one of his previous apprentices, Maul, in a similar manner.

When Darth Krayt reformed the Sith Order after the destruction of the Galactic Empire, he reestablished the Korriban academy and returned to the old training methods. He eventually moved the training center to the Temple of the Sith on Coruscant, abandoning the academy once again.

Sith training was once again based on the traditional method of instructors teaching multiple students. In addition to this highly competitive system, the teaching institution itself was a dangerous environment, with combat droids patrolling the halls to keep students alert and instill constant vigilance.