Dark side of the Force

"It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it!"
"It is more powerful than you know..."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul

Those who used the dark side were known as either Darksiders, Dark Side Adepts, or Dark Jedi
when unaffiliated with a dark side organization such as the Sith. Darksiders drew power from
raw emotions and feelings such as anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, fear, aggression, megalomania,
and unrestrained passion.

Nature of the dark side

"Evil is a word used by the ignorant and the weak. The dark side is about survival. It's about
unleashing your inner power. It glorifies the strength of the individual."

―Darth Zannah[src]

The difference between the dark and light sides appear to be in how they feel to those who are
aware of them. The light side at times has been described as a flowing river; soothing, constant,
with hidden strength. In contrast the dark side has been described as a roaring fire; obvious
power, seductive, and potentially dangerous. Darth Revan and Darth Bane have also mentioned
the difference between the two sides of the force. They claimed that while the light side
represented the compassion and tranquility of all beings of the galaxy, the dark side focused on
individual passion and strength. They also mentioned that while the light side is about
maintaining the status quo, the dark side is about change and evolution.

The dark side was seen as having been used for selfish purposes, although many darksiders who
were accused of such selfishness claimed that the dark side was simply a means to achieve an
end. One of the most notable examples was Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi who embraced the dark
side with the intentions of saving his wife after seeing her die in a vision, even at the expense of
the Jedi Order. Many found the dark side to be addictive, unable to resist its pull the more they
were subjected to it. Even as their physical bodies slowly decayed, Dark side users became more
powerful in the force. However, some users like Mara Jade noted that the use of the dark side
was a practical matter, as the power it granted was more efficient when performing destructive
Force powers like telekinesis. Like the light side, the dark side was often treated as though a
semi-sentient entity with purposeful designs.

It has been theorized by some (notably Vergere) that there is no such thing as the dark side but
only malevolent intent in the user, since most dark side users already possessed negative
intentions or else fell victim to the temptations of absolute power and domination. Also Darth
Sidious also hinted that there was truely only one force that was above such things as 'postive
and negative, black and white, good and evil'. He stated that the only difference was that the Jedi
saw the force as a power in itself, while the Sith believed it was a means to power. This theory
was fervently opposed by the Jedi Master Yoda.[6][7] Additionally, Darth Plagueis believed that
there were distinct differences between the energies of the light and dark sides as well as distinct
differences in how one drew upon each.[8]

Allure of the dark side Edit

"That ship is alive with the dark side, Master Yoda. I can feel it clinging to my robes. And worse,
it still tempts me, calling me back with promises of fantastic journeys to the far reaches of the
galaxy."

―Saesee Tiin[src]

The Sith call it enlightenment, however no records explain exactly how a conversion to the dark
side takes place. For some the dark side was extremely attractive and almost impossible to reject.
Every time a person in tune with the Force called on the dark side, they became more and more
addicted to the power it brought them. The dark side's corrupting influence could take control of
a Force-user in certain moments. Although the Jedi primarily characterized the dark side as little
more than a dangerous shortcut to power, those who embraced the dark side did so for various
reasons.[3]

Some believed the dark side to be more generous than the light, as it provided power, strength,
and determination. Many of the original Dark Jedi in the Great Schisms of the Jedi Order held
this idea and believed it foolish of the Jedi to restrict themselves to a lesser interpretation of the
Force. Some fell to the dark side for the sake of knowledge, such as Anakin Skywalker in his
fight to discover a way to save the lives of his wife and children.[3][9]

Some fell to the dark side because of a natural connection with it. In some cases Jedi who had
been limited in their control over the light side, found their power and natural talent massively
stronger in the dark side. Others fell because they saw the light side and the endless rules that the
Jedi demanded to maintain it as too much to follow, as well as to limiting in their influence on
the galaxy.. They saw the dark side and its tenants of free passion, action and emotion as a much
better alternative to a life of sterile servitude under the light. Some also converted because they
felt that the dark side at least got things done, instead of the patience and pacifism of the light.
Among these people were Darth Karrid, Darth Vader and Yuthura Ban.

Others believed that it was a necessary evil in dire times, such as Darth Caedus and Darth Revan,
while Darth Traya embraced it so she might be able to find a way to destroy the Force as a
whole. She also believed that the contrast of the dark side was necessary for a lightsider to truly
understand the Force.[7][10] Some embraced the dark side not out of personal desire, but as a
means to battle the Jedi, as Aurra Sing did.[11] For many, like Darth Talon, Irek Ismaren, Darth
Bane, Vestara Khai, Starkiller, and Mara Jade the dark side was the first side of the Force to
which they were introduced and thus they did not succumb to it.[12][13][14][15][3] Often the call of
the dark side was felt following a personal tragedy, as Shaela Nuur, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and
Anakin Skywalker experienced following the death of loved ones.[16][17][18] Others turned to it in
times of need or distress, such as Exar Kun, Darth Krayt, and Komari Vosa.[19][20][21] In addition,
it was possible to be drawn to the dark side by proximity to a nexus of dark side energy, such as
Malachor V or the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban.[10]

Though their pasts and situations were varied, almost all who turned to the dark side did so
because they faced challenges and difficulties that they felt the light side was incapable of
helping them overcome. The changes these individuals underwent that lead them to the dark side
were clearly a result of their life experiences up to that point.[3]

Corruption of the dark side Edit

"Will I eventually be physically transformed?"
"Into some aged, pale-skinned, raspy-voiced, yellow-eyed monster, you mean. Such as the one
you see before you. Surely you are acquainted with the lore: King Ommin of Onderon, Darths
Sion and Nihilus. But whether it will happen to you, I can't say. Know this, though, Sidious, that
the power of the dark side does not debilitate the practitioner so much as it debilitates those
who lack it. The power of the dark side is an illness no true Sith would ever wish to be cured of."

―Darths Sidious and Plagueis discuss the physical signs of dark side immersion.[src]

Darth Sidious, deformed by decades of immersion in the dark side[22][23][24]

The dark side, much like a strong, addictive narcotic, affected not only the mind of the user but
the appearance as well. As one immersed themselves deeper within the dark side of the Force, its
malevolent power would take a toll on the body. Darth Bane explained that the reason for this
physical degradation was because flesh and bone lacked the endurance to channel the immense
power of the dark side indefinitely. Revan also explained that while the light side and Jedi
teachings were devoted to preventing physical change through the force. The dark side changes
had to be accepted by the Sith, or they would fail due to their attempts at moderation.

Many darksiders experienced a change in the pigmentation of their eyes, as their normal eye
color would transform into a luminous, sulfuric yellow. Often the skin would also lose
pigmentation, becoming pale and mottled while veins became increasingly visible. The hair
would also lose color, making it appear as though the darksider was aging rapidly. The user's
voice would also be altered, becoming a few pitches lower and raspier.[10][9]

The effects generally progressed over time and immersion in the dark side, and would not
immediately affect one's appearance. Darth Tyranus and Galen Marek, for example, did not
suffer any of the physical degeneration of the dark side, and their eyes only assumed the yellow
hue during moments of anger.[25][26] Luke Skywalker suffered none of these effects during his
brief bout of intense anger that allowed him to disarm Darth Vader, nor did Kyle Katarn during
either of the times that he was (at least partially) driven by the dark side against Jerec and later
Desann.[27][28] In contrast, Teneniel Djo, after calling on the dark side to kill a Nightsister in the
Battle of Dathomir, instantly acquired a burst blood vessel in her face, something common to the
Nightsisters.[29] Of those that embraced the dark side, different individuals would experience
different symptoms: Darth Malak, for example, experienced a change in eye color and acquired a
slight pallor, but no other effects that could be explained naturally (although he required a
vocabulator after his jaw was severed).[30] Only those that devoted almost all of their being to the
dark side, such as Darth Sidious, would have their appearance radically altered.[10] It should be
noted that Sidious's most drastic physical alterations occurred during the lightsaber duel with
Jedi Master Mace Windu; Windu having used his own lightsaber to deflect Sidious's Force
lightning causing the uncontrolled energy to radically alter Sidious's physical features.[5] Darth
Caedus had his eyes change hue, but after a year of using the dark side, nothing else had
occurred.

In time, the corruption could go beyond mere cosmetic details and directly impair physical
abilities. King Ommin of Onderon was a proficient Sith sorcerer for most of his life, and the dark
side held him under its decaying influence until he eventually became incapable of movement
and needed support from a cyborg exoskeleton in order to survive. Another extreme case of dark
side corruption was Darth Zash, whose extensive study of the dark side led to immense physical
degradation and eventually a fatal terminal condition. The worst case of this transformation
would be Darth Nihilus, who was completely consumed by the dark side both mentally and
physically. Eventually, he became an aberration of the dark side that existed only to consume
life.[31][10]

The dark side could have an even greater effect on the mind, as the user often stopped trusting
people and become quick to anger. Following Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth
Vader, he believed his wife was plotting to kill him with Obi-Wan Kenobi. His paranoia and
anger lead him to strangle her through the Force. Continued immersion in the dark side could
even result in insanity, as in the case of Dark Jedi Boc Aseca, Alema Rar, and Joruus C'baoth. It
should be noted however, that the individuals who went insane were all disturbed or traumatized
even before their conversion, and the dark side simply exacerbated their conditions.[9][32][33]
Darth Sion used his own pain to preserve his fractured and broken body.

It was possible for these corrupting powers to be potent enough to affect those who were simply
in close proximity to a nexus of dark side energy.[34] Colonel Tobin of Onderon, a man who had
no known sensitivity to the Force, was so affected by the presence of Darth Nihilus and the
Ravager that he fell into madness and exhibited the appearance of one who had immersed
themselves in the dark side.[10]

While the dark side could destroy a body, it was also capable of sustaining one. The hateful,
passionate, determined energies of the dark side were so powerful that it could prevent death for
a body that was far past the point of death for a normal being. King Adas of Korriban survived
for almost three centuries. Darth Sion, who suffered grievously in the Great Sith War and the
Jedi Civil War had the appearance of a walking corpse. His flesh was "cracked and scarred" and
he had "several thousand fractures in his skeleton," according to a Republic medical officer. He
survived through the power of hate, according to Darth Traya, and called upon the dark side to
make him near-immortal. After Darth Maul was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo and
fell down a reactor shaft, he should have died. However his rage and desire for revenge fueled
the dark side to keep himself alive, to the point when he returned twelve years later. However
this severe use of the dark side might have caused his descent into insanity. Darth Vader had his
legs and arms amputated shortly before having his lungs seared as he was burned alive on
Mustafar. His life was saved only after intervention by his master, Darth Sidious, and his dark
side healing abilities. After his transformation into a cyborg, Vader called heavily upon the dark
side to marginalize his wounds so he could again be self-sufficient.[10][35][36]

Fear of the dark side Edit

"Don't threaten me. Children are frightened by spirits—Jedi are not."
"Mmmm. But Jedi are frightened by the dark side…or at least they should be. Your fascination
with the dark side will get you into grave trouble."

―Exar Kun and Freedon Nadd — Listen (file info)[src]

As the dark side was often associated with darker emotions, darksiders were portrayed to the
galaxy as savage and evil. The Jedi Order disagreed so strongly with the purpose of the dark side
of the Force that they distanced themselves from anything possibly related to the dark side. They
also made it part of their mission to neutralize any and all practitioners of the dark side by
whatever means necessary, though killing them was usually a last resort. After the Ruusan
Reformation, the order placed many limitations on Jedi to protect order members from
temptation by dark side influences. For the most part, the Jedi Order forbade members romantic
attachments, relationships with their families, and any type of action based on anger. These
limits came from the belief that those Jedi who had deep personal attachments with loved ones
also had motivation to use the power of the Force selfishly for protection, personal enrichment,
or the pursuit of more power. Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side in large part because then-
Chancellor Palpatine knew of his secret marriage to Padmé Amidala, and he was able to prey
upon that vulnerable emotional connection.[2][5]
Many—especially those who had embraced the dark side—believed this to be a result of fear.
Often those who held this belief looked down upon the Jedi and other lightsiders, criticizing
them for cowardice and inaction.[37] Many Sith and even a fewJedi mocked the Jedi Order for
claiming to strive to understand the force, yet they refused to study everything it had to offer.
They claimed that the Jedi scrutinised over a single layer of the force, while they dug beneath
layer after layer, understanding and evolving. Many Sith Lords have expressed this viewpoint.
Darth Malgus claimed that the Jedi refused to accept that the Force encouraged conflict, allowing
those who survive to understand it better. Darth Sideous claimed that the Sith embraced all
aspects of the force, not just 'the dogmatic view of the Jedi'. And Darth Nox stated that the thing
that united the Sith was that they 'did not repress their emotions, and they embraced everything
that the force allowed'.

As the dark side was often associated with infamous historical figures, such as Exar Kun, Darth
Revan, and Emperor Palpatine, it is unsurprising that many throughout the galaxy would harbor
such animosity to its users. Many expletives were also associated with the dark side, including
"By the Dark Side!", "Chaos take me!", "Holy Sith!, Sith Blood/Spit!, and "Minions of
Xendor!".[10][38]

Death of dark side users Edit

"Too bad we don't have a Dark Jedi handy we could kill. Remember that big blast when C'baoth
died?"

―Mara Jade[src]

Dark energy stems from Darth Nihilus' body as it fades away.

Certain dark side users, upon being killed, would explode in a blast of blue energy. Darth Sidious
exploded in this way in 4 ABY after being thrown down a reactor core shaft in the second Death
Star by a redeemed Anakin Skywalker. In 9 ABY, Joruus C'baoth also exploded in a blast of blue
energy after being stabbed by Mara Jade's lightsaber. Darth Nihilus and Dark Jedi Jerec did not
explode, but rather dissolved into dark side energy upon their death, leaving no remains of their
bodies. It remains a mystery why these individuals died in this manner while other dark side
users, such as Darth Tyranus, did not.[27][39][10][32][5]

Mysteriously, when Shaak Ti was struck down by Galen Marek and thrown into the mouth of a
giant sarlacc, she died in a way similar to the explosions mentioned above, but was in no way a
dark side user. The reason her death occurred in the manner it did has yet to be clarified. It may
be that this occurred when a more powerful Force-user was killed and thus Force "side"
affiliation may be irrelevant.[40]

The Four Stages of the dark side Edit

"To those of you who believe they are immune to any of these stages…I say you are already
victim to the dark side's seductive tendrils, and urge you to listen as you have never listened
before."

―Tolaris Shim[src]

The Four Stages of the Dark Side was a thesis presented by the Jedi Master Tolaris Shim that
outlined her beliefs on what constitutes a complete fall to the dark side. Based on the events
surrounding the fall of Ulic Qel-Droma, Master Shim studied deep into the histories of those Jedi
whose personal motivations drove them to the dark side for one reason or another. Sometime
shortly after the end of the Great Sith War, Master Shim presented her findings to the Jedi
assembly. These findings would be the standard by which Masters identified the signs of one's
potential corruption by the dark side.[3]

Stage 1: Temptation Edit

"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the
dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must
embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. Only through me can you
achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, and you will be
able to save your wife from certain death."

―Darth Sidious to Anakin Skywalker[src]

Exar Kun being tempted by Freedon Nadd

Tolaris Shim believed that because a Jedi was in tune with the Force and could use it to whatever
ends they saw fit, situations would arise that tempted the Jedi toward selfish applications of the
Force. Rushing to help friends, facing obvious perils, and ending disputes quickly were all acts
of haste that according to Master Shim would result in steps onto the dark path should the
individual act first and contemplate later.[3]
Knights like the charismatic Exar Kun were less "honor-bound." Intrigued with tales of the dark
side told by Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, Kun was easily seduced by what he perceived as
unrestrained power—power that was his for the taking.[41]

Stage 2: Imperilment Edit

"Like you, he believed the dark side could be conquered from within. Such was not to be. The
dark side seduced him utterly…and anger became his path!"

―Odan-Urr, warning Ulic Qel-Droma[src]

According to Master Shim, a hasty, indecisive Jedi can be quite a catastrophe to themselves.
Also, any Jedi who believes that a "shortcut" through the path of the dark side will be lined with
signs redirecting him back toward the light is only deluding himself. Shim felt that a Jedi cannot
be blinded by the idea of doing what they perceive to be right, by any means necessary. She also
believed that if one accepts the darkness by which they are surrounded as a means to power, then
the next stage has no bearing on their concerns. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was conflicted in
this manner. To save his wife from impending death, Skywalker believed that he could do so
through the power of the dark side, while remaining uncorrupted by it. Because he accepted the
dark side as the power necessary to bring about good, he was completely given over to it. He too,
like Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma before him, succumbed fully to the power of the dark side,
yet as Darth Vader, Anakin did not realize that he may have had to turn in order to bring balance
to the Force.[3][9][41]
Stage 3: Submission Edit

Darth Vader is born.

"To cheat death is a power only one has achieved. But if we work together, I know we can
discover the secret."
"I pledge myself…to your teachings."
"Good…Good. The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you
shall be known as Darth…Vader."

―Darth Sidious anoints Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader[src]

Master Shim believed that once a Jedi accepts the dark path, the end justifying the means
becomes irrelevant. Situations like attempting to destroy the Sith through infiltration, or trying to
save loved ones from death have caused several famous Jedi to explain away their actions based
on the desired outcomes. At this point, their fall to the dark side is nearly complete.[3][5]

On occasion, Jedi who wander away from the light suddenly become aware of their poor
decisions. According to Master Shim, these Jedi are not so far beyond redemption. Jedi Master
Atris, having succumbed to the dark side influence of Sith holocrons in her possession, was
restored to the light following a fierce confrontation with the Jedi Exile. Some Jedi, such as Exar
Kun, found the power of the dark side intoxicating and so fully surrendered themselves to it. To
Master Shim, these individuals are no longer orthodox Jedi but twisted perversions of their
former selves. It is then the responsibility of the Jedi to either bring the dissenter back into the
fold, or eliminate them.[3][10][41]

Stage 4: Redemption/Atonement Edit

"The Dark Lord Revan is dead. I am a servant of the light now."

―Revan[src]

Tolaris believed that a Jedi who is only slightly tainted by the dark side could atone for their
actions through meditation, reflection, and absolution. She also believed that a Dark Jedi was
beyond atonement, and therefore only eligible for redemption. According to Master Shim, a
redeemed Jedi is one who has performed a selfless act of heroism without using the dark side to
obtain results. Such acts include saving the life of another through completely selfless action
(such as Darth Vader saving his son from death by destroying Emperor Palpatine), or helping to
right a wrong one has helped to create (such as Ulic Qel-Droma assisting in the defeat of Exar
Kun). This happens from time to time, but on many occasions Dark Jedi were beyond
redemption, some outright refusing to be returned to the light side. To this effect Master Shim
noted that a Dark Jedi who does not want to relinquish his powers cannot be saved.[3][27][42]

While pondering the ideas behind Master Shim's dissertation, Tionne Solusar was interested in
how Tolaris would view certain Jedi of more recent times, Jedi who were corrupted, restored,
and believed redeemed by their colleagues. Tionne provided an account of the dark side journeys
of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Kyp Durron, but Tolaris' interactive holorecording
passed the same judgments on all three: that any Jedi who kills innocents while under the
influence of the dark side cannot be redeemed.[3]

Manifestations of the dark side Edit

"There are spots where continued dark-side use for ages, or the presence of creatures instilled
with that energy, can cause the places themselves to radiate with the power of the dark side."

―Luke Skywalker[src]

The Well of the Dark Side on Mortis

The dark side was known to manifest itself in many different ways, even in the absence of life,
which was the supposed source of the Force. Locations where the dark side ran strong were
sometimes called dark side nexuses, and could be the result of many different occurrences. These
locations were so potent that they could imbue nearby objects with a dark side aura.[43]

The Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban became a nexus of dark side power as a result of the
long-term presence of the Sith, as well as their lingering spirits. The tombs within the Valley
were especially saturated with dark side energy, causing the relics within to have a permanent
dark side aura. Within these tombs, as well as Freedon Nadd's on Dxun, the dark side was known
to coagulate into visible pools of energy. These pools would tempt passersby to bathe in the dark
energies, pulling them closer to the dark side.[10]

Other dark side nexuses include the planet Vjun, which was the result of horrors attributed to the
widespread insanity that gripped the planet in 29 BBY. After research into Midi-chlorian
manipulation resulted in their madness, the populace of Vjun proceeded to slaughter one another,
tainting the planet. Byss became a dark side nexus due to the presence of the clones of Darth
Sidious and his alchemical experimentations. Jedi Master Yoda used the Dark Side Cave on
Dagobah to test Luke Skywalker, as the dark energies would produce visions of possible dark
futures.[44][45][46]

The dark side could also center itself around people and objects. The Sith Lord Darth Sidious
was so powerful in the dark side that a nexus of darkness followed him wherever he went. Darth
Vader was also known to exude a similar aura. Indeed this was true for many Dark Lords, such
as Darth Malak, whose dark energy was felt by Bastila Shan as he approached the Leviathan.
Sith artifacts carried with them potent dark power as well, such as Sith holocrons and the Scepter
of Ragnos.[45][30][47][48]

Wounds in the Force Edit

"When you returned to us, we saw what had happened. You carry all those deaths at Malachor
within you, and it has left a hole, a hunger that cannot be filled."

―Vrook Lamar on the Jedi Exile[src]

Darth Nihilus, a wound in the Force

A wound in the Force was the result of a massive and sudden loss of life. As the Force is derived
from life, it would become traumatized and wounded, affecting the places and people involved.
The wound would never heal, and always hunger for life to fill the hole where life once existed.
Such wounds could cause great harm to any life that came in contact, corrupting it or devouring
it. Proximity to these wounds could often cause a rapid fall to the dark side or worse. Well
known Force wounds included Malachor V, the Jedi Exile, and Darth Nihilus.[10]

Malachor V was once an agricultural world in the possession of the old Sith Empire. During the
Mandalorian Wars, Jedi General Revan massed his fleet of Republic warships over the planet,
which was a taboo world for the Mandalorians. Unable to resist battle, the Mandalorian fleet
attacked, and fought savagely. However, the Jedi General in charge of the Mass Shadow
Generator, a superweapon designed by Bao-Dur, gave the order to activate it, crushing both
fleets in the gravitational forces of the planet, and sending thousands of vessels crashing into the
surface of the planet. The world's crust shattered, leaving a dead planetoid floating in space,
surrounded by wreckage.[10]

The same Jedi General, unable to bear experiencing thousands of deaths through the Force—
deaths that she caused—shut herself off from the Force, and thus created a wound within herself.
When later standing trial before the Jedi Council, the Masters would comment on how empty she
felt, as if they were staring into the death of the Force.[10]

Darth Nihilus, yet another product of Malachor, would become such a powerful wound that the
dark side would completely devour his mind and body. He would roam the galaxy, hunting Jedi
and other Force-sensitives to feed on. He was able to wipe all life off the planet of Katarr, and
cause anyone in close proximity to him to be slowly drained of life. His constant pursuit of
Force-sensitives to consume earned him the title "Lord of Hunger".[10]

Force wounds like Malachor V could also be used to break the will of Jedi, corrupting them and
turning them to the dark side. Revan's widespread use of this technique was one of the primary
reasons he was able to amass such an enormous army of dark siders so quickly, as virtually all of
them were former Jedi that he had corrupted.[10]

Strength of the dark side Edit

"It has been said that anyone who knows the ways of the Force can set her- or himself up as a
King on any world where only she or he knows the ways of the Force. Any Jedi could do this. But
the Jedi, fools that they are, adhere to a religion in which the Force is used only in the service of
others. How shortsighted of them. Is that not why they lost the galaxy to the dark side?"

―Palpatine, in The Weakness of Inferiors[src]

One of the most powerful dark side techniques, Force storm

A common point of debate among Jedi and their dark counterparts was the strength that laid
behind the dark side. A major claim of darksiders was that the stronger, darker emotions that
fueled their power also lent them an edge over other Force users. The Jedi, and other groups who
held to the light often claimed that the dark side was a shortcut to power, but also to suffering
and destruction. It is true that many darksiders noticeably advanced in their command of the
Force following their conversion, like Darth Caedus. Many were in fact capable of incredible
feats of destruction, such as causing stars to go supernova, the Devastation of Katarr and Force
storms, powers that seemed incomprehensible for a single being to wield.[3][49][50][10][45] The Sith
often claimed that the Jedi were weak and foolish for not tapping into the dark side, which they
considered to be the stronger side of the Force. While the dark side did provide for a more visual
display of power, such as Force Storms, the Jedi were capable of the same amount of power, but
could not apply it in such terrible, destructive ways. However, these powers came with a price.
Abilities such as Force storm and the unique variant of Force drain employed by Darth Nihilus
required extraordinary immersion in the dark side, and the practitioners of such dark powers
invariably suffered terrible physical degradation. Darth Sidious for example aged very poorly as
the dark side consumed him from within. When Sidious returned from his death at the hands of
Anakin Skywalker, his power in the dark side was seen to be so potent that the cloned bodies he
inhabited were quickly consumed by the simple act of housing Sidious's spirit. His incredible
power, combined with the fact that the clones were not as suitable for housing his essence as his
original body had been, meant he had to transfer his spirit into fresh clones very frequently.
Darth Nihilus presented what was perhaps the most extreme example of this issue. As his power
grew, he became so consumed by the dark side that his physical form was eventually destroyed,
forcing him to encase his spirit in his armor.
Conversely, while the dark side could provide it's practitioners with destructive capabilities
beyond that of light side practitioners, it fell short of the light side when it came to biologically
sustainable healing. While the dark side could be used to improve one's vitality and repair one's
body as the light side could, the results of utilizing the dark side in such a manner were almost
always temporary. Nearly all dark side based healing based powers worked only so long as the
practitioner actively channeled the dark side, and whatever malady the power was meant to treat
often returned in full force the moment they ceased to do so. Darth Bane's and Darth Vader's use
of dark side healing abilities present a few good examples. In Bane's case, while he was at one
point able to hold off the effects of a deadly poison by strengthening himself through the pain
and suffering of others, he still required the assistance of the healer Caleb to actually cure
himself.[14] Vader was capable of using the dark side to heal the necrotic and useless tissue of his
lungs to the point where he could operate in standard atmospheric conditions, but he had to
maintain intense concentration on the dark side to do so. If his hate abated or his concentration
slipped, his lungs returned to their injured state.[35] The case of Darth Sion presents the most
extreme usage of this power, with both it's greatest strengths and weaknesses showcased
perfectly. Sion was capable of using the dark side to hold his broken, clinically dead body
together by feeding off the extreme pain that such an existence constantly caused him. This pain
fueled his rage, and as such his strength in the dark side, which permitted him to hold his body
together through increasingly violent traumas. If near to a dark side nexus like Malachor V, he
became essentially unstoppable. However, the instant he was convinced to let go of his hate and
anger by Meetra Surik, his body gave out and he died.[10] The light side, on the other hand, could
provide accelerated healing in a permanent, biologically sustainable fashion. However, there are
a few dark side practitioners who have demonstrated the ability to heal themselves in a more
permanent fashion. Count Dooku, for instance, was able to purge his body of a deadly biological
weapon during a negotiation with Jango Fett after the latter attempted to use it to extort him.
Darth Plagueis was able to use his midichlorian manipulation technique to permanently
regenerate nearly all of the wounds he sustained at the hands of Maladian assassins, even
decades after the incident. However, Plagueis was the only known user of this ability, which did
not use the energies of the dark side to directly heal the subject in any case. [8] Additionally, it is
not known whether Dooku utilized the dark side specifically to heal himself, or if he drew on his
Jedi knowledge to do so.[51]

It was also noted by Jedi Master Yoda that the dark side was quick to aid a Force-user in combat,
often to great effect. Asajj Ventress, a young Dark Jedi, was able to fend off three Jedi, kill one,
and pull another to the dark side during the Deception on Ruul. During her rescue of Viceroy
Nute Gunray from Republic custody, Ventress was able to kill numerous clone troopers, cripple
the Tranquility, and escape both Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano. Darth Sidious called upon
the dark side and was able to quickly slay three Jedi Council members and persuade Anakin
Skywalker to assist him in killing the fourth. Skywalker himself, as Darth Vader, was able to kill
many Jedi single-handedly during Operation: Knightfall and the subsequent Great Jedi Purge.
Luke Skywalker utilized the power of the dark side to defeat Darth Vader during their final duel,
drawing on his rage to bolster his combat effectiveness for a short time. Jacen Solo, after his
transformation into Darth Caedus, proved able to essentially stalemate Grand Master Luke
Skywalker during a lightsaber duel, despite Skywalker's overwhelming power in the Force. The
combat prowess exhibited by these individuals may have been the result of a lack of moral
restrictions darksiders placed on themselves. When in battle, however, the dark side itself lent to
their ferocity and determination.[46][52][53][5][54][27][55]

One weakness that apparently lay in the dark side, which could be seen as giving the Jedi the
upper hand, was the strife inescapably associated with it. The Sith Lords could never ultimately
destroy their foes because they were bound to, sooner or later, turn upon each other, with each
one constantly striving for more power at the expense of others, and seeking to dominate
everything around him. This flaw became particularly pronounced if there was no reigning Dark
Lord to keep the lesser ones in check. The Rule of Two, introduced by Darth Bane, drastically
limited the number of true Sith in an attempt to turn this weakness into a strength.[14] However,
this too caused problems due to two possibilities it failed to make note of:

First, Bane never accounted for the possibility of a failed apprentice's training taking up most of
the master's lifespan, precluding the training of a new pupil. Bane himself scrambled to attain
immortality and buy more time to train another apprentice when he believed Darth Zannah to be
a failure. In this case, Bane's fears were unfounded, as she successfully killed him shortly
thereafter, though it did highlight this primary problem with the Rule of Two. As demonstrated
by Darth Tenebrous, a Sith Master of Bane's Order could circumvent this problem by
concurrently training two apprentices in secret, though this was rarely done. [8] Secondly, the
possibility of one of the two Sith Lords converting to the light side and killing the other was
never considered. This was seen in the life of Darth Gravid, who turned to the light side and
destroyed several Sith artifacts and treasures before his apprentice killed him. This particular
problem also brought an end to the original incarnation of the Order of the Sith Lords when
Darth Vader renounced the dark side and killed his Master, Darth Sidious. An additional flaw
with the Rule of Two was that Bane created it in the hopes that each Sith Master would be forced
to kill their master to claim the title. Bane hoped this would ensure that each generation of Sith
was stronger then the last. However the rule was flawed in that many Sith apprentices killed their
master's through trickery or ambush, rather then a direct challenge. Also unlike previous Dark
Lords, who fought hundreds of potential rivals for their power. The Rule of Two made it so that
each Dark Lord claimed the title simply because they were the only candidate. For these reasons,
the Rule of Two was abolished by the One Sith.[56][27][57]

Another fatal weakness that has been repeatedly illustrated in the dark side is a lack of focus that
seems to stem from a reliance on emotions such as pride, anger, and fear, which heighten powers
but also lead to clouded judgment. This issue often leads to darksiders being brought low by their
hubris, even in situations where victory would otherwise seem assured. For example, Obi-Wan
Kenobi defeated both Darth Maul and Darth Vader, despite the fact that he was the less viable
combatant in both situations. Darth Malak was similarly defeated by Revan during their final
duel despite drawing on the massive dark power of the Star Forge (though Revan may have
simply been more powerful than Malak even when taking the Star Forge's energies into account).
Count Dooku felt threatened by Anakin Skywalker and allowed his pride to blind him to
Skywalker's true power, leading to Dooku's demise.[5][30][9] As such, it would seem that the dark
side may offer it's adherents a more tangible sort of power: one that is direct and physical, while
the light side provides a more subtle kind of power, that of focus and understanding. To their
detriment, the power of the light side is one which darksiders often fail to understand and tend to
underestimate.[2]
However, this weakness was not absolute, and it was indeed possible to wield the dark side
without succumbing to one's own pride or rage. In a manuscript entitled The Book of Anger,
Darth Sidious stated that while he believed that anger was the most potent catalyst for drawing
on the destructive energies of the dark side, he realized that it could impair one's judgment. As
such, he cautioned that keeping one's anger under control was vital to mastering the dark side,
emphasizing that a strong will and high levels of intelligence were needed to exercise this
control.[58] In keeping with this sort of philosophy, advanced practitioners of the dark side could,
even in the heat of combat, keep their emotions in check as their Jedi counterparts could. Darth
Vader was a prime example of a darksider with this capability.[34]

It also should be noted that the training methods of darksiders were often brutal, as exemplified
by the Sith. One common result of this tendency was that the weaker darksiders often died before
ever getting the chance to fight a Jedi, which may help to explain their high success rate against
Jedi–more weak Jedi survived their training to fight the strongest of the Sith. Despite this
disparity, the followers of the light proved victorious in the majority of large scale conflicts with
dark side adherents.[14][54] This trend was due almost exclusively due to the infighting that
inevitably occurred between the various darksiders during said conflicts. However the Jedi were
not always victorious in their war against the Sith. A number of times the Jedi Order has been
defeated in galactic conflict, such as the Great Galactic War against the reconstituted Sith
Empire. Also the Jedi Order and the Republic has been brought to the brink of destruction on at
least three occasions, such as the Jedi Civil War aftermarth, the Jedi Purge of Palpatine and later
of Darth Krayt.

Dark side powers Edit

Main article: Force power

Sufferers of Force lightning

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be…unnatural."

―Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, to Anakin Skywalker[src]

Those who wielded the dark side found many abilities of the Force easier to use, with some
Force powers available only to Dark Jedi. Light side Jedi could use some dark side abilities, but
most preferred not to since dark side abilities had aggressive, destructive, or perversely
manipulative tendencies. Luke Skywalker, for example, used Force Choke at Jabba's Palace,
which was almost unheard of for a Jedi to use, unless unarmed. Luke was also known to use
Force lightning, one of the dark side's most iconic abilities.[2][27][59] The powers commonly
associated with the dark side of the Force as listed below are:

 Consume Essence
 Deadly Sight
 Enhance Force Sensitivity
 Force corrupt
 Force lightning
 Force choke
 Force crush
 Force drain
 Force Destruction
 Force phantom
 Force net
 Force shadow
 Force Slow
 Force insanity
 Force scream
 Force rage
 Thought bomb
 Memory Walk
 Darkshear
 Transfer essence
 Midi-chlorian manipulation
 Sith Emperor's ritual

Powers of the Sith Edit

Main articles: Sith alchemy and Sith magic

"A rare few have a natural affinity for the dark side itself. They can delve into the depths of the
Force and summon arcane energies to twist and warp the world around them. They can invoke
ancient rituals of the Sith; they can invoke power and unleash terrible spells and dark magics."

―Darth Bane, on Sith sorcery[src]

A malevolent Force ghost

As the Sith were a cult not only devoted to the dark side, but the accumulation of power by way
of the dark side, many dark side powers were known exclusively to them. Their ancient and
infamous practices of Sith alchemy allowed for the creation of monsters and other terrors, while
Sith magic focused more on mental manipulations and physical manifestations of the dark
side.[3][60]

Sith Alchemy was the source of monsters and other creatures that terrorized the galaxy for
millennia. Pioneered by some of the first Dark Jedi to leave the Jedi Order, such as XoXaan,
Karness Muur, and Ajunta Pall, Sith Alchemy resulted in the creation of the Behemoth from the
World Below, Leviathan monsters, battle hydras, rakghouls, and Sith war behemoths. This
ancient knowledge was later used to create the Technobeast, monsters that brought Belia Darzu
to fame and characterized the Sictis Wars. Exar Kun was also a master of this power, using it to
mutate the remaining Massassi warriors on Yavin 4 and create the terentatek. Thousands of years
later, Darth Plagueis mastered this ability and was able to create life. His apprentice, Darth
Sidious, was also extremely proficient in Sith Alchemy, creating the Chrysalide and authoring
The Creation of Monsters, the third manuscript of the Dark Side Compendium.[3][61][5]

Sith Magic was used throughout the ages as a way to manipulate and intimidate opponents.
Unlike regular Force powers, Sith Magic required incantations, rituals, or specific hand gestures,
and the individual powers were referred to as "spells". These spells were often employed to
create illusions, used to confuse or attack an enemy. Aleema Keto was extremely capable in this
aspect, and used it to create an entire herd of space grazers to attack a Republic fleet at Koros
Major. Zannah was also a practitioner of Sith Magic, and often summoned her victims' worst
fears to torture them. Sith magic also involved the use of amulets and talismans to enhance the
power of the caster. Sith magic may have been involved in the creation of the Muur Talisman,
which housed the spirit of Karness Muur for many millennia. This magic also aided in the
summoning of ancient dark side spirits, such as Freedon Nadd's ghost.[50][62][63][64][60]
Dark side organizations Edit

Dark Jedi Edit

Main article: Dark Jedi

The oldest dark side cult, Dark Jedi were considered dangerous heretics by the orthodox Jedi of
the time for giving in to the dark side of the Force. However, the earliest Dark Jedi left the order
not out of a desire for power, but because they believed that the Jedi Code was too limiting in its
tenets. The earliest of these individuals organized themselves into the Legions of Lettow, formed
by ex-Jedi Xendor. The Legions were exterminated by the Jedi Order 500 years after the
formation of the Republic. Millennia later, the Dark Jedi arose again to fight the order in the
Hundred-Year Darkness, armed with alchemic knowledge this time. The conflict ensued for a
full century, resulting in the last of them becoming exiles of the Holy Order. A second
resurgence occurred when a gang of Dark Jedi attempted to gain control of an ancient
superweapon called the Cosmic Turbine. The incident resulted in the destruction of the Vultar
system. During the Jedi Civil War, Dark Jedi joined Revan's empire as Sith-in-training.
Throughout the post-Ruusan galaxy, Dark Jedi continued to be a problem, some trying to claim
themselves as Sith, though they were merely pretenders seeking greater power. The true Sith
made their presence known hundreds of years later, though the pretenders continued their claims.
A group of Dark Jedi, called the Dark Acolytes, served the Order of the Sith Lords during the
Clone Wars as a counter to the Jedi Order. An amalgamation of Dark Jedi, called the Dark Side
Adepts, served the same Sith Order as the replacement of the Jedi during the reign of the
Galactic Empire. Dark Jedi would later serve Lumiya's Sith in Lord Caedus's takeover of the
Galactic Alliance.[2][3][30][37][33][13] During the Galactic Empire's era, a group of Darksiders from
Byss, loyal to the Empire, intended to integrate their Guard's ranks.

The Sith Edit

Main article: Sith

"Those who use the dark side are also bound to serve it. To understand this is to understand the
underlying philosophy of the Sith."
 ―Darth Revan's holocron[src]

The most infamous dark side cult, the Sith were a sect of Force-sensitives bent upon the
destruction of the Jedi and domination of the galaxy. Originally a species native to the planet
Korriban, the cult was formed from the Dark Jedi survivors of the Hundred-Year Darkness.
Following their exile from known space, these Dark Jedi landed upon the uncharted world and
were worshiped by the Sith species for their powers and "magic". They were proclaimed the
Lords of the Sith, and established an expanding Empire. The Empire would eventually fall but
the Sith religion would survive, taking on numerous forms over the years. These included the
Sith Triumvirate, the Order of the Sith Lords, and the One Sith.[3][14][65]

The Sith were also seen as the masters of the dark side, and the pinnacle of dark side power.
They perfected the art of dark side mutations, allowing for the use of Sith alchemy and other Sith
magic. The leader of the cult, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was considered the embodiment of the
dark side itself, and all power of the dark side would flow from them.[3][14]

With such great influence, the Sith religion inspired many cults that weren't technically part of
the Sith Order, nor were they composed of actual Sith. Instead, they were founded and made up
of Sith devotees and other Force-sensitives dedicated to prolonging the teachings and the
memory of the Sith. Such cults included the Naddists, the Disciples of Ragnos, Revanites, and
the Krath, all of whom sought the annihilation of the Jedi and the rise of the Sith to ultimate
domination over the entire galaxy.[60][47][50]

Infinite Empire Edit

Main article: Infinite Empire

The Infinite Empire, established by the Rakata of Lehon, was the earliest known galactic
government. The Rakata were finally able to traverse the galaxy following their invention of the
hyperdrive, which utilized the power of the Force. When exploring the stars, they came across
several more primitive species, and saw this as an opportunity for domination rather than galactic
cooperation. The Rakata conquered many planets and enslaved their native species, including the
Duros, Kumumgah, Selkath, Wookiees and Humans. Their influence and reach seemed infinite
and their temples could be found on planets such as Honoghr all the way into the Clone Wars.
They taught the Sith King Adas to create holocrons and attempted to usurp his control of the
planet Korriban. Although they were driven off-world, the battle resulted in the death of Adas,
who had once seemed invincible. The Rakata also had great influence on the natural history of
the galaxy, being the cause of the Wroshyr Trees and other massive flora on Kashyyyk, as well
as the Tusken Raiders and Jawas of Tatooine (their violent response to the Kumumgah rebellion
caused a deviation of the species and the transformation of Tatooine into a desert world).[1][30]

At the pinnacle of their power, the Rakata created the Star Forge, a massive space station-factory
that fed off the power of the dark side and churned out fleets of warships and war droids. The
Star Forge further corrupted its builders and the Empire began to fracture, straining from huge
slave revolts and a plague that killed only the Rakata. Soon the plague robbed them of their
sensitivity to the Force and the Infinite Empire crumbled. After retreating to their homeworld,
their relics were left throughout the galaxy for a future conqueror to find.[30]

Prophets of the Dark Side Edit

Main article: Prophets of the Dark Side

The Prophets of the Dark Side were the leaders and clergymen of the Dark Force religion,
which was founded by renegade Sith Lord Darth Millennial on Dromund Kaas. Headquartered in
the Dark Force Temple on Dromund Kaas, the Prophets searched deep into the dark side of the
Force in order to divine future events. The group was discovered by Palpatine before the Clone
Wars and made subservient to him and his future Empire. The Sith Lord installed Kadann as
Supreme Prophet, and titled his new servants as the Emperor's Mages. The group became
extremely influential following the rise of the Galactic Empire and served as close advisors to
Palpatine.[31]

However, the Prophets splintered as a result of their closeness to Palpatine, with some remaining
loyal to him and the Empire and others joining Kadann on Bosthirda. The schism occurred after
Palpatine dismissed Kadann's visions of the Battle of Endor and the Emperor, along with
Imperial Intelligence and several renegade Prophets, created the propaganda religion, the Church
of the Dark Side, in direct response. Following Palpatine's death at Endor, former Emperor's
Hand Lumiya became the Dark Lady of the Sith. She, along with her apprentice, Carnor Jax
wished to eliminate the remaining Prophets, and sent Azrakel to slaughter them on Bosthirda.[31]

Bando Gora Edit

Main article: Bando Gora

The Bando Gora were a cult of dark side worshippers who terrorized the Outer Rim Territories
in the time around the Battle of Naboo. Eventually they launched an onslaught against the planet
Baltizaar, and were on the verge of victory when the Republic requested aid from the Jedi. A
task force soon arrived on planet, but the Jedi mission was ultimately a failure.

During the fighting two Jedi were killed and the Bando Gora was able to capture three Jedi as
prisoners of war. One of the hostages was Komari Vosa, the Padawan of Jedi Master Dooku who
had just been passed over for knighthood. Already on the dark path following her rejection, Vosa
succumbed to the dark side during her torture in captivity. She was able to free herself and kill
her captors and fellow Jedi captives, gaining control of the Bando Gora. Making her
headquarters on the graveyard moon of Kohlma, Vosa set into action a plan for galactic
domination. She would use one of the galaxy's most popular narcotics, death sticks, to brainwash
beings into devotion to the cult. Unfortunately for Vosa, the Bando Gora caught the attention of
Darth Sidious, who saw the cult as a threat to his plan for galactic domination. His apprentice,
Darth Tyranus, the new identity of Vosa's former master, put a bounty on her head. The bounty
hunter Jango Fett was able to defeat Vosa and destroy the Bando Gora, thus proving himself
worthy to be the Prime clone of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Nightsisters Edit

Main article: Nightsisters

The Witches of Dathomir were Force-sensitive women who organized themselves into clans on
the planet Dathomir. Although there were many different clans with different rules and laws, all
of the laws forbade the use of the dark side. Those who utilized the dark side of the Force were
banished from their clans, sent into exile in the wilds of Dathomir. In the waning days of the Old
Republic, two exiles, Gethzerion and Baritha began to gather other outcasts to form a new clan
of Witches devoted to the dark side. This new clan would come to be known as the Nightsisters,
a feared sect of female warriors and sorceresses.

Nightsisters in the galaxy were a rarity, as it was unlikely for any to be able to obtain passage off
Dathomir, however it was not unheard of. Mighella served Black Sun Vigo Alexi Garyn as a
bodyguard, Charal was able to make her way to Endor, and several sisters allied themselves with
the CIS during the Clone Wars. During the reign of the Empire, Gethzerion allied herself with
Palpatine, in hopes to attain transport off Dathomir. Palpatine, fearing her power, wouldn't allow
her or any other Nightsisters to escape the planet, and so began to imprison the witches and
quarantine the planet. Although many escaped their prisons, none were able to escape the planet
following the blockade. Gethzerion later tried to broker a deal with Imperial Warlord Zsinj,
although he double crossed her, resulting in the destruction of the clan.

This would not be the end of the Nightsisters, however, as Tamith Kai would recreate the group
around 23 ABY. Many of these Sisters joined the Shadow Academy, while one became a Sith.

Sorcerers of Tund Edit

Main article: Sorcerers of Tund

The Sorcerers of Tund were a sect of Force-sensitives on the planet Tund who were descended
from Sith mages banished there. The mages were under the belief that all sentient beings were
Force-sensitive, as the only other species they had come into contact with as of yet were the
Rakata of the Infinite Empire. The Sorcerers rarely left Tund and were recognizable by their all-
concealing outfits. They called the Force the "Unity," and although they had contact with the
Jedi, they refused to join their order. Their explorations of the Force were known to drive them
to madness, but their mastery of Force "magic" was undeniable, as seen in their ability to create
intricate illusions and shapeshift.

Eventually the sorcerers came under the leadership of Karnak Tetsu, who unleashed a reign of
terror following the Great Sith War. Following this, the Jedi took it as their responsibility to
ensure that the sorcerers didn't descend into darkness, however they were forced to abandon their
vigil during the Republic's twilight. Rokur Gepta was able to join the group, learn their secrets,
and then destroy them, becoming the last of the Sorcerers.

Jedi Code

"A Jedi shall not know anger. A Jedi shall not know hatred. A Jedi shall not know love. There is
no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there
is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force."

If you destroy the holograms, it becomes:

"A Jedi shall know anger. A Jedi shall hate. Knowledge is passion. Death is the Force."

Rules for Jedi Behavior

 Self Discipline
o Conquer Arrogance
o Conquer Overconfidence
o Conquer Defeatism
o Conquer Stubbornness
o Conquer Recklessness
o Conquer Curiosity
o Conquer Aggression
o Conquer External Loyalties
o Conquer Materialism
 Responsibility
o Practice Honesty
o Honor Your Promise
o Honor Your Padawan
o Honor Your Master
o Honor the Jedi Council
o Honor the Jedi Order
o Honor the Law
 o Honor Life
 Public Service
o Duty to the Republic
o Render Aid
o Defend the Weak
o Provide Support

The Force

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living
things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi —

The Force was a metaphysical, spiritual, binding, omnipotent and ubiquitous power that held
enormous importance for both the Jedi and Sith monastic orders. Known as the Way in ancient
times, the Force was viewed in many different aspects, including, but not limited to, the light
side, the dark side, the Unifying Force, and the Living Force. The first two aspects were
concerned with the moral compass of the Force, as manifested by the conduct and emotions of
living creatures who were themselves part of the fabric of the Force. The light side of the Force
was the facet aligned with compassion, selflessness, self-knowledge and enlightenment, healing,
mercy and benevolence, while the dark side of the Force was the element aligned with hatred,
fear, covetousness, anger, aggression, jealousy and malevolence. The latter two aspects were
defined by prominent Jedi philosophies: The Unifying Force essentially embraced space and
time in its entirety while the Living Force dealt with the energy of living things. Though the
Force was categorized in this way, there were no specific abilities or powers that were only
usable by a follower of a particular path of the Force; the Force partially existed inside the life
forms that used it, and drew energy from their emotions.

Some beings, particularly the Sith, believed that the dark side of the Force was more powerful
than the light, though it was possible that the dark side was just more tempting to those who used
it (or desired to use it). Others thought of the Force as an entity capable of intelligent thought,
almost as a sort of deity. Anakin Skywalker, who was believed to have been conceived by the
Force itself, may have shared this belief; if this was indeed the case, it would add credence
towards the view of the Force as a sentient entity. Though the Force was thought to flow through
every living thing, its power could only be harnessed by beings described as "Force-sensitive."
This Force-sensitivity was correlated with, and sometimes attributed to, a high count of internal
microorganisms called midi-chlorians that were found in a Force-sensitive's blood: the higher the
count, the greater the being's potential Force ability, though there were some exceptions to this
rule. Force-sensitive beings were able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and
agility as well as control and shape the world around them. Sometimes this ability was described
as having a strong Force "aura".

Contents
[show]

Early history Edit

In 36,453 BBY, philosophers and scientists from several Star systems gathered on Tython to
share mystical knowledge. The Force was "discovered." Unfortunately, in 25,793 BBY, several
Tythan scholars began using their knowledge of the Force to pursue power, leading to the
beginning of the Force Wars. Peace-minded monks that survived the destruction on Tython
established the Jedi Order in 25,783 BBY.

Two aspects of the Force Edit

Main article: Living Force

Main article: Unifying Force

"The ways of the Living Force are beyond our understanding… But fear not. You are in the hands
of something much greater and much better than you can imagine."

―Qui-Gon Jinn[src]

A Jedi guided by a ghost as made manifest through the Unifying Force.

The grandiose nature of the Force made it quite difficult to study as a whole; a student could
easily become lost in its depths or flounder with the shallows trying too eagerly to focus on a
speck in the void. To remedy this situation, the Force had long been broken down into two
aspects: the Living and the Unifying Force. In this way scholars may choose to focus on the
tangible realities of the world and how the Force manifests in the lives of individuals and within
the moment, or to delve deeper, reaching outside oneself to wonder at the mysteries of the
universe on an infinite scale.

A view codified within the histories of the Jedi Order, the idea of a Living Force reflects the
aspect of the Force which connects all living beings. The tangible Force; the present here and
now which flowed about to allow a Forceful being to sense life and death. Scholars of the Living
Force who espoused a philosophy of "living in the moment," relied heavily on their instincts and
concentrated more on sensitivity to living things, rather than fulfilling destiny or looking to the
future. They believed that the future's instabilities cause uncertainty, and that the present held the
answers to near-future events.

The concept of the Unifying Force was a deeper aspect of the Force which required a
significantly greater amount of understanding than the aspect of the Living Force. While the
Living Force was easily seen throughout the tangible reality of life, the concept of the Unifying
Force focused on the aspect of the Force which constituted it as a single cosmic power. Visions
of the future were of particular significance to Unifying Force scholars. Yoda was one of the
most adamant proponents of heeding visions of the future though he was ever-wary of the
multiple threads which might lead in different directions. Many of the Jedi held a similar
philosophy, and focused on the flow of time as a whole, ignoring primary use of the Living
Force. It was within the Unifying Force that a Force-practitioner might retain their identities after
their physical death, becoming one with the Force and able to manifest themselves as ghosts.

The light side of the Force Edit

Main article: Light side of the Force

"A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack."

―Yoda[src]

The light side of the Force was concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing.
Followers of the light side strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of
wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the
light side of the Force, its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion;
particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were
thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side.[1]

The Jedi Order Edit

Main article: Jedi Order
The largest group of proponents and teachers of the light side was the Jedi Order, who strove to
maintain peace and justice throughout the galaxy. The values of the light side were encapsulated
in the Jedi Code. The Jedi accepted the view on the two sides of the Force: the dark side and the
light side. A follower of the light side tried to live in harmony with those around him. Mutual
trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances gave the Jedi their distinct advantage over the Sith.
In contrast, a follower of the dark side uses the dark side of the Force, usually for himself. Use of
the dark side of the Force was forbidden within the Jedi Order, and was strictly considered the
domain of the Sith.

A Padawan classroom

Traditional Jedi were keen to keep the Force "in balance." They attempted to achieve this by
destroying the Sith and denying the dark side, essentially "keeping balance" by restoring the
Force to its natural state, as they viewed the dark side as corrupt. This involved the purging of
negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, since they could easily bring on
acceptance of the dark side. In contrast, positive emotions such as compassion and courage
nurtured the light side of the Force. The Jedi Code compared such feelings and provided insight
into the ethical use of the Force.

Passion was considered dangerous, as it could lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the
Jedi and lead them to the Dark Side. Love, curiously enough, was regarded by both the Jedi and
Sith Orders as something to be avoided. While the Jedi espoused a broad, all-encompassing, self-
sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being romance, a possessive love by nature was
shunned in the post-Ruusan order. Possession of all types was also shunned in the post-Ruusan
Reformation era Jedi Order, the only exceptions being a Jedi's lightsaber and clothes. The Jedi
viewed love as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that came with love could lead to
hatred and anger, as Anakin Skywalker demonstrated in becoming a Sith because of his love for
Padmé Amidala, it could also lead to pity, mercy, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the
Sith did not see as beneficial, as demonstrated by Darth Vader in sacrificing himself to save his
son from the Emperor at the end of his life, thus bringing balance to the Force.

With a few minor exceptions, the original Jedi Order lasted largely unchanged in structure and
philosophy for twenty-five thousand years, despite many detrimental conflicts with various Sith
Empires and an attempted purge by the Sith Triumvirate. However, in 19 BBY, the Order was
annihilated by the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader in what would later become known
as the Great Jedi Purge. When the Order was reconstructed by Luke Skywalker after the deaths
of Sidious and Vader, it underwent a substantial change in both philosophy and policies, as Luke
possessed little information regarding the structure of the Old Jedi Order and disagreed with
some of its practices.

The dark side of the Force Edit

Main article: Dark side of the Force

"The strength of the dark side lies with the power of the individual. The Force comes from within.
You must learn to draw on it yourself. I will not always be there to teach you."

―Darth Bane to his apprentice[src]

Force lightning, one of the most powerful and iconic dark side powers.

The dark side of the Force was considered by the Jedi to be the element aligned with fear, hatred,
aggression, and malice toward all living things. Such emotions seemed to increase the strength
and abilities of a user of the dark side, providing a path towards personal power and the
destruction or control of all opposition. It was generally accepted that use of the dark side of the
Force was extremely addictive. Dark side Jedi were known as Dark Jedi. Some light Jedi, such as
Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Jaden Korr, and Galen Marek, could use dark side powers.

The Sith Order Edit

Main article: Sith

"It has been said that anyone who knows the ways of the Force can set her- or himself up as a
King on any world where only she or he knows the ways of the Force. Any Jedi could do this. But
the Jedi, fools that they are, adhere to a religion in which the Force is used only in the service of
others. How shortsighted of them. Is that not why they lost the galaxy to the dark side?"

―Palpatine, in The Weakness of Inferiors[src]

The earliest incarnations of the Sith Order were similar to the Jedi Order in structure. Many Sith
of various ranks and abilities comprised the Order, which was often under the control of a single
Dark Lord who wielded absolute authority. Over the centuries, numerous Sith Empires utilizing
this power structure rose to challenge the Republic for control over the galaxy. Though several
Sith Empires brought the Republic to the brink of defeat, they were all plagued by infighting
amongst the power hungry Sith overlords who controlled them, and ultimately the Jedi and the
Republic triumphed against all of them. With the advent of the Sith Lord Darth Bane however,
the Order underwent a revolutionary overhaul. Bane considered the Force to be finite and thus
ideally for exclusive use by the Dark Lord. He eliminated the practice of having vast numbers of
Sith at the same time, thereby aiming to concentrate the dark side of the Force into two
individuals: a Sith Master and his or her apprentice. In addition, he hoped to eliminate the
infighting that had plagued previous Sith Orders. This reformed Order went on to achieve that
the Sith Empires of old never could; the annihilation of the Jedi Order and the defeat of the
Republic. However, Bane's Order was destroyed when Luke Skywalker redeemed the Sith Lord
Darth Vader, who turned on his master Darth Sidious and killed him at the cost of his own life.

Though Bane's tradition, or "Rule of Two," would continue to influence the Sith for years to
come, Sidious and Vader were the final Lords of Bane's orthodox Order. Following their deaths
in 4 ABY, the Dark Lady Lumiya made a small but significant number of changes to Bane's
philosophy. Trained by Vader and having had significant exposure to both him and Sidious, she
had come to view the Order under Sidious and Vader as having been selfish and ineffective.
Given this, she resolved to change the core philosophy of the Banite Sith. While she still viewed
the light side as inferior due to the Jedi's history of being unable to affect change, she believed
that a proper Sith Lord should rule selflessly, making decisions that would benefit the greatest
number of people no matter how personally painful those decisions might be. In theory, negative
emotions like hate would be crucial in maintaing the power of the dark side within such a Sith,
but would not be allowed to influence their decisions. Such a Sith would theoretically be able to
ruthlessly maintain order, yet govern with compassion. Her philosophy culminated in the
creation of Darth Caedus, the grandson of Darth Vader. In a manner somewhat similar to
Palpatine, Caedus gained control over the primary galactic government and sought to impose his
idea of order on it's people. However, his reign was cut short by the Jedi, and Lumiya's school of
thought died with him.

The Rule of Two was later rejected entirely by Darth Krayt, who instituted the Rule of One,
using "One" to refer to the Sith Order itself, which encompassed many minions, acolytes/adepts
and lords, and were led by only one Dark Lord of the Sith (or Dread Lord). Superficially, this
reincarnation of the Order was no different from the ancient variations of the Sith Empires.
However, Darth Krayt believed that his philosophy gave the Sith and their power a purpose,
unlike Darth Bane, who believed that power was its own purpose. Unlike previous Sith Orders,
the Rule of One called for cooperation and even some level of loyalty between the Sith. Most
importantly however, the Rule of One called for complete and utter loyalty to the Dread Lord.
These two rules of Krayt's Order were designed to prevent the infighting of past Sith Orders
while still retaining the ability to field large numbers of Sith, the lack of which had been a
notable shortcoming of Bane's Order.

However, the Rule of One did not represent the Sith as a whole, and Krayt was even labeled a
heretic by the holocrons of Darth Bane, Darth Nihilus and Darth Andeddu, all of whom believed
that Krayt's Order would ultimately turn on itself as so many similarly structured Sith Orders
had. In addition to Krayt's Rule of One, there was a previous Rule of One philosophy created by
Darth Sidious. In Sidious's case however, the "One" referred simply to himself, as he believed
that, with him, the Sith had reached their absolute peak in terms of power and ability. As such, he
discarded Bane's idea of training a more powerful replacement and intended to reign forever as
the galaxy's sole leader.

Potentium belief Edit

Main article: Potentium

Adherents of the Potentium were less discriminating about the friends they chose because they
believed the actions of all would inevitably lead to good.

The Potentium view of the Force, not to be confused with the Unifying Force, was strictly
disapproved by the old Jedi Order. While similar to the Unifying Force, which suggested that
there was only one Force that did not take sides, the Potentium view stated that the Force and the
galaxy in general were inherently good. According to this belief, the so-called dark side was not
made up of specific "parts" or "abilities" of the Force: as espoused by the Light Side, it existed
inside the life form which used it, made from their emotions. By that standard, and unlike the
Light Side, all Potentium followers could perform any action and use the Force in any way they
saw fit, as long as the intention behind it was good. In contrast, the Old Jedi Order acknowledged
the existence of Potentium, but made it clear that it was subverting of the Jedi teaching and a
way to misguide people to the dark side, or a means to serve it.[1] The living planet Zonama
Sekot supported the Potentium theory of the Force as well.

Alternate views on the Force Edit

Way of the Dark Edit

Main article: Way of the Dark
 "I have been trying to create. To build, when I should have destroyed. I abandoned the Way of
the Dark, and the Dark abandoned me."

―Cronal[src]

The Way of the Dark, or simply the Dark, was a view of the Force taken up by Cronal and those
that taught him. It was effectively the polar opposite of the Potentium, but taken a step further.
This Way of the Dark belief did not just deny the existence of the Light side of the Force; it
stated that the Force itself was simply a small extension of the Dark. This system stated that
destruction was the universal constant that all things worked towards, going so far as to call it the
"will of the universe". An initiate was taught that if one made destruction his primary goal, with
whatever scheme he was taking part in being a secondary objective, then the Dark would
effectively reward the initiate for the devastation caused by pushing the secondary objective to
success.[2]

As a prime example of this, Cronal cited that Palpatine was able to achieve success against the
Jedi and the Republic because his primary motive was the destruction of both parties. However,
once he had achieved these goals and set about consolidating his rule and building the Empire,
his focus shifted from destruction to creation, in total opposition to universal processes. Thus
when before he could not fail, now he could never succeed.[2]

The insidious Force Edit

The Force bestowed upon its users a symbiotic relationship with the environment.

Darth Traya, a female Sith living during the Old Sith Wars, believed the Force to be akin to some
sort of deceptively sinister, indifferent god. She pointed to the numerous wars fought by
countless Force users, as proof that the Force cared nothing for the lives it consumed, so long as
balance was achieved. This philosophy emphasized the belief that neither the light nor the dark
side was truly superior to the other, and that if people were to be truly free, the Force had to be
eliminated from the galaxy. This was generally a very unpopular theory with both the Sith and
the Jedi, and this practice disappeared with Traya's death. However, after the defeat of the dark
side entity Abeloth, Grand Master Luke Skywalker came to a similar conclusion regarding the
nature of the Force. While he ascribed no intentions or emotions to the Force, he believed that
the Force being out of balance was the cause of the horrific amount of death and chaos that had
occurred in the time since the death of the Ones. Instead of believing that the Force should be
destroyed however, Luke instead took the approach that, to keep the galaxy at peace, Force-
adepts themselves had to actively maintain the balance of the Force.[3]

Aing-Tii beliefs Edit

Main article: Aing-Tii

The Aing-Tii monks from the Kathol Rift viewed the Force in a way different, but similar to the
view of the Jedi. Instead of the dark and the light sides of the Force, they viewed it as having
many colors, much like a rainbow. They believed that the Force could manifest itself in different
ways, which allowed a being to develop unique abilities, unknown to most of the Jedi and the
Sith. They believed the Force was much too complicated to be just light or dark. According to
their beliefs, Force-users were not strictly good or evil, but instead had their place in a larger
spectrum.[1]

White Current Edit

Main article: White Current

The Fallanassi called the Force the White Current and saw it like the river flowing through the
galaxy and all living beings. A single person could not alter the current any more than a being
could divert a river with one hand. Thus, the Fallanassi immersed themselves in the Current,
letting it flow through them. This way they managed to shape its flow without imposing their
will on it, which also opened them a way for unique Force abilities.[1]

Sorcerers of Tund Edit

Main article: Sorcerers of Tund

The Sorcerers of Tund shared most of the Sith beliefs, which was not surprising, given the fact
that their order was founded by Sith mages. However, they viewed the Force as a magical power
and manipulated it mostly by arcane symbols and spells. The Jedi viewed the sorcerers as merely
another Force sect, but would often try to "convert" the Sorcerers, attempting to convince them
to use the Force without any of their trappings of magic and mysticism. However, they were
unsuccessful, and eventually the Jedi contented themselves with making sure the Sorcerers did
not descend into the dark side.
The Ones: Father (center) kept his Daughter (Light) and his Son (Dark) in balance

Killiks and the Ones Edit

Main article: The Ones

The Killiks believed that The Ones represented the Force. They believed that the Daughter
represented the Light Side of the Force while the Son represented the Dark Side of the Force.
Their father tried to maintain the balance between them on the planet they called home.
Incredibly powerful, their fighting was destructive until another came to bring peace to the
family, though this brought about the creation of Abeloth. In the Clone Wars, Anakin would
meet the Ones in the Mortis Monolith, where the Father claimed it was the Chosen One's destiny
to take the dying Father's place and control the Son and Daughter. An intense scene of power
would bring about all the Ones' deaths. The Killiks were unaware of this and awaited for their
arrival when they learned Abeloth, the Bringer of Chaos, was freed.

Force abilities Edit

Main article: Force power

"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a
planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

―Darth Vader to Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, referring to the Death Star[src]

Manifestations of the Force, which were mentally-based abilities and tapped through the
practitioner's willpower, could take all forms, and included telepathy, psychokinesis, and
enhanced physical and metaphysical perception. The Force could be used to bend the will of
weak-minded beings and guide an adept's body. Users who were very good at using the Force
could cease merely reacting to their surroundings and actually predict events in the very near
future, such as the next blow in a duel. Guidance like this enabled Luke Skywalker to launch a
proton torpedo into an extremely difficult target on the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. The
Force could also be used to sedate. Qui-Gon Jinn used this power on Jar Jar Binks when
traveling the dangerous underwater path to Theed. Qui-Gon placed a hand on Jar Jar's shoulder
and asked him to relax causing the Gungan to almost lose consciousness. Obi-wan, observing the
extreme change in Jar Jar's behavior, told Jinn, his master, "You overdid it."
Qui-Gon Jinn using the Force against Trade Federation battle droids.

In addition to enhancing their own skill, Force users were capable of channeling the energy of
The Force directly into the world around them. The Sith were infamous for making heavy use of
this ability to conjure Force-lightning, or Force-choke enemies by constricting their windpipes.
The Jedi preferred to use their abilities to heal and protect; closing wounds and shielding others
with barriers of Force energy. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered that Jedi could achieve near-
immortality through the Force by existing as a Force ghost after death.1

Some Force users even learned how to transfer their spirit into another body. Palpatine used this
technique in order to prolong his life, and evidence suggests the legendary Dark Jedi Set Harth,
who fell to the dark side in the aftermath of the New Sith Wars, used this power to leapfrog his
essence between hundreds of clone bodies, lingering in the physical realm up until the Yuuzhan
Vong invasion and beyond. Later Callista Ming transferred herself to the body of a dying friend
so that she could stay alive. Callista, unlike Harth and Palpatine, lost her ability to touch the
Force in the process of transference.

Others, such as Darth Nihilus and the Jedi Exile, could use the Force to feed off other Force
users. Nihilus' power could encompass entire planets and drain them of life, like the Miraluka
colony world of Katarr. Some dark side users could use a different and weaker form of this
technique to drain the strength of others into themselves, occasionally to fatal results. Darth
Nihilus' ability to do this originated from a "wound in the Force", which is essentially a rip in the
fabric of the Force itself.

Palpatine mentioned that the Force could help one cheat death, or create life, a secret mastered
only by Darth Plagueis. Another Sith Lord, Darth Sion, used a more indirect method to cheat
death. As he could call upon his pain to strengthen his will and allow him to rise up again as
strong as he was beforehand, he was arguably immortal.

The Force played a major part in the Jedi use of a lightsaber, in that their heightened awareness
kept them from accidentally injuring themselves while using the weapon in combat, as the blade
had no relative weight, making it difficult to judge its position. Similarly, the Force allowed a
Jedi to use his/her lightsaber to deflect incoming blaster bolts. The Force also came into play
during the construction of a lightsaber, both in assembling its intricate innards, and the initial
charging of the power cell.
Manipulating the Force entailed significant risks, however. When a person used the Force
beyond their body's ability to sustain it, the individual could suffer physical damage, accelerated
aging, or in an extreme case, certain death by burning their own body cells from the inside out.
Palpatine, and Dorsk 81 are prime examples of excessive Force usage and the consequences.

Disturbances in the Force Edit

Main articles: Disturbance in the Force and Wound in the Force

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were
suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

―Obi-Wan Kenobi, referring to the destruction of Alderaan[src]

The Force existed in all life, and when great amounts of life passed away, a disturbance was
created, running through the Force like a scream that Force-adepts could hear. This was how a
"wound in the Force" was created at the battle of Malachor V during the Mandalorian Wars
when the Mass Shadow Generator was unleashed. In addition, when the Mandalorians destroyed
the cities of Serroco using nuclear weapons. This happened again when Alderaan was destroyed;
Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in
terror and were suddenly silenced.…". The students of the Jedi Praxeum felt a similar
disturbance when the Carida system was destroyed. It was suggested that Yoda could not even
stand on Kashyyyk as Order 66 was being executed. It was as if Yoda was being overpowered by
the disturbance caused by the many simultaneous Jedi deaths. It is possible that those strong in
the Force could have glimpses of what is creating the disturbance, though the severity that the
adept would feel would depend on numerous variables, including both their training and their
innate connection with the Force. This could explain why Yoda seemed to know what happened
when Obi-Wan Kenobi was about to look at the security recordings of the Jedi Temple.
However, while typically called "disturbances", they were sometimes be referred to as "tremors",
as Darth Vader did about Obi-Wan's presence at Death Star I. Disturbances could also be felt
lingering from a past event, such as when Leia Organa Solo felt a disturbance when she visited
the place where Anakin Skywalker slaughtered an entire village of Tusken Raiders.

Unusual Force occurrences in nature Edit

A Jedi symbol representing the Force

The Rakatan Force-enabled hyperdrives allowed them to travel to hyperspace.

The ysalamiri were a species of tree-dwelling lizard-like creatures that were immune to most
effects of the Force. The creatures exuded a "bubble" which "pushes back" Force energy, making
them useful tools for individuals (such as Grand Admiral Thrawn) requiring a means to nullify a
Jedi's abilities. They originated on the world of Myrkr. It is mentioned that the ysalamir, when
put together, create a much more extensive bubble, sometimes expanding a few kilometers
outside their native forest. They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory
vornskrs, pack animals that hunted by tracking down live prey using the Force.

A creature with a similar peculiarity was the taozin, a large, gelatinous predator. Though not
widely known, at least one of these creatures was alive deep in the undercity of Coruscant
approximately ten years before the Clone Wars.[4]

Gurlanins could also 'hide' themselves from the Force, though they could also make themselves
detectable in the Force at will if they chose to.

While not immune to the Force, Hutts were highly resistant, having an innate defense against
Force-based mind manipulation.

Toydarians were immune to mind tricks as well. The Yinchorri and the Dashades were also
largely unaffected by Force mental manipulation, and were thus both utilized to varying degrees
by the Emperor; the Yinchorri during the period surrounding the Stark Hyperspace War and the
Dashadi during the first few years following the Great Jedi Purge.

Additionally, Force-resistant creatures called terentateks were a major threat to the Jedi. Some
suspected that they were created by the Sith to hunt down the Jedi. Periodically, the Jedi held a
Great Hunt in an attempt to hunt down and destroy all of the terentateks. The monsters appeared
to be extremely long-lived and resilient.

Although not natural, voxyn could hunt Jedi and other Force users by noticing their "Force
scent." Like all other Yuuzhan Vong biots, they were immune to direct manipulation by the
Force and could not be sensed by Jedi. This, in addition to their other abilities, made them a
significant threat to the Jedi Order.

Hssiss could influence Force-sensitive beings around them. If bitten by an hssiss, one would
succumb to the effects of a dark side poison. Hssiss also had the ability to conceal themselves
and become invisible, possibly doing so through the Force.

Sith magic was sometimes considered outside of the Force by some of its practitioners, though
how much of that is true is unconfirmed.

The Yuuzhan Vong could not be sensed or affected directly by the Force as they had been
stripped of it around 15,000 BBY. However, it was theorized by some Jedi, particularly Jacen
Solo that the Vong were connected to the Force in a way that the Jedi could not sense, because
the Jedi believed that all life depended on a symbiotic relationship with the Force to at least some
degree.

However, the notion that all life was dependent on the Force was apparently disproven by the
Jedi Knight Meetra Surik. During the Battle of Malachor she cut herself off from the Force so
completely that she became a Wound in the Force, completely dead to it and completely
disconnected from it. The Sith Lord Darth Traya viewed Surik as definitive proof that life could
exist independently of the Force and sought to exploit Surik's condition to suit her own ends.

Organized Force traditions Edit

"The Force is a river from which many can drink, and the training of the Jedi is not the only cup
which can catch it."

―Luke Skywalker[src]

The Jedi and Sith Orders taught the Force as described above, but there were other traditions
which instructed different philosophies and uses of the Force, or use of powers similar to the
Force.

 Aing-Tii  Krath
 Bando Gora  Holdings of the Kwa
 Baran Do  Luka Sene
 Believers of Cularin  Malevolence
 Bendu  Mandalorian Knights
 Bendu monks  Matukai
 Blackguard  Mind Walkers
 Bladeborn  New Jedi Order
 Cerean Ner Yan  New Reborn
 Chatos Academy  Nightsisters of Dathomir
 Dark Acolytes  Nuns of G'aav'aar'oon
 Dark Side Adept  Order of Dai Bendu
 Dark Jedi  Order of Revan
 Disciples of Ragnos  Order of Shasa
 Disciples of Twilight  Order of the Silver Jedi
 Ember of Vahl  Order of the Terrible Glare
 Emperor's Hands  Pelekotan
 Ephant Mon's Sect  Potentium Heretics
 Ewok shamans  Prophets of the Dark Side
 Fallanassi  Reborn
 Felucian shamans  Sedrian priests
 Followers of Palawa  Seyugi Dervishes
 Force Warrior  Shamans of the Whills
 Gand Findsmen  Shapers of Kro Var
 Gray Jedi  Sith Order
 Gray Paladin  Sorcerers of Rhand
  Guardians of Breath  Sorcerers of Tund
 Handmaiden Sisters  Ta-Ree users
 Heresiarchs  Theran Listeners
 Imperial Knight  Tyia
 Infinite Empire of the Rakata  Un'Yala
 Inquisitorius  Various Dark Side Organizations
 Jal Shey  Various Jedi Organizations
 Jarvashqiine shamans  Various Sith Organizations
 Jedi Order  Wardens of the Sky
 Jensaarai  Witches of Dathomir
 Keetael  Wyrd
 Kilian Rangers  Ysanna
 Zeison Sha

Behind the scenes Edit

"The Force evolved out of various developments of character and plot. I wanted a concept of
religion based on the premise that there is a God and there is good and evil. I began to distill the
essence of all religions into what I thought was a basic idea common to all religions and common
to primitive thinking. I wanted to develop something that was nondenominational but still had a
kind of religious reality."

―George Lucas on the Force[src]

The principles of the Force resonate with those of some real-world religions, including the
Shinto religion of Japan, Buddhism, Taoism, and certain Celtic druidic concepts. The Force also
bears a close similarity to the Chinese notion of qigong, or "chi," and the splitting of the Force
into light side and dark sides echoes the concept of yin and yang in Eastern philosophy (though
this is not a perfect translation, as the dark side is considered a force of evil by the Jedi, and this
moral duality is not the same as the Eastern concept). Along with the concepts of yin and yang,
the concept of a ubiquitous Force parallels the real-world concept of a "Tao" or "way," which is
said to flow everywhere in the universe. The concept of the Force also borrows heavily from
Hindu theology, which also expresses a belief in a unifying Brahman energy that composes and
is a composite of the Universe (and by extension, God), and can be used for either good or bad.
In fact, this is particularly similar to the concept of the Potentium and the Unifying Force in that
while the power can be perverted for evil, it ultimately leads only to a conclusion that is good.

A connection could be drawn to Zoroastrianism with the duality of the Force. The dichotomy
between Ahura Mazda (the One God) and Angra Mainyu/Ahrima (the evil spirit) is nearly
identical to the concept of the light and dark sides of the Force. Another connection can be drawn
is spirits; in response to Christian philosophies: Jedi spirits resemble God's angels and/or saints,
and dark side Sith spirits (most often of Sith Lords) as souls in purgatory or hell or even perhaps
devils themselves.
Another connection that can be made is towards the Hebrew religion and how it treated blood:
Blood is the life source of every living creature, and during temple sacrifices, the Hebrews make
sure to spill as much blood as possible, to "return" the life force of the animal back to God. This
coincides with the whole concept of the Force; the person's strength in the Force is found in the
person's blood.

In truth, the Force is an amalgamation of many religions and philosophies, and is intended as a
metaphor for spirituality itself. As in real-world spirituality, there is the potential for a "light"
and a "dark" side in each person as well as the universe at large.

It has also been quoted[source?] that George Lucas' study of Carlos Castañeda's books, which
followed Mexican Native American teachings, may have helped to lead to Yoda's description of
the Force as an energy force that emanates from all beings luminous in appearance. Carlos
Castañeda's studies stated that we are all luminous "eggs" with "lines of power" that stretch from
our bodies and connect us to the overlying "force of nature" that exists in our universe according
to ancient Native American Shamanistic tradition. Only those trained in the tradition of the
correct Native American traditions allow users to "see" the human's true nature as luminous
"eggs" not the "crude matter" we all exist as.

Obi-Wan saying that the Force "binds the galaxy together" instead of "the universe" could
suggest that the Force is unique to the galaxy, and not a universal power. But it also may be just
a turn of phrase, such as when someone in real life says "world" but really means "everything in
existence." It has been revealed that the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong were Force immune,
although they were Force wielders once.

The non-canon film Willow, which was the subject of an April Fool's Day 2006 Databank
update, presents species which use fantasy magic spells, a power nearly identical to the Force.
According to the entries, the planet of Andowyne, which the Databank claimed is the world seen
in Willow, was the home of the midi-chlorian lifeform.

Despite great controversy regarding the truth of the Force in-universe, the matter was clearly
settled in Wizards of the Coast's sourcebooks, such as the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook and the
Jedi Academy Training Manual, which established that the Jedi Order has the best understanding
of the Force among all other Force traditions, and the Jedi way of classifying and viewing the
Force is the correct one, as intended by the creators of Star Wars licenses.

Aing-Tii

"The Aing-Tii have a different view of the Force. Not in terms of Jedi or Dark Jedi—of
black and white, as it were—but in a way I like to think of as a full-color rainbow."
―Jorj Car'das
The Aing-Tii were a secretive species of alien monks who hailed from a world within the Kathol
Rift and resided near that area of space. Many members of the species were Force-sensitive;
these were the only Aing-Tii who ever left their planet, traveling about the Rift in large, organic
starships and using advanced weaponry to destroy those who opposed them. The Aing-Tii were
very reclusive; they often used violence to dissuade outsiders from probing too far into their
business, although a report based on a crashed Aing-Tii ship provided the galaxy with some
details on their culture. Their belief system held that all events were not necessarily
predetermined, but rather "guided." Unlike the Jedi or Sith, the Aing-Tii held that the Force had
neither a light nor a dark side, but was full of many colors, like a rainbow.

The Aing-Tii monks only ever left their territories to attack slavers; they believed slavery to be a
great evil and were relentless in their persecution of those who thrived from it. The Jedi Order
learned of the Aing-Tii at some point, and several years before the Battle of Yavin, the Jedi
Master Yoda sent a smuggler named Jorj Car'das to visit the monks so that he could be healed.
Car'das spent many years with the Aing-Tii, and his reports on them eventually found their way
into the archives of the New Jedi Order. Jacen Solo spent several years learning from the Aing-
Tii after the Yuuzhan Vong War; his and Car'das's reports were compiled by Tionne Solusar and
printed sometime after 130 ABY, though Solo kept much of what he had learned about the
monks a secret. However, when Jedi Luke Skywalker and his son Ben visited the Aing-Tii in 43
ABY, they discovered many details about what Solo had learned and how it had caused his fall
to the dark side.

Contents
[show]

Biology and appearance Edit

A group of Aing-Tii.

The Aing-Tii were a species of sentient, toothless mammals who stood about two meters tall on
average. They stood erect on two clawed feet, and they had two spindly arms, each with three
large digits. Their bodies were covered entirely in jointed protective coverings of white, bony
plates, which extended up past their necks and onto their heads, where they acted and appeared
like a protective helmet. The Aing-Tii head was small and jutted out perpendicularly from their
chest. The head featured two large eyes and a series of long, thin tongues that extended around
half a meter from their mouths. Each Aing-Tii had a long, prehensile tail that could be used in
self-defense. The Aing-Tii each had a set of painted motifs covering their entire bodies, though
the patterns were unique to each Aing-Tii. The species did not communicate through speech, as
they were incapable of producing sound. Instead, they conveyed information via tasting,
smelling and touching each other with their six long, thin green tongues.[1]

Society and culture Edit

"The Aing-Tii have an understanding of the Force; but it's a different understanding from that of
the Jedi. Or perhaps it's merely a different aspect of the Force they relate to. I'm not really sure
which."

―Jorj Car'das[src]

An Aing-Tii master of the Force.

The Aing-Tii were native to a planet whose location in the Kathol Rift was a closely guarded
secret. The rift itself was a dangerous area of space, although by the time of the Galactic Empire
they had developed space travel and many had taken to living in their semi-organic starships.
The majority of Aing-Tii never left their homeworld nor had any contact with members of other
sentient species. Those who did—commonly called Aing-Tii warrior monks—were highly
xenophobic and reclusive, attacking any who tried to learn more about them. Although most
aspects of Aing-Tii culture were not known to the wider galaxy, it was documented that all Aing-
Tii seen offworld were Force-sensitive. They believed that their Force talents were gifts from
their deities, "Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil," although they generally preferred not to use
the Force when they could avoid it. They saw the Force as sacred, something that was not to be
meddled with. The monks spent their entire lives performing errands for their gods, traveling
through the dangerous Kathol Rift—which they also viewed as a holy place—and performing
pilgrimages in the hope that they would receive "an answer" from them.[1]

The monks did make occasional use of the Force, mostly to fuel their cavernous ships. The Aing-
Tii had a different view of the Force from that of other Force-users:[5] they believed that even
one who was not Force-sensitive could manipulate the energy field to do his or her bidding.
Although Aing-Tii avoided using these "gifts," the monks could instantaneously move an
object—ranging in size from small items to 300-meter-long ships—from one location to another,
an ability not mastered by even the most powerful of Jedi or Sith. They were also able to teach
this power to non-Force-sensitives. The Aing-Tii believed that, while life was not predetermined,
everything was somehow guided by the Force. Unlike the Jedi and Sith, the warrior monks did
not believe in the light or dark sides of the Force. Instead, they held that there were many
different aspects to the Force.[5]

The monks were able to use myriad other Force powers, one of which was known as flow-
walking. Skilled practitioners of the technique could surrender their emotions to the Force and
center themselves in its flow, thus transcending time itself. An Aing-Tii could therefore use
flow-walking to observe events in the past or future,[6] so long as the monk knew the location at
which the event had occurred or eventually would occur.[7] By allowing their senses of
detachment to fade, and letting their emotional selves return, however, practitioners could
impose themselves upon the passage of time and begin to influence and change the course of
events.[6][7] Such alteration was only possible to an extent; the Force itself was unable to be
substantially altered and would ensure that events continued as they were pre-destined to do so.[8]
With its manipulation of the fabric of time, flow-walking was a complex, esoteric ability, and it
remained a little-known secret among the Aing-Tii.[6]

The Aing-Tii held a deep hatred of slavery, and they often attacked slavers who roamed the
Kathol Outback. Due to the sheer power of their technology, the Aing-Tii traveled in groups of
three to five ships, ramming vessels laden with slaves and destroying slaver ships that were free
of slaves at the time. Few outsiders realized what was behind such attacks, thinking them simply
random,[1] although those who had dealings with the Aing-Tii learned quickly of this hatred.[5]
Although Aing-Tii were quick to respond to pleas from residents of the Kathol Outback, the
species kept to themselves and discouraged any attempts by others to pry into their business.
They did allow a small amount of information about themselves to surface, though only to scare
off any who would seek to learn more.[1]

Technology Edit
"Their star drive is considerably different from ours. As you may have noticed from the battle.
Instead of using the usual hyperspace travel, their ships are able to make an instantaneous jump
to whatever point they wish."

―Jorj Car'das[src]
An Aing-Tii Sanhedrim ship.

The Aing-Tii developed a form of semi-organic technology early in their history, using it to build
massive, 100-being ships. These vessels, named Sanhedrim ships, over 300 meters long, were
used by Aing-Tii warriors to embark on pilgrimages in the Kathol Rift, to attack slavers, and to
respond to distress calls sent by the people of the Kathol Outback. Each Sanhedrim was unique,
with numerous symbols painted on the hull and dozens of conical exhaust ports and thruster pods
jutting out at random places. Each Sanhedrim was roughly ovoid in shape and covered in thick
hull plates, not unlike the imbricated hides of an Aing-Tii themselves. Sanhedrims had weaponry
that, in comparison to that used by the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire, were extremely
advanced and deadly. Over 60 gunners on each ship used energy web generators and null-burst
projectors to destroy enemy ships with ease, although the Aing-Tii often rammed other vessels
instead. The monks used non-deadly weapons to dissuade those who had taken an interest in
them; the mysterious weapons altered the victim's perception of time, allowing the Aing-Tii to
escape to their home territory. Aing-Tii ships usually traveled in groups of three or four,
although it was not uncommon for a ship to wander by itself.[1] The Sanhedrims were also able to
evade being picked up by other ships' sensors.[9]

The Aing-Tii were reported to have a sort of symbiotic connection with the ships they served on.
The Aing-Tii developed a method of moving from one destination to another, which was barely
comprehensible to anyone but the monks. They used the Force in conjunction with their unique
technology to instantaneously move their ship through space.[2] It was this technology, combined
with their natural ability as navigators, that allowed them to travel through the dangerous Kathol
Rift unhindered.[1]

Another piece of Aing-Tii technology was the Vor'cha stun stick. These appeared to be wooden
sticks wrapped in some kind of wire that could deliver a powerful energy charge, rendering a
victim unconscious.[1] The Vor'cha were able to penetrate armor and electrocute a victim
regardless of what he or she was wearing.[10]

History Edit

The galaxy knew very little of the Aing-Tii's early history, and for centuries their existence was
known only to a select few who had seen them in the flesh. The species' reclusive nature meant
that they rarely interacted with the other inhabitants of the Rift, and then only to banish slavers or
answer pleas for help.[1] Their rumored powers piqued the curiosity of spacers, who made several
attempts to learn more about the monks. One group managed to sneak a micro-espionage droid
onto an Aing-Tii ship during the time of the Galactic Republic; this provided the rest of the
galaxy with its first images of the reclusive species. This attempt was eventually halted by the
monks, although around the same period an Aing-Tii vessel crashed on a remote world and
provided the denizens of the Kathol Sector with much information on the species and their
technology. Nevertheless, knowledge of the monks was always scarce.[1]

The Jedi Order had learned of the Aing-Tii by the time of the Ruusan Reformation and the
species received an entry in the Jedi training manual The Jedi Path,[11] although the Aing-Tii
themselves were indifferent towards Jedi.[2] Some time before the Battle of Yavin, the Jedi
Master Yoda sent Jorj Car'das, a former smuggler whose health was deteriorating, to the monks
so that he could be healed. The Aing-Tii agreed to heal Car'das, though only on the condition
that he spend his life learning of their ways. Although Car'das was not Force-sensitive, he
learned of their abilities and studied under them for decades. They eventually allowed him to
leave and live out his life on Exocron.[5]

At some point, the Aing-Tii began searching for the Codex, a pyramidal construct made of
ancient DarkStryder technology. They saw the Codex as sacred, and their culture dictated that an
Aing-Tii could not physically touch the item, which could enhance one's ability to use the Force.
They believed it was a remnant from "Those Who Dwell Beyond The Veil," and that it granted
the ability to contact the mysterious beings.[10] Desperate to get their hands on it, the monks
kidnapped a Human named Makezh around 7 ABY and reprogrammed him, subconsciously
teaching him to locate and retrieve the Codex, as he was not bound by their customs.[1] The
Aing-Tii had a limited knowledge of the Human psyche, and Makezh suffered from a state of
mild insanity,[12] and the near eradication of his memories as a result of the brainwashing.[1]

The Aing-Tii battling Imperial forces on Demonsgate.

Makezh joined the crew of the New Republic vessel FarStar at Danoor; they required a
navigator to traverse the Kathol Rift as they were tracking a rogue Imperial Moff named Kentor
Sarne. Before the vessel could enter the Rift, however, they were engaged by an Imperial II-class
Star Destroyer and a CR90 corvette named the Lialic II. During the battle, an Aing-Tii
Sanhedrim ship assisted the FarStar in defeating the Imperial force.[13]
During the FarStar's trip through the Rift, they encountered an alien construct. A mission group
went aboard, and while searching the construct, they discovered the Codex, although they were
not aware of its purpose or significance to the Aing-Tii.[14] Makezh, aware of the Codex's
presence, was compelled by his programming to steal it, and he absconded from the ship over the
planet Demonsgate, traveling to the surface to present it to the Aing-Tii. Nevertheless, Makezh
was pursued by Imperial stormtroopers and bounty hunters, forcing the Aing-Tii into a
confrontation wherein they used their Vor'cha to incapacitate the soldiers. The Aing-Tii
eventually took the device for themselves; rather than repaying Makezh for all he had gone
through to get the Codex for them, they took him, along with many of the unconscious Imperials,
onto their ships to study.[12] The Aing-Tii were later involved in the Battle of Kathol System, an
engagement between the FarStar and her allies against Moff Sarne's Imperial forces.[15] Some
reports claim that the Aing-Tii were responsible for the destruction of the FarStar during the
battle, but the New Republic attempted to keep the ship's mission secret, and details on it were
kept quiet.[16]

Around the same time, an elderly female Bith trader named Maddie Macatten put great effort
into tracking down the Aing-Tii and discovering their homeworld. The monks had previously
freed her from slavers, and she wished to find them and thank her rescuers face-to-face.
Macatten discovered a large amount of accurate information on the monks, although she was
extremely old and most considered her insane, shrouding her findings in questions about their
accuracy. The Aing-Tii also made an enemy during this period: the government of Sapella held a
grudge against the monks after one of the Aing-Tii Sanhedrim collided with and destroyed one
of their defense vessels. It was in actuality an accident, although the people of Sapella claimed
that the Aing-Tii had attacked them on purpose.[1]

Jorj Car'das, the smuggler whose life the Aing-Tii had saved, kept in contact with his former
hosts and occasionally called in favors from them. In 19 ABY, the Aing-Tii attacked a fleet of
slavers commanded by a Rodian named Rei'Kas, who had assaulted Exocron. The monks
destroyed the slavers at Car'das's request and transported his ally Talon Karrde to Bastion on one
of the monks' rare journeys away from the Kathol Outback.[5] Car'das later bade the Aing-Tii use
their ships to transport him when he completed various errands.[9] The Aing-Tii ships would later
be compared to those of the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong after their assault on Obroa-skai in 25
ABY.[17]

After the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 29 ABY, the Jedi Knight Jacen Solo journeyed to the
Kathol Rift to study with the Aing-Tii monks. He learned much from them. By the time of his
departure the monks had come to view Solo as a flawed student, but they did impart to him the
knowledge of flow-walking, guiding and instructing the traveling Jedi Knight in the use of the
intricate ability.[6] When Solo returned to the New Jedi Order, he made a report based on his
findings, which, along with an essay on the monks written by Talon Karrde, was published by
Tionne Solusar in her guide to the Force.[2] Solo, however, kept much of what he had learned
from the monks secret from his fellow Jedi,[6] and Karrde had learned little from Car'das, so the
Aing-Tii remained largely unknown to the wider galaxy.[5]

In 43.5 ABY Luke Skywalker and his son Ben traveled to the Kathol Rift, hoping to learn more
about what caused Jacen Solo's fall to the dark side. They arrived on the Aing-Tii homeworld
and were met by Tadar'Ro, the monks' liaison. Over the next few days the Skywalkers were
taught the arts of flow-walking and Force teleportation. They were also brought into the
Embrace, a series of caves and caverns below the planet surface where the Aing-Tii kept sacred
objects, which they called relics. Luke was allowed to touch the object known as the Codex,
which he hoped would grant him some sort of revelation. While the relic held no answers for
him, Luke did sense a mass of dark energy that he believed originated from The Maw. Their visit
proved inconclusive, so the two Skywalkers left the planet soon thereafter.[4]

Baran Do

"They're Baran Do Sages. They're not going to try to kill people for prowling through
their basement, I hope."
―Luke Skywalker

The Baran Do were a Force sensitive tradition amongst the Kel Dor race.

Contents
[show]

History Edit
"In the old days, the people only had the sages to warn them of storms. Today, there are
weather stations and satellites, but a storm can still coalesce in moments. Sometimes, a sage will
know in advance of the most modern instruments."

―Tistura Paan[src]

Thousands of years before the Kel Dors joined the Galactic Republic, they developed their own
Force tradition—the Baran Do, practitioners of which were called Sages. Since their inception,
the Baran Do acted as advisors and seers to the leaders of Kel Dor society. Initially, the Sages
used the Force to amplify their natural senses, allowing them to detect dangerous weather
phenomena in advance, saving the lives of countless Kel Dors by warning of impending natural
disasters. However, as the Baran Do began to spend more time meditating on the nature of the
Force, they found they could see into the future, and they became all the more valuable to Kel
Dor society by preventing wars and stopping catastrophes long in advance. This led to many
Sages taking government positions and acting in a more official role.
This all changed with the coming of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. In the past, Kel Dor
families sent Force-sensitive children to learn from, and train with the Baran Do Sages, but in
joining the Republic, the children were exposed to the Jedi who took them, as was their custom,
to be trained as Jedi. The Jedi's training regimen and more thorough understanding of the Force
eclipsed those of the Baran Do, and so the Sages fell into obscurity as their power dwindled,
until they were gradually forgotten by the rest of the galaxy. Even on Dorin, the Kel Dor
homeworld, the Sages disappeared from public view and those rare Kel Dor aware of their
existence considered them nothing more than eccentric wizards.

Luke Skywalker and his son meet with the Baran Do

During the Cold War, a conspiracy to conceal a long-dead cult within the Baran Do was
discovered, and the cult was revealed to have been a group of Baran Do who worshiped the long-
dead Sith Lord Darth Sion.[2]

The Sages' obscurity was to prove their saving grace, as the Sages, who had apparently
disappeared from the galaxy long ago, were unaffected by the Great Jedi Purge to wipe out
Force-sensitive beings across the galaxy.

The Baran Do Sages, though relatively few in number and forgotten about, still survived due to
their recruitment of Force-sensitive Kel Dor, or traditional families sending their children to
learn from the Sages. After the formation of the New Jedi Order, the Baran Do contacted Luke
Skywalker's new group hoping to work with them in the future. Jacen Solo visited their temple in
search of Force techniques unique to the Order and left with the knowledge of the ayna-seff.
Shortly after the the fall of Darth Caedus, Luke and Ben Skywalker visited the Baran Do on a
mission to retrace his footsteps before his transition to the dark side. While there, they
discovered that the Baran Do's fear of a second purge had lead them to build a secret
underground bunker that would house Masters of their Order who had essentially faked their
own deaths. Never to return to the world of the living, these Masters were to stay underground in
the event that the Baran Do above were destroyed. They would then be able to teach new Force
sensitive Kel Dor from their safehouse. The Skywalkers' found out about this underground
"world of the dead" and, after staying with them for a short time, were able to convince many of
the Baran Do there to revolt against their leader and return to the surface.

Background Edit
"Don't all your students train in combat?"
"No. The Baran Do are not a militant order like the Jedi."
"We're not that militant."

―Ben Skywalker and Tistura Paan[src]

Baran Do philosophy and methodology centered on finding inner peace and calm, and growing
closer to the Force by heeding it. The Sages counseled against rash action, and spent a great deal
of time in meditation, contemplating the mysteries of the Force. Many confused the Sages'
emphasis on meditation and contemplation for apathy or a reluctance to act, but in actuality they
were merely waiting for the precise, perfect moment to act, as dictated by the Force.

The Baran Do did not consider themselves to be a "militant" order, unlike, according to them, the
Jedi. They did not construct and wield lightsabers, nor were they required to train in combat.
They did however have the option of learning certain martial arts, though the only weapon they
commonly trained in was a simple wooden staff.[1] Those who did train, however, were also
skilled Force users in combat. They were powerful telekinetics, able to summon strong
whirlwinds. They were also proficient in a white lightning technique, possibly a variation of
Electric Judgment.

Although many potential recruits were taken away to become Jedi, some returned and became
members of the Order nevertheless. Plo Koon, a member of the Jedi Council who descended
from a long lineage of Jedi and Baran Do alike, became a member of the order at some point.[1]

Positions in the organization included the senior combat instructor and the Master of the Order.

Bendu

Bendu was a collection of non-confrontational beliefs practiced by the Bendu monks. The symbol of
Bendu was a circle connected by eight even spokes, which represented the unification of the galaxy by
the Force. Due to their study of numerology, the number eight created by this symbol had great
meaning
History

Even though the symbol of the Bendu was eventually used by the Galactic Republic, they at first
used their own symbol. Curiously, the later reformed Sith Empire used a six-spoked symbol
similar to the one used by the Republic after the Second Sith Civil War. By then, the Republic
had adopted the symbol to represent their own role in galactic unification. A six-spoked form of
the symbol was also used by the Republic during the Clone Wars immediately before the rise of
the Empire.[2] The symbol was later the basis for the emblem of the Galactic Empire. Then at the
end of the Galactic Civil War, the New Republic restored the Old Republic's system government,
though with editing of forms to reduce the probability of abuses. The Bendu was reinstated but,
due to its similarity to the much-hated Imperial Crest, it was not widely adopted as an official
symbol and the Alliance Starbird all but supplanted it.

Order of Dai Bendu

"And so the Dai Bendu waited, they contemplated and meditated and listened with their
minds and hearts, as well as their senses."
―Ketu

The Order of Dai Bendu, also known as the Bendu, was one of the many ancient and semi-
legendary organizations that studied the Force and the midi-chlorians in the Early Hyperspace
Age, prior to the birth of the Galactic Republic on Coruscant. While the Order originated on the
world of Thape, it thrived in the Andobi Mountains of the snowy planet Ando Prime.

In 36,453 BBY, a group of Bendu monks were brought to the planet of Tython, where they
encountered other Force-sensitive groups and took part in the establishment of the Je'daii Order.
A number of elements and symbols borrowed from the Dai Bendu made their way into the Je'daii
Order and its successor, the Holy Order of the Jedi Knights.

Although the Order of Dai Bendu still existed in the waning days of the Republic, its tenets were
poorly understood and its involvement with the birth of the Je'daii Order had been mostly
forgotten, even in the scientific circles. Some historians of that time theorized that the Bendu
monks were the original incarnation of the Jedi, but lacked solid proofs to back up their claim.
Only a few individuals, including the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis, possessed texts pertaining to the
ancient Dai Bendu.

Organization and beliefs Edit

The Bendu Statue overlooking the tent village

The Dai Bendu monks of Ando Prime lived in a tribal community, away from the busy cities and
under the guidance of the wisest of them all, who bore the title of High Priest.[31] They dwelled in
a simple tent village nestled in the mountains[10] and pure water, which they pumped from the
Andobi Mountain Pipeline, was sacred to their beliefs—although they sometimes sold it to
occasional visitors.[10] Those who had migrated to the Tython system had built temples of their
own on the settled worlds, some of which were decorated with stained-glass symbols and
frescoes relaying the monks' religious tales and history.[3] The monks also used to string
rectangular pieces of cloth along mountain ridges, sometimes colorful,[6] sometimes covered with
inscriptions.[1]

They wore long, flowing robes of simple design, and some of them used walking poles to help
them move in frozen terrains.[1] In the late years of the order, the High Priest donned elaborate
orange[6] or red robes with a high, pointed hood.[10] The Bendu monks performed different kinds
of chanting, some of which consisted in eerie and haunting ululations[3] while others required a
low, deep voice, sounding like a growl.[32] Those who listened to their meditating voices would
sway slowly in time with the chant.[3]
The Bendu sigil

The monks were known for teaching non-confrontational principles, with the notable exception
of commercialism. Despite their professed commitment to peace, at the time of the Naboo Crisis,
the monks not only hosted but also organized podraces,[10] a sport which was both notoriously
dangerous and based on competition.[33] It notably allowed them to sell their crafts, including
artisanal carpets, to the numerous podracing fans who visited Ando Prime.[10] Despite that breach
of their own rules, the Bendu monks were still regarded as both dignified and kindly in the
waning decades of the Galactic Republic.[6]

Numerology, the study of the occult significance of numbers, was also used and developed by
the Bendu monks. They believed that the number nine represented the beneficent presence of the
Force in a unitary galaxy. At the time of the Unification Wars, they used to represent this
through eight spokes joined to one disc.[34] That eight-spoked sigil was very similar, although not
identical, to the one that was engraved on the Tho Yor's triangular faces.[1] The Bendu symbol
was later reclaimed by the Sith Emperor, who made it the emblem of his Sith Empire.[35]
Millennia later, the crest was reused once again. Renamed the "Galactic Roundel," the Bendu
symbol adorned the starfighters of the Jedi Knights and saw use as the insignia of the Galactic
Republic as a whole. After the fall of the Republic and its replacement by the Galactic Empire in
19 BBY, the self-appointed Emperor Palpatine personalized this ancient icon by removing two
spokes, thus creating the Imperial crest.[8]

Dark Jedi

"A Dark Jedi, on the other hand, has much smaller ambitions. He—or she—thinks only of himself.
He acts alone. The ultimate goal is not galactic conquest, but personal wealth and importance.
Like a common thug or criminal, he revels in cruelty and selfishness. He preys upon the weak and
vulnerable, spreading misery and suffering wherever he goes."

―Jedi Master Obba[src]

Dark Jedi, also known as "Fallen" Jedi, were Force-sensitives, frequently former Jedi, who
chose to deny the light side of the Force or follow the dark side. Although "Dark Jedi" originally
referred to a Jedi who had fallen to the dark side, it could also refer to uninitiated Force-
sensitives who received no Jedi training but began their careers under another Dark Jedi. Others
were simply dark-side users who did not follow the teachings of the Sith or other dark side
organizations. In some cases, Dark Jedi also included "artificial" Force-sensitives who served the
dark side, such as the Reborn and the Shadowtroopers. The first Dark Jedi was believed to be
Xendor, who was the first member of the Jedi Order to fall. Other forerunners included Ajunta
Pall and others who, after the Hundred-Year Darkness, were exiled from Galactic Republic space
and became the ancient progenitors of the Sith Lords. Ultimately, the title became something of a
blanket term for darksiders who could not be classified as belonging to any specific dark side
organization.

Dark Jedi also became a term of note during the Great Sith War and the Jedi Civil War, where
fallen Jedi served under the banners of Exar Kun and the duo of Darth Revan and Darth Malak,
respectively. Thousands of years later, Sith Lords such as Palpatine would resurrect the term,
with agents serving under him bearing the title. Those whom the Miraluka Jerec controlled came
to be known as the Seven Dark Jedi.

Contents
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Description and relationship to the Sith

Dooku: "A bold claim, but you are not Sith. You wear the trappings of the Sith, you fight like the
Sith… but this can be imitated, however. You lack a vital quality found in all Sith. Sith have no
fear, and I sense much fear in you."

Asajj Ventress: "You are a foolish old man, who knows nothing of the dark side!"

Dooku: "Indeed?"

―Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress[src]

Despite the fact that both groups called upon the dark side of the Force, Dark Jedi were not the
same as the Sith, though the first group of the Dark Jedi were the predecessors of the Dark Lords
in the ancient Sith Empire.

A Dark Side Master in an apparent Soresu stance.

The term Dark Jedi was a collective and vague name of dark side practitioners (be they fallen or
rogue Jedi) that used Force powers and a lightsaber, but were not always members of a certain
organization; whereas the term Sith refers to a definite heritage or ideology. Some Dark Jedi
were allied to the Sith or other organizations, while others were loners. Because they were
notoriously dangerous, unstable, and treacherous, Dark Jedi seldom formed well-organized
groups on their own in order to expand their following or reinforce their strength. One notable
exception to this was the Miraluka Dark Jedi Jerec and his retinue of minions. Dark Jedi could
also use their power for personal gain, becoming mercenaries or assassins.

The Sith, however, was an order that followed their code and studied their history, studied their
own skills and techniques, and possessed secrets like Sith alchemy and Midi-chlorian
manipulation. Furthermore, after the Rule of Two was established, the Order of the Sith Lords
was limited to only two members, a master and an apprentice, whereas the Dark Jedi had no
organization and no such limitations.

The Sith would often seduce Dark Jedi to work for them, without really granting them any
knowledge of Sith techniques. Yet most Dark Jedi were willing to serve the Sith, and saw it as a
way to further their knowledge of the Force. Like the Sith, they usually used lightsabers with red
blades, but were also known to use a wide variety of saber colors.

Many dark side practitioners, such as Count Dooku, considered the power of a Dark Jedi to be
nothing compared to the power of the Sith. Other individuals, like Darth Vader, practiced both
Dark Jedi and Sith techniques. According to Dooku, a prime difference between Dark Jedi and
Sith is that the Sith "lack fear".

Gray Jedi

"Jinn always does things his own way, always sure he is right, always incredulous if we
do not see it his way. Some think he is a gray Jedi."
―Tyvokka, on Qui-Gon Jinn[src]

The term Gray Jedi, or Gray, had two meanings. First, it was used by Jedi and Sith to describe
Force-users who walked the line between the light and dark sides of the Force without
surrendering to the dark side, and second, it described Jedi who distanced themselves from the
Jedi High Council and operated outside the strictures of the Jedi Code. However, those who were
considered to be true Gray Jedi met both qualifications and did not belong to any particular
Force tradition. One example was Jolee Bindo, a former Jedi Padawan and a Gray Jedi that
served the Old Republic.

Although the term did not directly refer to those who were capable of using both light and dark
side Force abilities, all Gray Jedi could do so. The term was similar to that of "Dark Jedi" in that
it could refer to any Force-user, and not only to Jedi. For example, the Voss Mystics were
considered to be Gray despite holding very different views than, and refusing association with,
the Jedi Order. Sith were never considered to be Gray Jedi, as the Sith Order taught full
commitment to the dark side. The term was sometimes used to refer to unorthodox or dissident
Jedi who did not meet the strictest requirements of being a Gray Jedi. For example, the Jedi Qui-
Gon Jinn was thought of by some members of the Jedi Order as a Gray Jedi for his
disagreements with the High Council. A group of renegade Jedi called the Gray Paladins used
the term this way to describe themselves—they advocated minimal reliance on the Force and the
use of blasters but otherwise held to the Jedi Code.

The term dated back as far as the Old Sith Wars, when the High Council attempted to consolidate
their power and centralize the Order. Some Jedi felt that the Council did not have the authority to
reinterpret the Jedi Code, and considered themselves beholden only to the Force. These early
Gray Jedi clashed with the Council over new strictures of the Code, such as those barring
attachment or restricting training. During this time period, Gray Jedi became associated with a
certain variety of robe; Bindo wore a version of these robes. The term was later used by the New
Jedi Order to refer to entire Force traditions that held views that differed from the Jedi's but did
not embrace the dark side. The Jensaarai and the Imperial Knights were two such organizations.

Jedi

"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the
Old Republic."

―Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]

A Jedi was a member of the Jedi Order, who studied, served and used the mystical energies of
the Force; usually, the light side of the Force. The weapon of the Jedi was the lightsaber, a
weapon with a blade made of pure energy. The Jedi fought for peace and justice in the Galactic
Republic, usually against their mortal enemies, the Sith and Dark Jedi, who studied the dark side
of the Force. Although the Order was almost destroyed five times, including once by the Sith
Empire of Darth Revan, by the Sith Triumvirate under Darth Nihilus during the First Jedi Purge
shortly after, 4,000 years after that, by the Great Jedi Purge of Darth Sidious, and a century
afterwards by Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire and it's Third Jedi Purge, the order continued to live
on, in part due to the Skywalker family who time and time again played important parts in the
history of the Jedi.

Contents
[show]
History of the Jedi
Main articles: Je'daii Order, Jedi Order and New Jedi Order

"Remember, a Jedi fights only as a last resort. If you are forced to draw your lightsaber, you have
already forfeited much of your advantage. A Jedi trusts the Force and at first seeks other ways to
resolve problems: patience, logic, tolerance, attentive listening, negotiation, persuasion, calming
techniques. But there are times when a Jedi must fight."

―Luke Skywalker to his students[src]

Yoda, one of the most renowned and powerful Jedi in galactic history.

Originally formed as a philosophical study group situated on the planet Tython, the Jedi became
revered as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. As mystical wielders of the Force and of
their signature lightsabers, their powers inspired all citizens in the galaxy. The calm, considered
demeanor of the Jedi made them ideal brokers of peace in times of conflict or dispute. Yet, for all
their power and diversity, the Jedi were few. Often beset by foes in times of doubt and confusion,
undercurrents of evil often challenged their order and the establishment they served, the most
notable being the Sith. These dark warriors were the antithesis of the Jedi, their sworn enemies,
and the battle between them brought the galaxy to war more than once. In times of crisis, the Sith
could even use the dark side of the Force to diminish the powers of the Jedi, and prevent them
from sensing the future.

The way of the Jedi had become the way of wisdom and patience, backed by swift and decisive
action when necessary. However, the Jedi Council sometimes showed what appeared to be a lack
of decisiveness, such as during the Mandalorian Wars, preferring to work with events and
patterns over the long term. Their inaction spurred Revan to fight back, and eventually led to the
Jedi Civil War. To the rest of the galaxy, the line between Jedi and Sith became blurred during
the conflict, and both sides were blamed for the destruction wrought on worlds such as Katarr,
Telos IV, and Taris.

Through intricate planning and dazzling adaptability, one Sith Master (Senator Palpatine of
Naboo) even rose to the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, engineered the
Clone Wars, and undermined the Jedi until he could, in one swift, masterful stroke, destroy the
Jedi Order and enslave the galaxy beneath his banner as Emperor of the new Galactic Empire.
Yet, even this catastrophe failed to eradicate the Jedi completely, and, within a generation, they
had returned to once again protect and nurture the galaxy with their wisdom and guidance in the
form of the New Jedi Order. The Jedi would continue to protect and serve the galaxy through the
horrors of the Yuuzhan Vong War and downfall of the New Republic and the establishment of
the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

Path of the Jedi

"You have chosen the lonely path. The Jedi teach denial of self. That is their weakness. No
sentient can long abide that."

―Saes Rrogon, Jedi-turned-Sith Lord[src]

Becoming a Jedi required the most profound commitment and astute mind; the life of a Jedi was
one of sacrifice. To hinder transgression, those who showed an aptitude for the Force were taken
directly from birth (or soon afterward) to train in the Jedi Temple headquarters on Coruscant or
at smaller Jedi Enclaves as Padawans. From the beginning of their training, a Jedi was expected
to adhere to a strict Code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and
benevolence. Dark emotions such as hate, anger, and fear were thought to be destructive, leading
down the path to the dark side, so the Jedi were taught to purge such feelings.

Training
Main article: Jedi training

"Master Ooroo, I have been very busy here with my tasks as a Jedi Knight…I certainly miss the
days of my peaceful tutelage."
"Yes, but a Jedi must learn action as well as knowledge…"

―Jedi Knight Odan-Urr and his Master, Ooroo[src]

Padawans would typically go on missions with their Jedi Masters to learn from experience.

Children being trained as Jedi were called younglings and instructed in "clans" by a venerable,
experienced Jedi Master, learning the ways of the Jedi and the powers of the Force. After Ruusan
it had become normal that the Jedi trainees were always children. Once Yavin 4 had been
established as Jedi headquarters, the Jedi initiates, which were no longer children, were trained
first under the direction of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and, in time, under another Master's
direction in groups. When the New Jedi Order began, the younglings were again trained in clans
from childhood.

When an individual student achieved satisfactory understanding of the Jedi way, they were
usually taken under the wing of another Jedi member and instructed individually to complete
their training. Masters typically brought their Padawans along on missions, and later sent them
on missions of their own, to allow them to gain experience and learn from practice.

Not all students were promoted to direct study as Padawan learner under a Jedi Master. In the
days of the Old Republic, it was common practice for younglings who were not selected to be
Padawans by the age of 13 to be shifted into one of the divisions of the public service
organization, the Jedi Service Corps. Such was to be the fate of young Obi-Wan Kenobi until the
events at Bandomeer caused Qui-Gon Jinn to accept Obi-Wan as his Padawan.

Way of life
"Training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life."

―Qui-Gon Jinn[src]

In following the Code, Jedi behavior was rigidly structured to uphold self-discipline,
responsibility, and public service. The Jedi conquered emotions and materialism. They honored
life, the law, the Order itself and the master-student relationship. Jedi rendered aid to support and
defend the weak; compassion was "encouraged." Rules of engagement included such notions as
understanding the dark and light in all things, learning to see accurately, opening their eyes to
what was not evident and exercising caution, even in trivial matters. Above all, Jedi upheld their
duty to the Republic and embraced the Force. The Jedi before the Ruusan Reformation typically
had more leeway in their dealings, as the Order was more loosely organized and the individual
Knights and Masters granted greater personal freedom. Afterward, the Order was more centrally
regulated by the High Council.

The Jedi Temple, the traditional home of the Order

Early Jedi were known to utilize shields and armor to protect themselves in battle, and used
blaster pistols as well as lightsabers in combat. Later, as the lightsaber became a more self-
contained weapon without an external power pack, the Jedi chose to carry it as their sole "tool"
of defense and offense. The lightsaber was considered more a tool than a weapon. The lightsaber
came to fulfill both a symbolic and pragmatic role for the Jedi; it identified the wielder, had a
powerful visual impact, and given the availability of cybernetic replacement limbs might have
been seen as a more 'clean' weapon than the blaster, which Obi-Wan regarded as "uncivilized,"
"clumsy" and "random."

The Jedi of the pre-Reformation era, (Old Jedi Order), also do not seem to have had any formal
dress code, and dressed more or less as they saw fit, although traditional robes were favored by
most Masters. These included a tunic, a cloak, and sometimes a tabard—usually in varied tones
and shades of white and brown, though, gray was also quite common for the overtunic. The left
side of the dress was always turned on the right part of the torso. After the Reformation, these
robes became the typical Jedi clothing, even in battle. The Jedi also wore trousers, an obi, a
leather utility belt, where they carried specialized field gear for their missions, and leather boots.
The Jedi colors, which showed harmony with the Force, formed a stark contrast to the
antithetical Sith, who were draped primarily in black.

In accordance with their philosophies of non-attachment, clothing was viewed as quite

disposable. Indeed, possession itself was seen as forbidden as another form of attachment, and
most Jedi lived out lives of material poverty, though the Order's infrastructure and the support of
the Republic meant the Jedi did not lack for food, housing, or clothing.

Some time prior to the Great Sith War Jedi were forbidden to hold strong attachments, as they
were believed to lead to the emotions of the dark side. For this reason, Jedi were not allowed to
marry. Reess Kairn had an attachment, despite this being a violation of the Code. After finding
his lover with another man, he killed them both in anger. This led him to the dark side. Anakin
Skywalker would become a testament to such Jedi circumspection, as his fear of losing his
undisclosed wife, Padmé Amidala, ultimately caused his fall to darkness, but his connection to
his son, Luke Skywalker, would later drive him back to the light. Although Jedi were not
required to be chaste as well, many Jedi were abstinent if not outright celibate, due to sex being
considered self-indulgence and an unnecessary act. At least one special case was recorded in this
arrangement: Ki-Adi-Mundi who, due to low Cerean birth-rates, was permitted to have a
polygamous marriage, and fathered seven daughters. Ranik Solusar was disciplined by the
Council for his marriage and the child it produced, but was not expelled from the Order.

Despite this restriction, Jedi were known to have secret, clandestine relationships, whether with
non-Jedi, such as the marriages of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos and
Khaleen Hentz, Nejaa Halcyon and Scerra Halcyon, and Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone commando
Darman Skirata; or within the Jedi Order itself—such as the relationships of Kit Fisto and Aayla
Secura, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tahl, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi, and Tholme and T'ra Saa.
Some were developed even as Padawans, such as Mak Lotor and Kass Tod, who died together,
with Tod directly stating there was the Force, death and love. Many of these relationships did not
lead to mishap. Further, Revan shared a romantic affection with Bastila Shan, who was redeemed
by him after her fall.

Others openly defied the High Council on this matter. This led to particular strife with Jolee
Bindo and his wife, Nayama Bindo, during the Great Sith War. Bindo trained his wife in the
ways of the Force, but she soon fell to the dark side. He was not expelled from the Order, and
instead was to be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. He then lost faith in the wisdom of the
Council and left the Order.

Luke Skywalker and members of the New Jedi Order

Up to the Great Sith War, some Jedi did practice marriage and were known to have families of
their own. There were even cases of families consisting entirely of Jedi, such as that of Andur
Sunrider. The children of Jedi families were often gifted in the Force. Even later in the Order,
such families existed—though the continuation of the line was through those family members
who did not become Jedi. Famous Jedi families of the late Republic included the Koon family
and the Diath family.

However, it appears that some Jedi might have been granted the right to marry, not as a special
case, but as a norm. Several Corellian Jedi (Keiran Halcyon during the Old Republic, and Corran
Horn in the time of the New Republic) were allowed to marry and raise children without
repercussion. Whether this was due to an agreement between the Jedi and the planetary
government—Corellia is known for its family-centric culture—or purely personal choices made
against the Jedi Code is not known, except in the case of Nejaa Halcyon, who married his wife
secretly without the approval of the Council. Corellian Jedi often had many other noticeable
differences from the traditional Jedi ways, such as in clothing and a reluctance to take on
missions outside of their home system.

By the time of the New Jedi Order, the practice of forbidding or discouraging marriages had
been discarded, as many of the Order's members had spouses and children, including the Order's
Grand Master himself, whose wife was another Jedi Master.

The way of the Jedi was a life-long path, and a Jedi usually remained part of the Order their
entire life—learning more about the Order and the Force and following the will of the Jedi
Council. Up until the beginning of the Clone Wars, only twenty Jedi (of rank Master or higher)
were said to have ever left the Order (although there is some debate as to whether this means the
post-Ruusan Order, the Order after some earlier point in its history, or literally in its entire
history), of which the most prominent were Count Dooku and Master Phanius. These were
commonly referred to as the Lost Twenty, or simply "The Lost".

The Force
Main article: The Force

Further information: Force powers

"My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

―Yoda[src]

The Jedi were unified by their study of the Force: an "energy field" that emanated from every
living thing.[1] The force is channeled by microscopic organisms in the bloodstream,
midichlorians, sometimes spelled midi-chlorians. They are in every living thing and
communicate with the force. The Jedi sought to understand the Force so that they could use its
power to protect and aid the people that they served. The Jedi believed that the Force could be
harnessed through careful study and contemplation to benefit the user and the universe around
them. As they studied the light side of the Force, the Jedi encouraged their members only to use
the Force for healing and defense—never in anger or fear. However, several members of the Jedi
order throughout history disagreed with this view, believing that darker uses of the Force should
be embraced because they offered a quick and easy path to power, while contemplation of the
light side of the Force required patience and effort. This disagreement gave rise to the Sith, the
constant enemy of the Jedi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, a master of mind tricks

The Jedi focused their lives on understanding and strengthening their connection, or oneness,
with the Force to allow them to manipulate it as an extension of themselves (by contrast, Sith
merely exercise control over the Force). This connection was increased by rigorous training and
meditation to achieve a state of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual harmony, a kind of
inner peace. As the path required such great discipline and may have extended a Jedi's life, most
Jedi never reach their true potential. Further attempts to achieve this potential may have met with
failure and caused frustration in Jedi, resulting in a lesser connection and more frustration in
turn. This is the main reason why the Sith considered themselves stronger than the Jedi, for
whereas they were trained to use the dark side with maximum effectiveness and power, few Jedi
had shown the true limits of the light side's power and those who have seldom used it.

The dark side of the Force brought with it a great temptation for many Jedi; to many the dark
side seemed a quicker and easier path. Pursuit of the dark side, however, was a self-destructive
endeavor, and many Jedi who tasted dark powers found it harder and harder to turn away.
Though some Jedi could be redeemed back to the path of the light, many fell and became Dark
Jedi, some of whom became members of the Sith Order. Further, the pall of the dark side could
diminish Jedi ability, clouding their insights into important matters. For these reasons, practice of
dark Force powers was expressly forbidden by the Jedi Council. Those fallen to the dark side,
however, the Jedi tried to save. To the Jedi, killing was a last resort. This quality was at once a
strength and a weakness of the Order.

The lightsaber
Main article: Lightsaber

A Jedi wielding his lightsaber

"One of the ways the Jedi learn to know the Force, is to use the lightsaber as an instrument of
meditation. The lightsaber is not only a weapon of defense—it is important for focusing the
mind. A Jedi uses his lightsaber to assist his connection to the Force."

―Master Thon to Nomi Sunrider[src]

The traditional Jedi weapon was the lightsaber, which, in the hands of a skilled wielder, could be
deadly in combat, even against opponents armed with ranged weapons. To attain this level of
skill, however, required great focus and training. Students practiced the rubrics of lightsaber
combat with a remote, and children used training lightsabers. They also dueled fellow Jedi as a
test of their skills.

Anakin Skywalker assembles his first lightsaber in the caves of Ilum

Due to all the weight being in the hilt, the lightsaber was a difficult weapon to handle. Jedi needed
heightened awareness to use the weapon well, and such conditioning helped to hone their connection
to the Force. Since the binding of a lightsaber's intricate innards and the initial charging of the power cell
also required knowledge of the Force to implement, the Padawan was tasked with constructing their
own lightsaber as part of their training, using a unique crystal, (such as the type found on the ice planet
of Ilum, for example), that focuses the crystal's energy thus creating the lightsaber's blade.

During the Jedi Civil War era, many Cerean Jedi used specially-forged Kasha lightsaber crystals
as a meditative tool; by incorporating such crystals into their training regimens, they helped to
clear the wielder's mind of distractions, even during tense physical combat. Further, it was a task
in itself to find components for the lightsaber. Meditation in a crystal cave on a planet such as
Ilum or Dantooine would often produce an image in the Jedi's mind about the lightsaber they
were to build. The construction of a lightsaber was considered a milestone on the path to Jedi
Knighthood, and took on a heavily symbolic meaning.

During the times of the Old Republic, it was a customary practice for a Jedi Master to present
their own personal lightsaber as a gift to their most accomplished student. Jedi apprentice Nomi
Sunrider was the recipient of one such lightsaber, receiving the weapon from Master Thon as a
testament to the potential for greatness he recognized within her. Though the apprentice was
indeed grateful for receiving such an honored gift, their Master would still stress the importance
of knowing how to build one, requiring or even demanding that eventually the apprentice learns
to construct their own, unique, lightsaber.

The Three Pillars of the Jedi

"Jedi do not fight for peace. That's only a slogan, and is as misleading as slogans always are. Jedi
fight for civilization, because only civilization creates peace. We fight for justice because justice is
the fundamental bedrock of civilization: an unjust civilization is built upon sand. It does not long
survive a storm."

―Mace Windu[src]

The strength of the Jedi Code and organization of the Order rested on the three core tenets of
Force, Knowledge, and Self-Discipline. Built into a Jedi's everyday life, the Coruscant Jedi
Temple's main entrance statuary was illustrative of the three pillars.[2]

Main corridor of the Jedi Archives

The first pillar was the Force, the constant between all things. Given purpose by the Force,
Master Sabla-Mandibu described the Jedi as "swimming in the Force in our every moment--
breathing it, tasting it, riding its currents to our unique destines." A symbiosis of midi-chlorians
and sentient beings was the key needed to be able to touch the Force, but this biological necessity
was not a main focus of Jedi study. Instead, Jedi contemplated the will of the Force and the
differences between its two aspects: the Unifying and Living Force.[2]

The Pillar of Knowledge maintained that a Jedi's role in the galaxy could not be filled without
intense study and accumulated wisdom. To assist in the pursuit of knowledge, the Temple was
equipped with a deep well of knowledge known as the Jedi Archives. In addition to the Archives
and supplementary library, the Temple contained several vaults which housed the holocrons of
the Order. While an individual could never learn everything within the collection, the presiding
Chief Librarian that maintained the collection would argue that it wouldn't hurt to try.[2]

Lastly, the Pillar of Self-Discipline was rightly known as the Third Pillar. Classes on combat and
physical training were not given until mastery of the first two tenets was gained. Once ready to
study the art of self-discipline, students were oftentimes disappointed to learn that they would
not begin intense lightsaber training, but would be encouraged to take on more stringent forms of
meditation. Only after mastering oneself could an Initiate proceed to take up a lightsaber for the
first time.[2]

Jedi ranks
"What kind of nonsense is this?! Put me on the Council and not make me a Master? It's never
been done in the history of the Jedi. It's insulting!"

―Anakin Skywalker[src]

As the Jedi instructed their members in the ways of the Jedi Code and the Force, each member
progressed through four basic levels of rank.

Jedi younglings

Hierarchy

 Jedi Initiate (or Youngling or "Jedi Hopeful") – The youngest members of the Order, these Force-
sensitive children were given the rank of Initiate when they began their communal training in
clans. Recruited from worlds throughout the galaxy where blood testing was required upon
birth, Initiates were removed from their families and brought to a Jedi academy for formal
training.[2]
Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi alongside Padawans A'Sharad Hett and Anakin Skywalker

 Jedi Padawan (or "Jedi Apprentice") – After being selected for individual tutelage under a single
Jedi Knight or Jedi Master, Initiates were given the title of Padawan. Eligible for this rank
following the successful completion of the Initiate Trials, Padawans were typically taken at
adolescence and completed their training away from the academy. Per tradition, Padawans of a
hair-growing species would wear a long braid of hair behind their ear; non-haired Padawans
were encouraged to wear a type of jewelry, a tattoo, or other body modification. A Jedi Knight
or Jedi Master could have only one apprentice at a time, and the Padawan had to be promoted
to the rank of Jedi Knight before another apprentice could be chosen; a practice that was
formalized following the Great Sith War. While in place, the policy could be revoked should the
Order see a decline in number, and necessity forces the apprenticeship of several students to a
single master. Following several unsuccessful attempts at the Initiate Trials or if a student is not
chosen by a Master, the Council of Reconciliation would place the student within the Jedi
Service Corps. Depending on where the student's talents lay, this might be the Agricultural
Corps, the Medical Corps, the Educational Corps or the Exploration Corps. If this role did not suit
a particular student, they could choose to leave the Order entirely.[2]
 Jedi Knight – Following a period of nearly a decade of one-on-one training with a master, a
disciplined Padawan was eligible to attempt the Jedi Trials. Upon successfully completing all
tests put forth, a Padawan's braid was severed by the High Council and their life as a Knight
began. No longer attached to a master, Knights were free to accept missions from the Council,
pursue specialized training on one of the three branches of Knighthood, or take their own
Padawan.[2]
 Jedi Master – An experienced Knight who demonstrated great wisdom and understanding of the
Force could be elevated to the rank of Master by the High Council. Self-declaration of the title
was frowned upon and rare practice in the latter days of the Order, but not uncommon during
war times or periods of disbandment. Amongst the Order's Masters, only a select few were
appointed to one of the Jedi Councils. Made up exclusively of wise, experienced Masters, the
Councils of the Order had different levels of membership, ensuring fresh perspectives were
expressed as new events occurred. The High Council was made up of 12 masters, five of them
 holding life terms, four holding long-terms, and three holding short-terms. The elected leader of
the Council was known as the Master of the Order and was often bestowed upon the acting
Grand Master; the recognized leader of the entire Order.[2]

Specialization

Upon a Padawan's ascension to Knighthood, they faced the choice of continuing down one of
three branches of Jedi training. Choosing based on preference and personal talents and skills, the
opportunity to join the ranks of the Jedi Guardian, Jedi Consular, or Jedi Sentinel was open to all
who passed the Jedi Trials. In addition to their specialization, the High Council could demand
that the members of the Order assume military ranks in order to defend the Republic.[2]

Jedi Guardian
Main article: Jedi Guardian

Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi Guardian

Knights preferring to take a physically active stance against the dark side of the Force and all
other threats to the Republic were known to pursue the title of Guardian. Brandishing their
lightsabers proudly, Guardians focused much of their training on perfecting their sparring and
athletic skills, as well as the art of unarmed combat. The Force skills studied by the Guardians
were typically those used for quickly disabling an opponent and aiding in agility and stamina.
The most profound masters of this specialization were known as Warrior Master.[2]

 Jedi Ace – Members of the Jedi Starfighter Corps were known as Aces and specialized and used a
starfighter as an extension of their being, combining piloting skills with mastery of the Force.[2]
 Lightsaber instructors – Stationed at the Jedi academy, these individuals were battle-scarred
Masters who were determined to pass down their experience to the young students of the
Order. The highest ranking instructor within the academy was given the title of battlemaster by
the High Council and was responsible for selecting and referring future instructors.[2]
 Jedi Peacekeeper – Those Jedi wishing to pursue a peacekeeping role were stationed within
planetary or sectoral government's security agencies where they worked as the area's special
police. Helping to quell riots and capture terrorists, the Temple Security Force was made up of
Peacekeepers. Within its ranks, Jedi could be trained as Gate Master, Sniper, or Brute.[2]
  Jedi Weapon Master – A Jedi Master who mastered the technique of wielding an exotic weapon
was dubbed a Weapons Specialist, or Weapon Master. The Weapon Master was among the
greatest physical fighters of the Order.[2]

Jedi Consular
Main article: Jedi Consular

Jedi Healer Barriss Offee during the Clone Wars.

Focusing not on physical force but on mastery of the Force and the sharpening of mental skills,
the Jedi Knights who became Consulars worked closely with the Republic Diplomatic Corps and
medical facilities. Overseen by the Council of Reconciliation, Consulars worked as healers,
prophets, and researchers, wielding a lightsaber only for self defense. The most studied masters
of this specialization were known as Sage Master.[2]

 Jedi Ambassador – The face of the Republic to each newly discovered world, Ambassadors
worked closely with bureaucrats to assist in greeting unaligned governments and helping them
join the Republic. Some Ambassadors were designated as advisers to certain Senators or even
the Supreme Chancellor upon request.[2]
 Jedi Diplomat – Always right in the middle of a dispute, Jedi Diplomats were given the authority
to hammer out a compromise or treaty during tense negotiations, backed by the full support of
the Senate and Jedi Order. Jedi were often called upon to act as impartial diplomats. This was
possibly due to the Order's traditions of detachment from secular society and the phenomenon
of Force-guided intuition. They would serve as moderators and negotiators during disputes, and
their judgments were recognized as just and binding. When acting as diplomats, Jedi took the
utmost care to be impartial and fair-minded. The legacy of this impartiality was such that,
decades after the Jedi Purge and Palpatine's false accusations of the corruption of the Jedi
Order, the legend of Jedi impartiality lived on in the memories of some sections of galactic
society. Some species who respected the Jedi – for example, the Barabel – retained a tradition
of calling upon a Jedi's impartial judgment even for minor interpersonal disputes.[2]
 Jedi healer – Some Jedi would focus on the more humanitarian aspects of the Force,
manipulating the Living Force to perform the art of healing. Led by the Circle of Jedi Healers and
headquartered out of the Coruscant Temple's Halls of Healing, healers were also deployed to
serve aboard MedStar frigates and, occasionally, in Republic's mobile surgical units, or
Rimsoos.[2]
  Jedi Lore Keeper – Jedi wishing to contribute to the growth of the Jedi Archives would become
Lore Keepers, a group directed by the Librarian's Assembly. Divided into historians, archivists,
and librarians, each group worked for the proliferation of knowledge and preservation of the
past.[2]
 Jedi Researcher – Solving theory and updating the Archives of the Order, researchers chose
specializations such as that in archaeology, geology, biology, mathematics, and astronomy.[2]
 Jedi Seer – Those Jedi specifically predisposed to receive visions through the Force were known
as Seers, maintaining and updating the Order's holocrons. The most perceptive of these Jedi
were known as Prophets and foretold the future of the galaxy.[2]

Jedi Sentinel
Main article: Jedi Sentinel

Kai Justiss was Jedi Watchman of Kashyyyk following the retirement of Master Yoda.

Knights that sought a balance between the intensive combat training of the Jedi Guardians and
the wider philosophical views and teaching responsibilities of the Jedi Consulars. These Jedi
ferreted out deceit and injustice, bringing it to light. They were generally employed in scouting
missions and were skilled in security, computers, or stealth techniques, and also had diplomatic
skills.[2]

 Jedi investigator – Jedi specially appointed by the High Council to uncover hidden and obscure
threats to the galaxy such as powerful criminal syndicates, corruption and conspiracy against the
Republic and other shady menaces. The Jedi investigator would often work alone and
undercover to infiltrate suspicious organizations or would be busy investigating some act of
crime.[2]
 Jedi Shadow – The secret police of the Order, Shadows worked under the supervision of the
First Knowledge Council and were dispatched to destroy all agents of the dark side. Heavily
employed after the New Sith Wars, the Shadows were responsible for erasing the word "Sith"
from the minds of the majority of galactic citizens.[2]
 Jedi Watchman – Jedi Watchmen were charged with overseeing a particular system or sector,
thus serving as a type of liaison officer between the system or sector and the High Council as
well as the Republic in general. Jedi Watchmen were often highly skilled in diplomacy and
possessed knowledge of the culture of the system or sector they oversaw; typically having spent
many years living amongst the people of said world.[2]

Military and warfare

"We're often called a militant Order, but do you know one of the principal differences between
the military and the Jedi Order? The military are expected to follow orders, even when they feel
 those orders are not what's right. The Jedi are expected to do what's right, even when the course
of action runs contrary to orders."

―Jedi Master Cilghal[src]

In times of war, especially when Sith forces were involved, Jedi would sometimes assume
military ranks and govern armies of Republic military units, as was seen in the Mandalorian
Wars, the Jedi Civil War, the New Sith Wars, and the Clone Wars. So Jedi indeed became
soldiers, not just keepers of the peace. During the New Sith Wars, the Order created the Army of
Light, a massive military branch that consisted of the majority of active Jedi.

 Jedi Commander – A Padawan serving as a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, the
Jedi Commander was assigned to a Jedi General until knighted. Once a full Jedi, the Padawan
was then referred to as General.
 Jedi General – Jedi Knights or Masters who had been placed in command of a Republic army
were dubbed Generals. Jedi Masters could become Senior Jedi General, leading one of the
twenty Sector Armies. Out of the twelve High Council members, some became High Jedi
Generals not only commanding their own Systems Army, but also supervising all other ranking
Jedi.
 Jedi Lord – a Jedi who served as a commander in the Army of Light during the New Sith Wars.
The Jedi Lord assumed this title mainly out of political motivation. The rank was abolished after
the war.

The Chosen One

Main article: Chosen One

"… A Jedi will come, to destroy the Sith, and bring balance to the Force."

―Great Holocron[src]

Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One

The prophecy of the Chosen One was an ancient Jedi legend that foretold the coming of a being
who was "to bring balance to the Force". This prophecy was interpreted by Qui-Gon and other
Jedi to mean that he would destroy the Sith. Qui-Gon Jinn believed that a young Anakin
Skywalker was that person when he discovered him in 32 BBY, because of Anakin's
exceptionally high midi-chlorian count and unique birth.
At first, many Jedi believed Anakin to be the Chosen One because of his seemingly
incomparable power, greater than any Jedi in history. Later, though, it seemed that he was not the
Chosen One, since he fell to the Dark Side, and as Darth Vader, was a main figure in the
destruction of the Jedi Order. However, in 4 ABY he redeemed himself with his decision to stand
against Emperor Palpatine, sacrificing himself to save his son, Luke, and finally destroying the
Sith Order in the process. This action proved Qui-Gon and various others correct at last in that he
in fact was the Chosen One. With the deaths of both Sidious and Vader, the Force was brought
into a certain "balance."[3]

The Mind Walkers, also known as Mind Drinkers, were a group of Force-sensitives who lived at Sinkhole
Station, a space station in the Maw. There, they learned how to separate their minds from their bodies
to enter a realm of the Force known as beyond shadows.

New Jedi Order

"Not the last of the old Jedi, Luke. The first of the new."

―Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Luke Skywalker[src]

The New Jedi Order was the restored and reformed Jedi Order, in the wake of the Great Jedi
Purge and subsequent fall of the Galactic Empire. The Jedi Knights, reduced in number to only a
handful, were slowly restored, primarily under the leadership of Luke Skywalker, son of the
former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.

Slow in developing, it existed for a number of years as a disparate group of Force-sensitives with
various degrees of training. After a first attempt to train new Knights was thwarted by the
Reborn Emperor, Luke Skywalker initiated the first formal training school for Jedi in decades—
the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Starting with an initial group of twelve students, the Order slowly
grew in numbers and stature, becoming a core part of the New Republic that sponsored it. This
meant it was repeatedly targeted by enemies of the Republic, such as Imperial Admiral Natasi
Daala, the Empire Reborn, and the Second Imperium. Members of the order were involved in
many of the key conflicts in the galaxy during the prime of the New Republic, including the
Nagai–Tof War, Operation Shadow Hand, the Black Fleet Crisis and the Corellian Crisis.
This involvement culminated in the Jedi involvement in the Yuuzhan Vong War. Despite their
commitment to defending the galaxy from this threat, the Order was vilified by the galaxy's
citizens, and was betrayed on numerous occasions. Their involvement in the war cost nearly half
the Order’s Knights. Out of this conflict, a more centralized Order was born. It would continue to
grow and serve the galaxy for decades to come, until the Sith–Imperial War once again dispersed
the Order and made its members fugitives. They subsequently returned to their place in the
galaxy at the end of the Second Imperial Civil War.

Contents
[show]

History Edit

Last of the Old, First of the New (4–10 ABY) Edit

Dracos: "When are we gonna be Jedi Knights, like you, with magic? When are you gonna teach
us to use the Force?"

Skywalker: "I'm not, Dracos. I can't. […] The potential for abuse—if any of you turned out to have
talent and learned anything without learning everything—is staggering. And I don't want to be
responsible for that."

―Dracos and Luke Skywalker discuss training in the ways of the Force[src]

After the virtual extermination of the old Jedi Order by Emperor Palpatine, few survivors
remained; those that did went into hiding. Eventually, Obi-Wan Kenobi introduced a young man
named Luke Skywalker to the Jedi ways. Luke would play a key role in the fall of the Emperor
and the redemption of his father, Anakin Skywalker, who turned against the Jedi Order at the
start of the Purge. This made Luke the primary heir to the Order.

Skywalker's first thoughts of training an apprentice came right after the Battle of Endor. During
the Ssi-ruuvi invasions, Skywalker came in contact with a young Force-sensitive boy named Dev
Sibwarra. After rescuing the boy from the Ssi-ruuk, Skywalker had plans to train Sibwarra as his
first apprentice. During the Invasion of Bakura, Dev sustained mortal injuries and died aboard
the Millennium Falcon. Due to Sibwarra's death and a growing fear that he would create the next
Vader, Skywalker became reluctant to take on an apprentice.[4]
Luke Skywalker openly fought as a Jedi on Rebel Alliance and New Republic missions.

Around the time of the Nagai–Tof War, Skywalker received several requests for training from
young freedom fighters who hoped to become Jedi Knights, but Skywalker's reluctance
remained. He refused to train the young hopefuls on the excuse that he was not yet prepared to
take on apprentices. When Luke began instructing new recruits to the Rebellion in warfare,
recruits such as Kiro, Barney and the Rik Duel gang, they assumed that Luke would be teaching
them to wield the Force but were disappointed when Luke refused to school them in Force
techniques.[5] Luke's refusals also had a negative effect, as one of the first people to request his
training, Flint, became embittered when Luke refused to train him and turned to the dark side.[6]

Luke's hesitance to take on an apprentice continued until he faced the consequences of his
reluctant viewpoint. The young woman Vila came to Luke requesting training, and when Luke
refused, she brought him to Naldar to help liberate the planet. On Naldar, Luke came face to face
with Flint, now wielding the power of the dark side. In the subsequent battle, Vila was killed,
and Flint was arrested and put into the custody of the New Republic.[5] Luke began to see that
giving in to the fear of failure was not the path. Luke told the Iskalonian Kiro that he would
begin to train him, but before it could begin, Kiro went MIA in the Nagai-Tof War and became
disillusioned with the thought of becoming a Jedi.[7] After this rocky start, Luke put his plans for
a new Jedi Order on hold.

For a number of years after this, Skywalker continued to hone his own skills as he worked as a
Jedi Knight throughout the galaxy. During this time, he made a number of discoveries relating to
the Jedi, on planets such as Circarpous V,[8] Toola,[9] and Dathomir, and also briefly taught
Prince Isolder the basic tenets of the Force. As he was not Force-sensitive, the Prince provided a
risk free student for Luke to practice on.[9] It was also during this time that Skywalker met many
individuals who would eventually become members of his Jedi Order. Perhaps most notable was
Kyle Katarn, whom Skywalker met in 4 ABY during the crisis of the Valley of the Jedi. Katarn
already possessed a lightsaber and had some rudimentary insights into the Force, mastering
Force powers such as Force speed.[10]

The rise of the cloned Palpatine shook Skywalker out of his solitary existence. As foretold by
Bodo Baas's Master a thousand years earlier, this was a critical time during the history of the
Jedi. Faced with a seemingly unbeatable foe, Skywalker decided to train under the Emperor in
order to undermine the Empire from within. However, in doing so, Skywalker succumbed to the
influence of the dark side. He was brought back to the light side by his sister, Leia Organa Solo,
who also stole a precious Holocron from the Emperor. On the run from Imperial forces, Luke
and Leia gathered around them a cadre of Force-sensitives that Luke began to instruct. These
included the redeemed Kam Solusar, Vima-Da-Boda, the Ysanna siblings Jem and Rayf, and
Jedi Purge survivor King Empatojayos Brand.[11]

Defeating the Emperor did not come without a price—Jem, Rayf, and Brand lost their lives,
while Vima fled back into the underworld.[12] The cost to Luke was dear also – his experience
under the dark side's sway would scar his soul permanently. However, he gained an appreciation
of his own strength, and a deeper realization of what it would cost to return the Jedi Knights to
the galaxy. This ideal, and his enhanced powers made Luke the first new Jedi Master of the
reborn Jedi Order. Other gains made were the redemption of Kam and the acquisition of the
Bodo Baas holocron.

Jedi Praxeum (11–18 ABY) Edit

Main article: Jedi Praxeum

Jedi at the Praxeum fight Exar Kun's spirit.

During the Thrawn campaign, Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared to Luke in a vision. He would no
longer appear in Luke's visions, so he charged Luke with the mission of restoring the Jedi. Luke
was deeply distressed at being the last of the old Jedi, but Obi-Wan's last thought came with a
chuckle and a sense of calm: "Not the last of the old Jedi, Luke. The first of the new."[13]

With this encouragement, and after the cloned Emperor's defeat, Luke approached the New
Republic for permission to establish a Jedi academy.[14] During his travels, he had discovered a
number of Force-sensitives and finally felt ready to begin to train new Jedi. Permission was
granted and a site on the historic moon Yavin 4 was selected. This first class consisted of twelve
pupils with Luke as their teacher. Some of those twelve were Kam and Tionne Solusar, Kirana
Ti, Dorsk 81, Streen, Gantoris,[14] Madurrin,[15] Kyle Katarn,[15] Brakiss,[16] and Corran Horn.[16]
Other Jedi to join soon after were Kyp Durron, Cilghal, Mara Jade,[17] and Dal Konur.[18]

It was not long before it became apparent that not all was well at the Academy. The spirit of Exar
Kun, an ancient Sith Lord, haunted some of the temples on the moon and began to influence
Luke’s students towards the dark side. Kun attacked Luke, forcing him into a coma, and Kyp
Durron, one of the most promising students, fled the Academy in Sun Crusher, wreaking havoc
on the galaxy and destroying the world of Carida.[19]

Eventually Luke was awoken and the Sith spirit was defeated by a joint Jedi offensive. This
would be but one of many trials ahead of the fledgling Order though, with subsequent attacks
directed against it by Admiral Daala,[20] the Empire Reborn, and the Second Imperium.

Growth and expansion (18–22 ABY) Edit

"A Jedi's greatest power comes not from size or from physical strength. It comes from
understanding the Force. As part of your training you will learn to build your confidence and
belief through practice."

―Tionne Solusar[src]

A group of Jedi ambush an Imperial Juggernaut during the assault by Admiral Daala.

Despite these setbacks, the Jedi Order continued to grow and to serve the galaxy. The Order was
also supplemented by recruits from other Force traditions such as the Iron Knights,[21] the
Jensaarai,[22] the Matukai,[23] and students from the School of Hidden Wisdom.[24] Other students
were recruited in manifold ways, from the Force-natural Cheryl Trinja found on a jungle planet
by a group of Republic agents and trainees,[25] to the Old Republic Jedi Knight rescued from the
imprisonment of his former apprentice Winslau Da'k, on the Unknown Regions planet
Morcanth.[25] New Republic Intelligence also began to report to Skywalker on possible
candidates.[26]

Jedi Knights played key roles in disabling the Eye of Palpatine battlestation,[27] preventing the
spread of the Death Seed plague,[28] and stopping the Disciples of Ragnos, a cult with the goal of
resurrecting the Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos.[29] Finally they also took part in neutralizing
Centerpoint Station in the Corellian Crisis.[30] During this period, research missions increased,
with investigation on such planets as Chandrila,[29] Ossus,[31] Kamino,[31] Korriban,[32] Ruusan,[33]
Barab I,[31][34] and Borgo Prime.[35] One such mission to the Deep Core resulted in the capture of
a Jedi Knight. A rescue team was dispatched, which managed to trace the captors to the Imperial
fortress world of Prakith, home of the Citadel Inquisitorius. Confronting Inquisitor Shynne, the
team managed to safely rescue the Knight.[36] Other successes included Eelysa breaking a
number of slave rings in the Outer Rim,[34] Fahjay stopping an assassination attempt against
Admiral Gial Ackbar,[37] and the Jedi Knights negotiating a peace accord between the warring
Drovian and Gopso'o tribes on Nim Drovis—a war that had continued for generations.[38] The
Jedi also embarked on other diplomatic missions, such as to Iridonia.[39]

Discoveries of Jedi relics, such as Jedi armor on Garn,[40] lightsabers on Ossus,[11] Asli Krimsan's
holocron on Vjun[35] and Arca Jeth's holocron on Arkania[41] added to the Order's knowledge of
ancient Jedi practices. Many of these would be implemented, such as pairing up Masters to
apprentices and the formation of Jedi clans.[42] Not all practices were assimilated, though, such as
the Jedi prohibition on marriage, seeing as it was a marriage that was hidden (between Anakin
Skywalker and Padmé Amidala) that destroyed the Old Jedi Order in the first place. Instead the
new Order allowed marriage, even conducting Jedi ceremonies for Tionne and Kam Solusar, and
later in 19 ABY, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.[43] Many other Jedi, such as Kirana Ti, Corran
Horn, Daye Azur-Jamin and Tyria Sarkin Tainer, married non Force-sensitives, with their
children providing the next generation of Jedi trainees. The stark separation from family that was
practiced by the Old Order would also be disregarded, with opportunities for employment and
accommodation provided for trainees' families around the Academy.[42]

Junior Jedi Academy (22–25 ABY) Edit

After his wedding, Luke Skywalker altered the instruction schedule of his Yavin training center
to accommodate the training of younger students. In doing so, he was inspired by his former
Master, Yoda, who'd taught him that younger students were easier to train.[15] To this end, he
established a Junior Jedi Academy in 22 ABY.[44] On that same year, Jedi trainees Anakin Solo
and Tahiri Veila discovered the ancient Jedi Master Ikrit and freed the trapped Massassi souls
within the Golden Globe, a dark side device created by the Dark Lord Exar Kun in 3997 BBY to
drain the souls of the trapped Massassi to fuel his powers.[45] These two Jedi along with Tionne
Solusar, Uldir Lochett and R2-D2 also discovered the holocron of the ancient Jedi Asli Krimsan
at Bast Castle on Vjun,[35] and Kenobi's lightsaber[46] and thwarted Orloc's attempts to start his
own Jedi Order.
The raging battle for Yavin 4 during the assault by the Shadow Academy.

Later that year, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker traveled to the Unknown Regions to locate the
wreckage of the disastrous Old Republic Outbound Flight expeditionary fleet in an inaccessible
region of space known as the Redoubt. They were accompanied by Chiss Aristocra Formbi,
Commander Chak Fel of the Empire of the Hand and New Republic envoy Dean Jinzler who
wanted to honor his late Jedi sister by visiting the wreck and several Geroons who wished to pay
their respects to the Jedi who had freed them from their cruel Vagaari masters. However, upon
reaching the site of the wreckage on a planetoid within the Redoubt, they discovered that the
survivors had formed a colony and that the Geroons were actually the Vagaari themselves, who
had come to avenge their defeat at the Chiss decades earlier. However, the two Jedi along with
the Chiss, Empire of the Hand and the survivors of the Outbound Flight defeated the Vagaari and
drove them away.[47]

In 23 ABY, the Jedi Order was faced with the Shadow Academy (Dark Jedi training ground
founded by Brakiss) and its ally: the Second Imperium which rejected the Pellaeon–Gavrisom
Treaty signed between the Imperial Remnant and the New Republic in 19 ABY. The Second
Imperium kidnapped Jedi trainees, including Luke's niece and nephew, Jaina and Jacen Solo and
their friend Lowbacca, from Luke's Jedi Order and then went recruiting disadvantaged youth
when that failed with the Solo twins and Lowie's rescue by the Solo's close friend Tenel Ka. The
Second Imperium was led by four Imperial Guards masquerading as Emperor Palpatine. During
an assault on the Jedi Praxeum, the Second Imperium and the Shadow Academy were defeated
by Luke's Jedi trainees, thus removing an obstacle to the New Jedi Order.[48]

In 24 ABY, the Jedi Order encountered the alien-supremacist anti-Human Diversity Alliance
which sought to punish the Human species for the atrocities of the New Order. The Diversity
Alliance attempted to stockpile weapons and locate the location of the Emperor's Plague
warehouse for their war against Humans. However, they too would be defeated by the Jedi.[49]
This was followed by Czethros's attempts to return the crime syndicate Black Sun to its former
glory and dominate the galaxy. However, he too was defeated by the Jedi.[50]

Yuuzhan Vong War (25–29 ABY) Edit

Main article: Yuuzhan Vong War
 "The old Jedi order died with the Old Republic. Then there was Luke, and only Luke, and a lot of
fumbling to re-create Jedi from what little he knew of them. He did the best he could, and he
made mistakes. I was one of them. His generation of Jedi was put together like a rickety space
scow, but from it something new has emerged. It's not the old Jedi order, nor should it be. We,
Jaina, are the new Jedi order. And this is our war."

―Kyp Durron[src]

During the time of relative peace up to 25 ABY, the new Jedi Order seemed to be well and truly
established as a force in the galaxy once more. The Order now numbered at least 100 Jedi,
possibly more, with a number of Jedi Masters actively training new Padawans. During this time
Luke Skywalker sought permission from the New Republic to reestablish the Jedi Council.[51]

Corran Horn and Shedao Shai duel for the future of Ithor.

However, with the onset of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Jedi were to face a foe that would rock
their Order to its very foundations. Significant public opinion was turned against the Jedi by the
invaders with Jedi hunted around the galaxy. However, the Jedi did receive aid from unexpected
sources, such as from many Priapulin who signed up as Jedi Auxiliaries to support the Order as
the famous Charza Kwinn had decades earlier.[52] During this time, cracks appeared within the
Jedi Order over what approach to take to the invaders. Spearheading the more aggressive faction
was Kyp Durron, while Luke Skywalker led a more defensive position. Some of this conflict was
resolved with the establishment of a Masters' Council, seeking to create a unified response for all
Jedi.

The Jedi eventually played a vital role in the resolution of the war, but the cost was severe. The
number of Jedi was halved and their mindset became far more severe.[53]
Recovery and renewal (30 ABY—) Edit

Grand Master Luke Skywalker during the Swarm War.

"I don't propose that we place ourselves in seclusion and pass our days meditating on the
Force—though that might be the path for some of us. But I do advocate attuning ourselves to the
longer view, and reaching out to others who seek to serve the Force."

―Luke Skywalker, discussing the Order's future[src]

Following the Yuuzhan Vong war, the Jedi academy was moved to Ossus, while the High
Council relocated to a newly-constructed Jedi Temple on Coruscant. During the Dark Nest Crisis
they numbered over 200 Jedi. By the end of the Swarm War, Luke Skywalker officially claimed
the title Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

Second Galactic Civil War (40–41 ABY) Edit

"As long as Jacen controls the Alliance, there is no Alliance."

―Luke Skywalker[src]

Main article: Second Galactic Civil War

The fratricidal Second Galactic Civil War

The Jedi Order continued to grow in strength and influence, spreading throughout the galaxy,
with the establishment of training enclaves in systems such as Corellia. As more members were
trained and elevated to knighthood, the Council decided to move the majority of masters and
knights to Coruscant's Temple; leaving the Ossus Academy open for the training of younglings.

In 40 ABY, the galaxy was plunged into the Second Galactic Civil War. Struggling slightly with
the perceived need to side with the Galactic Alliance, the Jedi Order worked as best they could to
prevent the situation from escalating. In the midst of this crisis, however, betrayal came from
within as the Jedi Knight Jacen Solo was seduced to the dark side and became the Sith Lord
Darth Caedus. Despite Caedus's control of the Alliance, Luke and the Order made a distinction-
they supported the Alliance, but not an Alliance controlled by Jacen himself. In the aftermath of
the Battle of Kashyyyk, the Order declared its neutrality and formed the Jedi Coalition. Efforts
were then begun to remove Caedus from power; though the Order was forced to retreat secretly
to Endor, where they established a temporary base. In 41 ABY, Darth Caedus was killed in a
duel by his sister on the Anakin Solo. Shortly after the war ended and the galaxy was once again
at peace and the Jedi Coalition had been reformed into the New Jedi Order and reunited with the
Galactic Alliance. Lumiya's Sith, the last surviving remmant of the Order of the Sith Lords had
perished with the arrest of Tahiri Veila, former Jedi Knight and Caedus's Sith apprentice turned
informant and, thus the Sith were once again believed to be extinct. However the Jedi were in a
state of despair as many had looked to Jacen for guidance before his fall.

Political tensions (43 ABY—) Edit

"You're wrong! You have made your own Order vulnerable. The fate of the Jedi now rests with
leaders who are weaker and less experienced than you. That decline will continue until the Order
is locked in a hopeless struggle with its government and all but helpless. Then it will die again."

―Koro Ziil[src]

Following the Second Galactic Civil War the Order's ranks would rise to over a thousand Jedi.[54]
In the aftermath of the war, Natasi Daala rose to the position of Chief of State of the Alliance and
fostered a widespread anti-Jedi sentiment. Tensions between the Jedi Order and Daala's
government reached breaking point over the next two years until, in 43 ABY, Jedi Grand Master
Luke Skywalker called all Jedi back to the Temple on Coruscant in response to a dispute
between rogue Jedi Knight Seff Hellin and Daala's security forces.[55] A short time later, Jedi
Knight Valin Horn developed a mysterious psychosis which caused him to go on a violent
rampage, though he was ultimately stopped by Skywalker. Daala soon had Skywalker arrested
for dereliction of duty for failing to prevent Caedus' fall to the dark side and allowed him
freedom only in exchange for having him exiled without means of interfering in the affairs of the
Order. Skywalker's son, Ben Skywalker, joined him in his exile, and they embarked on a quest to
discover the cause of Caedus' fall to the dark side.[56]
The Jedi Order faced a resurgence of the Sith.

Following Skywalker's exile, Council member Kenth Hamner rose to the position of acting
Grand Master, with his policies being more aimed at placating the power-hungry Daala than
Skywalker's had been. Indeed, Hamner bowed to Chief Daala's demand that each Jedi be
accompanied by a supervisor handpicked by her office while on active duty; though this order
was ultimately overturned in the courts. While Hamner sought to appease Daala he also
unofficially sanctioned Jaina Solo's creation of a covert Jedi group, known as Darkmeld, which
actively worked to undermine Daala's efforts to take control of the Order.[56]

Meanwhile, Horn was ordered to be encased in carbonite until a cure for the psychosis could be
found, at which time he would face trial. Seff Hellin, suffering from the same illness, soon
attempted to free Horn though he himself was apprehended by the members of Darkmeld who
hoped to study his condition without the knowledge of Daala's government.[56] Jysella Horn later
contracted the same illness and was captured by Galactic Alliance Security after escaping from
the Jedi Temple and, like her brother, was frozen in carbonite. Natua Wan, a Falleen Jedi,
succumbed to the mysterious illness at the Coruscant Livestock Exchange and Exhibition and
after causing a panic by releasing all the animals, was stopped by Leia Organa Solo, Jaina Solo,
and Radd Minker.

It was around this time that the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh felt Luke Skywalker in the Force after
he came into contact with the Codex, and recognized him as the only one who could stop them
on their quest to reinstate the Sith Empire. Upon learning of Skywalker from Ship, a Sith
Meditation Sphere, they sent out an elite strike force to kill him.

After Jedi Knights Bazel Warv and Yaqeel Saav'etu came down with the psychosis, the Galactic
Alliance once again attempted to get their hands on the mad Jedi. They failed when Master
Cilghal refused to acknowledge a warrant that Daala obtained by manipulating the courts. While
acting Grand Master Hamner was favorable to handing over the Jedi, the Council overruled him
and decided to take their prisoners to Shedu Maad which was out of the Galactic Alliance's
reach. Jagged Fel and Jaina Solo then informed them that Daala had recruited Mandalorian
Supercommandos to seize the Jedi and make it look like a group of freelancers trying to gain a
bounty. The Mandalorians were defeated and the Jedi evacuated. During this time, a team of Jedi
traveled with a large contingent of press to a secret Galactic Alliance Security blockhouse where
the Horn siblings were being kept. There, they revealed the inequity of Daala's head judge of the
Court of Jedi Affairs, Arabelle Lorteli, and also showed the disrespect with which the carbonite-
encased Horn's were being treated by the Galactic Alliance. Shortly after, the Jedi managed to
smuggle Saav'etu, Warv, Hellin, and Wan offworld to Shedu Maad.
Soon after, Luke Skywalker and his son were attacked by the Lost Tribe of the Sith's strike team
at Sinkhole Station in the Maw. They defeated the Sith, allowing only one apprentice, Vestara
Khai, to escape. During the battle Luke had put a blood trail on Khai so that they could track her,
in hopes of following her back to her homeworld and finding the rest of the Sith.

After her humiliation, Daala retaliated by ordering a squad of Mandalorians to attack the Jedi
Temple to stop the Jedi resistance. In the aftermath of the Mandalorians' defeat, several high-
profile Jedi Masters and Knights had an arrest warrant issued in their names, such as Master
Hamner. In 44 ABY, when a group of Jedi Masters led by Saba Sebatyne decided to take a more
aggressive stance against Daala in opposition to Hamner's more lenient policy, the Council
dismissed him. When Hamner opposed the launch of StealthX starfighters to help the
Skywalkers, which he viewed as treason against the Order and the Alliance, Sebatyne dueled
him. Although Saba was merely fighting to either stall or subdue Hamner, her opponent refused
to back down and ultimately she had to allow Hamner to fall to his death in order to ensure the
Stealth X's launched.

Despite reluctance from her guilt over having killed a fellow Master, Sebatyne accepted the
position of Grand Master until Skywalker's return from exile. Her first priority was permanently
dealing with Daala: pushed beyond her limit with the Jedi's successful launch, Daala informed
Sebatyne, Corran Horn and Ciilghal that she intended to order the military to destroy the Jedi
Order. Acting quickly, the Jedi launched a coup that usurped Daala, resulting in her arrest and
the establishment of a triumvirate. With Saba's position in the new government, she managed to
overturn Luke's sentence and end his exile.

When Luke returned to Coruscant, he and the rest of the Council decided to leave Coruscant to
find Abeloth and Ship, and in turn lure the Sith out of hiding on Coruscant. The Jedi ultimately
emerged victorious in destroying Abeloth and the Lost Tribe of the Sith.

Crisis and revival (c.127 ABY–138 ABY) Edit

Jedi fighting during the Third Jedi Purge.

Over the next 90 years, both the Jedi and another new Sith threat would rise greatly in number.
The foundations of the Jedi Order would once again be shaken almost to collapse. By around 127
ABY, the One Sith emerged from the shadows and into open conflict with the Jedi. With the
dissolution of the Galactic Alliance, and the Sith joining forces with the new Galactic Empire,
the Jedi were steadily losing ground against their foe. The final stroke by the Sith was an all-out
attack on the temple at Ossus. Because the Sith attacked before all of them could arrive, about
half of the Jedi survived the attack. The Order went into hiding, pursued by both the Sith and by
bounty hunters eager to claim the substantial rewards offered for capture of live Jedi. Cade
Skywalker, having turned away from his heritage and Jedi training, became a bounty hunter and
went so far as to turn in one of his fellow Jedi.

Some members of the New Jedi Order during the Legacy era. From up to down: Wolf Sazen,
Shado Vao and K'Kruhk.

Few Jedi at Ossus survived Krayt's purge. Ahn Rasi Tuum, Hosk Trey'lis, and an unnamed
Human woman were subsequently killed by the Sith in the ensuing years, with another killed by
the Anzati bounty hunter Sint Yoru. Presumably the rest remained in hiding, were killed or
captured by the Empire, or managed to find sanctuary with the Galactic Alliance Remnant. Many
members of the order went to the Hidden Temple and took refuge there until discovered by Cade
Skywalker. Due to a double agent, the Imperial Knights learned of the Temple's location and
came to negotiate with the remains of the Jedi Council for an alliance with the Empire they
serve.[57] Having seen the inner workings and conflicts amongst the Sith, Skywalker suggested
they put together a squad to kill Darth Krayt, figuring the Sith would collapse upon themselves
with no uniting leader to keep them in line. The Council agreed to discuss an alliance with Fel,
but rejected Skywalker's assassination plan.[58] Skywalker and his allies went through with the
plan, and their mission ended in Krayt's death. More Jedi would eventually come out of hiding
and join in the war against Krayt's Empire as it progressed.[59] The Jedi later aided in the
Evacuation of Dac.[60]
The Third Jedi Purge came to an end when the Battle of Coruscant was won by the allied forces
of the Jedi, the Galactic Alliance Remnant and the Fel loyalists. With Darth Krayt's death at the
hands of the Jedi Cade Skywalker and the subsequent collapse of the Galactic Empire, the Jedi
Order ultimately emerged intact for the most part and was able to assume its former place in the
Galaxy once more. Jedi Master K'Kruhk, formerly of the original Jedi Order and a member of
the Jedi Council, joined with Admiral Gar Stazi and Empress Marasiah Fel to create the Galactic
Federation Triumvirate. Together, the three new triumvirs would establish their collective rule
over a unified galaxy. The One Sith, despite failing to complete the Jedi Purge or win the Second
Imperial Civil War, survived the death of their founder and fled into hiding. Under the leadership
of Darth Nihl, the remaining Sith sought to destroy the new order from within by infiltrating
every planetary government in the galaxy.[61]

Learning and teaching the ways of the Force Edit

Philosophies Edit
"I don't believe the training of a true Jedi comes from listening to lectures. I want to teach you
how to learn action, how to do things, not just think about them. There is no try."

―Luke Skywalker[src]

A Jedi Trainer instructing some students in telekinesis.

In the new Jedi Order, emphasis was placed on learning through experience. While formal
classes were held, students were also asked to establish their own training programs, developing
their own individual approaches to the Force. Initially, not all students were satisfied with this
model, most notably Corran Horn who eventually left the Order (only to return some time later).

Luke Skywalker oversaw the teaching, but did also delegate teaching responsibilities to students
so-called Jedi Trainers who were specifically skilled at certain areas. Thus, for example Kam
Solusar would instruct his fellow students in lightsaber combat in the early days of the New Jedi
Order, while Corran Horn, who used to be a law enforcer with CorSec would teach unarmed
combat and self-defense. Tionne Solusar would specialize in Jedi lore and pass on her
knowledge to her fellow students.
A Jedi trainer in the Jedi Order.

With time there were enough skilled Jedi Knights, and some Jedi Masters, in the new order to
start approximating the Master-Padawan model of the Old Order. However, since there were still
only few members of the New Order, Masters would be assigned multiple students. In
accordance with the learning-by-doing principle, students would accompany Masters on
missions to gain experience and they would sometimes be sent on missions on their own. One
student who benefited particularly much from this model, was Jaden Korr who was apprenticed
to Katarn. Katarn's other student, Rosh Penin, however was unhappy with this model, and was
once heard complaining to a fellow Jedi student that he felt his talents were not fostered and that
he felt Katarn was holding him back. Korr rose to become one of the most skilled Knights of the
New Order while Penin turned to the dark side, but was eventually redeemed, having learned a
lesson about patience.

The teachings of the New Order differed from those of the Old in several ways, and were closer
to those practiced by the Jedi before the Great Sith War. Jedi were allowed to marry and have
families, and each Jedi Master could train multiple apprentices. Jedi were allowed to use
conventional weapons and armor besides their lightsabers, and the wearing of the Jedi robes,
while popular, was no longer mandatory. For a long time, the Order was also much less centrally
controlled, with each Jedi being given much greater personal freedom and responsibility.

Lightsaber construction Edit

"Dual-phase blades seem to be something of a fad among Jedi at certain points."

―Luke Skywalker[src]

The construction of lightsabers in the new Order differed from that of the old in many ways.
Luke Skywalker discovered records in Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut on Tatooine on how to construct
lightsabers that he used himself, and would later introduce to his students. Some other techniques
were also recovered by the Jedi, sometimes in less than desirable ways. The malevolent spirit of
Exar Kun guided Gantoris in making a dual-phase lightsaber, capable of extending dramatically
in length when secondary crystals aligned. Skywalker discovered this, almost at the cost of his
life, when the rogue student challenged him to a lightsaber duel.[17] Corran Horn constructed a
similar lightsaber independently, using a process obtained from his step-grandfather, Rostek
Horn.[16] Occasionally, exceptional students, such as Jaden Korr, were able to construct
lightsabers on their own, without formal instruction.[29] Luke Skywalker also constructed a
shorter lightsaber, known as a shoto, to fight Lumiya during the Nagai-Tof War.[7] This was
designed to counteract the dual nature of her weapon, known as a lightwhip. Skywalker kept this
weapon for many years, and taught other Jedi Masters, such as his wife Mara, how to construct
them.[62]

Tenel Ka's unique lightsaber hilt.

One problem faced by the new Jedi Order was a shortage of high quality crystals, such as was
available to the old Jedi Order. Sacred sites such as Ilum or the Adega system were lost to the
Jedi and so other sources had to be sought out, with accompanying danger. Imperial Advisor
Bregius Golthan once tried to lure Skywalker into a trap on the planet Canyon, claiming a source
of adequate crystals had been found. However, Luke sent NRI agents in his stead, who managed
to escape the trap.[63] On another occasion, Skywalker traveled to the planet Halm to recover
some adegan crystals from its famous mines. There, he was forced to fight off Imperial
opposition who were also after the crystals.[64] The lack of a single substantial source of
lightsaber crystals resulted in a greater variety types used, and consequently, greater blade
coloration. Some of the unusual sources included a shard of the Kaiburr crystal used in Luke
Skywalker's saber,[15] Gallinorean rainbow gems from a Hapan tiara in Tenel Ka's saber,[65]
Corusca gems from the gas giant Yavin used in those of Gantoris[17] and Jacen Solo,[65] and a
synthetically manufactured crystal used in Jaina Solo's saber[65]—making use of a process once
considered to be a Sith technique.

Furthermore, Jedi were encouraged to make their handles more personal, reflecting both their
personalities and their upbringing. Examples of this included Cilghal's, which was silvery and
smooth, with subtle indentations common among Mon Calamari technology,[20] Tionne's, that
used a spiral mist-horn,[35] and that of Tenel Ka, which was fashioned from a rancor tooth.[65] An
odd example of this diversity was Corran Horn's first saber, constructed in haste from the throttle
of a speeder bike.[16]
Kam Solusar and Corran Horn spar at the Jedi Headquarters.

Lightsaber training Edit

"You are learning to focus on precision rather than brute strength, to anticipate my moves and
your own reactions using the Force."

―Tionne Solusar[src]

Following the Great Jedi Purge, many of the old lightsaber forms used by the old Jedi Order
were lost and Luke had received little in the way of formal training. However, with the
foundation of the Jedi academy on Yavin 4 and the first intake of students, the path to
rediscovering these began. Kam Solusar taught the first students the basic principals of fencing,
possibly elements of Shii-Cho, upon which all lightsaber combat is based. More specifically, he
taught them the three rings of defense.[16]

Along with Kam's own knowledge, there may have been additional teachings from the Jensaarai,
their founders being Jedi Knights and Padawans they would likely still have knowledge on the
original lightsaber forms used by the Jedi of old. Add to this the knowledge gained by Kyle
Katarn, who had been instructed in fencing while he studied at the academy on Carida and was
later taught lightsaber combat by the spirits of Qu Rahn and Tal, and by 14 ABY the order had
developed its own styles of combat, complete with their own Katas and maneuvers. Divided into
Medium style, Fast style and Strong style, the forms of combat which were finally developed and
refined seem to be an amalgamation of the old and the new, further bridging the old Jedi Order
with the new. By 14 ABY, the Academy also introduced some training sabers, although students
such as Rosh Penin derided their use.[29] By 35 ABY, students who had constructed their first
Lightsabers were usually just known as apprentices. The original Jedi lightsaber forms were
eventually rediscovered, knowledge on them recorded by Cin Drallig being present in the Great
Holocron.[66]

The new Jedi Order also restored the title of Jedi battlemaster, which was bestowed on Kyle
Katarn.[67]
Sith

"To be a Sith is to taste freedom and to know victory."

―Yuthura Ban[src]

The Sith Order was a sect of Force-sensitives who utilized the dark side of the Force. The term
"Sith" originally referred to a species of aliens native to the planets Korriban and Ziost, who
were later enslaved and ruled by exiled Dark Jedi from the Galactic Republic. These Dark Jedi
had once been members of the Jedi Order, a monastic Force religion dedicated to peace through
the use of the light side of the Force. The Dark Jedi, who refused to rely exclusively on the light
side, challenged the Jedi by giving in to the dark side, which started the Hundred-Year Darkness.
However, they had been defeated and subsequently exiled from known space, which led to their
discovery of the Sith species. Following centuries of interbreeding and mixing of cultures
between the aliens and the exiles, the Sith would no longer be identified by their race, but by
their dedication to the ancient Sith philosophy. This religious order would survive in many
different incarnations throughout galactic history. The rise of a new leader, or Dark Lord, would
often cause drastic reorganizations in the cult, however the Sith would always be characterized
by their lust for power and their desire to destroy the Jedi Order.

The Sith were the most infamous of all dark side religions, and the members of the cult were
often seen as the pinnacle of power within the dark side. Throughout their long history, the Sith
commanded several Empires and initiated many galactic wars. With such great influence, the
Sith religion inspired many cults that weren't technically part of the Sith Order, nor did they
consist of actual Sith. Instead, they were founded and made up of Sith devotees and other Force-
sensitives dedicated to prolonging the teachings and the memory of the Sith. Such cults included
the Naddists, the Disciples of Ragnos, and the Krath.

Contents
[show]

Philosophy
Main article: Dark side of the Force

Forged by Fire
"If you seek to aid everyone that suffers in the galaxy, you will only weaken yourself … and
weaken them. It is the internal struggles, when fought and won on their own, that yield the
strongest rewards… If you care for others, then dispense with pity and sacrifice and recognize the
value in letting them fight their own battles."

―Darth Traya[src]
Darth Talon kills her master.

The Sith believed that conflict was the only true test of one's ability, and so emphasized its
importance. It was their belief that conflict challenged both individuals and civilizations, and so
forced them to grow and evolve. They believed that the avoidance of conflict–like the pacifist
teachings of the Jedi–resulted in stagnation and decline.

Another purpose served by conflict was the elevation of the strong and the death of the weak. By
encouraging strife, the strong were able to exercise their power while the weak were weeded
from the ranks of the Sith. A core tenet to Sith philosophy was self-reliance and the idea that an
individual only deserved what they were strong enough to take. Likewise, morality was treated
as an obstacle to be overcome, as it got in the way of a Sith's ability to recognize and seize
opportunities for advancement and self-empowerment.

Such philosophies were embraced and taught at Sith academies, where students were encouraged
to challenge one another and fight for prestige that would be recognized by the headmaster of the
academy. At the academy on Korriban during the Jedi Civil War, students were tasked with
gaining prestige so they might become one of the "chosen few" accepted into the ranks of Darth
Malak's Sith Empire. The strife to achieve prestige caused rivalries and animosity between the
students, as there were few tasks that offered prestige, and many prospective Sith. Similarly, the
students of the academy during the New Sith Wars were pitted against each other in dueling
sessions atop the academy. It was during these dueling sessions that intense rivalries were
formed - rivalries that resulted in the deaths of students Fohargh and Sirak at the hands of Darth
Bane.

Empowered by Passion
"What fuels your power with the Force but your passion? The stronger, darker emotions. Anger,
hatred, fear… these passions empower us."

―Yuthura Ban[src]
Darth Vader choking his wife in anger

The cornerstone of a Sith's power was emotion. While the Jedi taught that fear, anger, and pain
were negative emotions to be overcome, the Sith believed that these strong emotions were
natural, and aided individuals in their survival. By harnessing their emotions rather than
suppressing them, the Sith believed they could achieve true power. This belief was in stark
contrast to that of the Jedi's, who strived to place themselves beyond such base emotions. Indeed,
the Sith saw passion as the only real way to fully understand the Force. However, the Sith
believed strongly that the worthy could control their emotions and use them, while the weak
were ruled by them. In accordance, Dark Lady Lumiya refused to accept Jacen Solo as a Sith
Lord until he was able to control his anger instead of becoming a slave to it, and Freedon Nadd
renounced his faith in Exar Kun shortly before his destruction, when he discovered the limitless
ambition Kun served.

However, not all emotions were embraced by the Sith. They, like the Jedi, considered 'love' a
dangerous emotion, but for different reasons. The Jedi discouraged love because it led to
attachment, but the Sith taught that love led to mercy, which was anathema to them. While Darth
Sidious preyed on Anakin Skywalker's love for his wife in order to corrupt him, he had no
intention of allowing the relationship to survive Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Darth Bane had
fallen in love with fellow Sith pupil Githany, however he did not allow himself to retain any
connections to her, and did not regret her death on Ruusan. However, this didn't stop some Sith
from taking lovers and allowing themselves to feel this emotion. Darth Malgus, for example, had
a lover, Eleena Daru. In Malgus's case however, he eventually killed Daru as he realized that she
constituted an intolerable weakness.

The Sith'ari

In the original Sith, the term "Sith'ari" translated literally into "lord" or "overlord". Over time
however, the term became closely associated with the idea of a perfect being, who would rise to
power and take control of the Sith Order.

The prophesied coming of the Sith'ari was based around the notion that a perfect being, would
epitomize the teachings of the Sith Code and became free of all restrictions. This being would
lead the Sith, but also destroy them- a destruction that would make the Sith Order stronger than
before. The identity of the Sith'ari has been confirmed as Darth Bane,[source?] who destroyed the
Brotherhood of Darkness in order to remake the Sith through the Rule of Two. The prophesy of
the Sith'ari is very similar to the Jedi's prophesy of the Chosen One—an extremely powerful
Force-sensitive who would lead their Order to perfection.
Guiding Codes

The Code of the Sith

Main article: Code of the Sith

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."

―The Sith Code[src]

The code of the Sith was the mantra which stated the core beliefs of the Sith Order and is
believed to have been created in contrast to the Jedi Code. The structure of the codes is almost
identical, and the initial line of the Sith Code directly contradicts the initial line of the Jedi Code,
which reads: "There is no emotion, there is peace."

Following the embrace of passion, which was believed to be a powerful aspect of nature, the
code explains that the strength granted by passion leads to power, which then leads to victory. By
way of victory, the Sith believed they could free themselves from the limitations of regular
beings, and achieve their potential. Neophyte Sith believed that the breaking of chains
represented the ability to do whatever one wished, however more seasoned members of the
Order recognized that the true meaning of freedom was the end of all physical restrictions and
the ability to attain perfection. The Sith believed that the only being who could truly live up to
the code and attain freedom was the Sith'ari, and as such saw it as a guideline by which to live,
not a law to abide by.

The Rule of Two

Main article: Rule of Two

"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."

―Darth Bane[src]

Bane and Zannah, the first Sith to embrace the Rule of Two
The Rule of Two was the principle upon which the Order of the Sith Lords was founded. It was
created by Darth Bane, a Dark Lord and member of the Brotherhood of Darkness. Bane believed
that the Sith had weakened themselves by accepting too many into their ranks and that the true
dark side had abandoned them. After studying the holocron of Darth Revan, Bane decided that
the Brotherhood needed to be destroyed and the Sith rebuilt as a secretive order consisting of two
beings—a single master and a single apprentice.

Bane believed this philosophy would solve the infighting that had long been the bane of the Sith
Order. By allowing only two members into the cult at a time, the dark side would remain
concentrated within those two beings, instead of legions of ineffective warriors. When the
apprentice learned all they could from the master, it was their duty to kill the master and take an
apprentice of their own, in order to ensure the continuing strength of the cult. As such, the Rule
of Two embraced the idea of the rule of the strong. The small number of Sith allowed the Order
to remain hidden for a millennium.

The Rule of One

Main article: Rule of One

"Wisely, Darth Krayt has undone the mistake of Bane. Therefore no Rule of Two limits the One
Sith today."

―Darth Wyyrlok (I)[src]

Darth Krayt's vision for the One Sith

The Rule of One was the guiding code of the One Sith. Created by Darth Krayt after the collapse
of the Order of the Sith Lords, it embraced the ideals of the ancient Sith, wherein there was a
single Dark Lord of the Sith who led many lesser Sith Lords, along with other minions and
acolytes. The "One" represented the Sith Order itself, a unified and cohesive group of Sith who
restrained from infighting and were fanatically obedient to Dark Lord Krayt. The practice of one
apprentice per master was retained, however there were many masters. Also retained was the
practice of slaying a master once an apprentice's training was complete, however this was not
done to continue the rule of the strong, but rather to show one's faith and devotion to the Sith
cause.
The Order was considered heretical by Darth Bane, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Andeddu, who
voiced their opinions via holocron. Some, including Darth Nihl and Cade Skywalker believed
that the lack of a line of succession would cause the One Sith to collapse if Darth Krayt were
ever killed, though upon Darth Krayt's final death control passed to Darth Nihl and the One Sith
continued to follow their Lord loyally.

History
Origins
"Once we were mighty Jedi of the Republic, brothers in the Force. But the Great Schism between
the dark side and the light turned Jedi against Jedi. Our ancestors were defeated, driven off…cast
out!"

―Marka Ragnos[src]

The Massassi were one of the three original Sith subspecies.

Before the founding of the Jedi Order and the discovery of the dark side, the Sith species evolved
on Korriban. The Sith species began to coalesce as a society some time prior to roughly 100,000
BBY, when their culture and religion developed. Early on, they immersed their culture in rites
and lore of the dark side. Coming together as a species, they were able to fight off a Killik
incursion circa 30,000 BBY, presumably resulting in an eventual Killik Sith Lord taking up
residence on Alsakan, although how this Sith Lord was able to break from the hive-mind is
unknown. Around 28,000 BBY, legendary Sith King Adas ruled his people and their Empire.
Having ruled as a warlord for some time, he was able to unite the peoples of Korriban, and was
pronounced the Sith'ari, or overlord. Adas's reign lasted for several centuries, ending only after
the invasion of Korriban by the Rakata of the Infinite Empire.

Initially friendly, the Rakata taught Adas how to create holocrons, and lent their knowledge of
space travel to the Sith. However, it soon became apparent that the Rakata intended to take the
Sith people as slaves, and Adas launched a war to rid his world of them. After driving them from
Korriban, he hijacked several of their ships and used them to spread the Sith species to Ziost,
Tund, and Malachor V, and was eventually successful in driving the Rakata from Sith space
entirely. However, the victory cost him his life. The Rakata left behind a Star Map on Korriban,
and possibly the origin for the Darth title.
The death of Adas threw Korriban into civil war, with many different Sith scrambling for power.
The world was devastated from the years of conflict, and no new leader arose from the ashes.
One of the horrors of this war took place in 7000 BBY, when Dathka Graush destroyed most of
the cities on Korriban, possibly resulting in the backwards, primitive cultural regression of the
Sith species (ultimately witnessed by the exiled Dark Jedi, upon reaching Korriban).[source?] The
Sith people moved their center of government and culture to the world of Ziost, and left
Korriban, with that planet becoming a tomb world for their fallen leaders. A millennium prior to
this, in 8000 BBY, humans and aliens escaping the oppression of the Tapani Dynasty arrived
through the Stygian Caldera, possibly accounting for the Sith influence upon the future Mecrosa
Order in later centuries.

In 25,053 BBY, elsewhere in the galaxy, the Galactic Republic was forming. On the planet Tython,
scholars, scientists, warriors, and religious figures met to discuss an anomalous energy field present in

the galaxy that would

The Dark Jedi are exiled.

become known as the Force. In these discussions, several individuals advocated the use of Bogan, what
would become known as the dark side. The followers of the light rejected this idea and defeated the
followers of Bogan in the Force Wars of Tython.

Following the conflict, the victors established the Jedi Order, a group of warrior-monks who
followed the light side. Around 24,500 BBY, a Jedi named Xendor accepted the teachings of the
dark side and left the order, along with many other students calling themselves the Legions of
Lettow. The resulting conflict, known as the First Great Schism, ended with Xendor dead and the
Legions of Lettow defeated.

The dark side would not have a strong hold until 7000 BBY, when another group of Jedi left the
Order to follow the dark path. These Jedi had been delving into alternative uses for the Force,
and became increasingly reliant on it. They discovered that the Force could twist life to serve
their purposes and create new life. These practices were looked upon with apprehension by other
Jedi, as memories of the First Schism were still present. Feeling their power was threatened, the
rogue Jedi sought supporters within the Order, but were turned away. Arguments for their cause
turned to conflicts, and these Jedi were exiled from the Order. Taking their teachings with them,
they became known as Dark Jedi, and launched a war against the Jedi Order that would come to
be known as the Hundred-Year Darkness.
Using alchemically altered soldiers and beasts, the Dark Jedi's war lasted a hundred years. It was
during this war that the Leviathan was created, along with many other monstrosities. Eventually,
the Dark Jedi were defeated at the Battle of Corbos as a result of infighting and Jedi bombing. As
punishment, the surviving Dark Jedi were gathered by Republic forces and loaded aboard
unarmed transport ships. Robbed of their weapons, the exiles were to be sent into the unknown
regions of space to contemplate the error of their ways.

Creation and early history

"But in their hearts they never forgot the Jedi. The hatred for the Jedi Order burns in their veins
like fire, and it echoes in their teachings."

―Darth Traya[src]

Exiles XoXaan and Karness Muur being greeted by the Sith people

The Exiles traveled the stars towards an unknown destination. They emerged from hyperspace
above Korriban, where they were greeted by the primitive Sith people. The Exiles, who included
XoXaan, Remulus Dreypa, Ajunta Pall, Sorzus Syn and Karness Muur, shocked the natives with
their dark side abilities and were proclaimed Jen'jidai, meaning Dark Jedi in the language of the
Sith. The Jen'jidai forged an alliance with the Sith ruler's second in command and used that
relationship to overthrow the King and claim dominion over the Sith. They adopted the title
"Lords of the Sith" and their ruler came to be known as the Jen'ari, or Dark Lord of the Sith.
Shortly after settling on Korriban, however a splinter group of exiles, led by Remulus Dreypa,
returned to Republic space to enact their vengeance, but they were intercepted by a Jedi patrol.
The Jedi pursued those Sith across the galaxy, until both factions crash-landed on the planet
Kesh. After a period of fighting, the Jedi and Dreypa's followers made peace and formed a new
organization called the Doomed, which strived to achieve balance between the light and the dark
sides of the force.[3]

One of the first Dark Lords was the Exile Ajunta Pall. Pall began remaking the Sith Empire into
a new Imperial regime lead by the Sith Lords instead of the Kings of the Sith people. Over time
the Jen'jidai and the Sith interbred to make the two groups indistinguishable from one another,
and the Empire continued to be lead by a succession of Dark Lords, including Tulak Hord.
Deceased Dark Lords were entombed in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban instead of the
Valley of Golg as Sith Kings had been. Their tombs were filled with the treasures they had
accumulated during their life, as well as strong dark side energies. Often the tomb would also
house the spirit of the Dark Lord himself, who remained attached to his body and possessions
through the Force.

The Valley of the Dark Lords, the final resting place for many Dark Lords

During their reign, the Sith Lords fought for power, challenging one another with new and
innovative weapons created through the dark side. One such weapon was the Muur Talisman,
which was created by the Sith Lord and former Dark Jedi Karness Muur. Muur was an expert in
Sith alchemy and may have helped to create the Leviathan during the Hundred-Year Darkness.
His talisman had the power to transform humans into alchemically engineered monsters called
Rakghouls, whom Muur would be able to command. When he discovered that aliens and Force-
sensitives were unaffected, Muur created the Rakghoul plague, which would spread his monsters
to those immune to the talisman's power. Eventually, a rival Sith Lord Remulus Dreypa created
an oubliette which would contain Muur, his talisman, and the plague. Muur was killed before he
could be captured and his talisman was lost, only to end up on Taris several millennia later by
unknown means.

Eventually, a legendary Sith half-breed named Marka Ragnos defeated Sith Council member
Simus in combat and rose to power, claiming the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. His little-
documented but long reign was known to have been during the "Golden Age" of the Sith Empire.
During this time the Empire experienced relative stability and encompassed at least 120 planets,
including Arkania, Malachor V, Thule, and Vjun. By this time the Galactic Republic and Jedi
Order had forgotten about their fallen brethren, just as the Sith had forgotten about them. Both
societies thrived in separate parts of the galaxy, unaware of the other's existence.

The Great Hyperspace War and Fall of the Sith Empire

Kressh: "I fight for the Sith Empire, Naga Sadow…You fight for yourself!"

Sadow: "I fight for the future…and the future is NOW!"

―Ludo Kressh, to Naga Sadow[src]

The Golden Age came to an abrupt halt with the death of Marka Ragnos. Control of the Empire fell to
the Sith Council, which was divided over who should succeed Ragnos as Dark Lord.

Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow duel during the Funeral of Marka Ragnos.

Two contenders rose to the forefront- Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh. Sadow was known as a progressive
expansionist in contrast to Kressh's reputation as a conservative protectionist. Originally confined to
arguments and debates within the council, the disagreement exploded violently during the Funeral of
Marka Ragnos. The funeral procession was led by Kressh, with Sadow conspicuously missing during the
ceremonies. Much to Kressh's chagrin, Sadow made his entrance in the middle of Kressh's eulogy for the
fallen Dark Lord. The enraged Kressh demanded Sadow leave, however his rival instead claimed the
mantle of Dark Lord. Kressh responded by claiming the title as well, and the two entered into a duel at
the foot of Ragnos's tomb. The fierce battle was interrupted by the ghost of Marka Ragnos, who
implored the two to stop fighting and pick their battles carefully, for the Sith Empire he had helped build
was in the balance.

Following Ragnos's departure, the two Sith Lords prepared to reenter combat, however they were
once again interrupted, this time by the arrival of wayward hyperspace explorers Gav and Jori
Daragon. The sibling explorers claimed to hail from the Galactic Republic, and were quickly
taken into custody and imprisoned on the Sith capital world of Ziost. Setting aside their conflict
for a time, Kressh and Sadow rejoined the Council, which was debating the fate of the Daragons.
Unsurprisingly, the two disagreed on this as well. Kressh, under the belief that they were
harbingers of a Republic invasion, called for their immediate execution, while Sadow saw them
as a pathway to expansion, by way of conquering their Republic. The council was yet again split
between the two, however Ludo Kressh was able to win with the support of the council majority.
Simus, a former contender for the title of Dark Lord and ally of Naga Sadow's, went to inform
the Daragons of their impending execution. However, Naga Sadow had no intention of following
the will of the Council, and killed Simus with weapons confiscated from the Daragon's ship, the
Starbreaker 12, making it appear as though it was a Republic attack. He freed the Daragons and
hid them away in his fortress on Khar Shian, while reporting Simus's death back to the Council.
Feigning shock, he claimed that the apparent Republic aggression and rescue of the Daragons
required retaliation, something he had foreseen. The Council almost unanimously elected him
Dark Lord, with the exception of Kressh, who claimed the title for himself and stormed out of
the meeting. Shortly afterwards, Sadow staged yet another Republic attack by stealing the
Starbreaker 12 from impound on Ziost. He would need the ship to return Jori Daragon to the
Republic, thereby leading the Dark Lord to his next frontier. The human female was being kept
in Sadow's decoy fortress on Khar Delba, while her brother remained on Khar Shian to be trained
in the ways of the dark side by Sadow.
Sadow in exile on Yavin 4

In the process Sadow hoped to rid the Empire of Kressh, and so planted evidence on Ziost that
would point to back to himself. Kressh acted predictably and attacked Sadow's decoy fortress on
Khar Delba. Sadow had prepared for the battle and stationed his fleet on the dark side of the
moon Khar Shian. He attacked an unsuspecting Kressh, whose commanders were betrayed by
their crews. Kressh, knowing he could not win the battle , staged his own death and fled, leaving
Naga Sadow as the undisputed ruler of the Sith. During the battle he allowed Jori Daragon to
escape with the Starbreaker 12, which was wired with a homing beacon. In his first act as Dark
Lord, Sadow gathered his forces for an invasion of the Republic, initiating a conflict known as
the Great Hyperspace War. Sadow even used Sith Lords as generals in his powerful army,
including Garu, and Shar Dakhan. The Republic, unwilling to believe Jori Daragon's story of
impending war, was unprepared for the onslaught and was initially overwhelmed by the
invasion. Sadow's warships and warriors spread throughout Republic space, attacking many
worlds simultaneously, while Sadow himself aided by using battle meditation from within his
Sith Meditation Sphere. Stationed above the star Primus Goluud along with his flagship, Sadow
presented the Republic with a seemingly unbeatable enemy. Empress Teta of Koros Major was
the only Republic official prepared for the assault, and her forces beat back Sith attacks on
Cinnagar and Kirrek, and were able to pursue them back to Primus Goluud, where Sadow
activated a superweapon within his flagship, the Corsair, that caused the star to supernova. The
explosion killed Gav Daragon and forced the Sith to retreat back to their Empire, with Teta's
forces in pursuit.

Returning to Korriban in defeat, Sadow's forces were met with those of Ludo Kressh. After
feigning his demise, Kressh had remained within the Empire, gaining support while Sadow lead
the invasion of the Republic. The two fleets clashed, initiating the first battle of Korriban. When
it appeared Kressh would win the battle against Sadow's already wounded forces, the Dark Lord
ordered that one of his vessels ram Kressh's flag ship. The impact killed the rival Sith Lord and
ended the battle, Sadow's final conflict with Ludo Kressh. Sadow was unable to enjoy his victory
however, as Empress Teta's forces emerged from hyperspace moments later, crippling Sadow's
ship and decimating his forces. Hoping to escape to Yavin Prime, Sadow fled the battle, and was
believed killed in the Denarii Nova he created with the Corsair. As the remains of the Sith
Empire crumbled behind him, Sadow and his remaining Massassi warriors landed on Yavin 4,
where construction began on mountainous temples dedicated to the Dark Lord. With the
Republic navy entering Sith space the Sith became desperate. Shar Dakhan as acting Dark Lord
of the Sith ordered his Massassi pilots to ram invading Republic ships. This drove the Republic
back for a while, however the Republic's triumph was inevitable. They destroyed most of the
Sith Empire.

However, this was not the end of the Empire. Various Sith survivors fled to different parts of the
galaxy. Several Sith fled to Thule, where they would remain for generations, waiting for their
revenge on the Jedi and the Republic. They established a military dictatorship, ruled by an
oligarchy of eight generals. Several of the remaining Sith Lords sought refuge on Ambria, where
they hid among the planet's dark side energies in order to avoid persecution. They stayed on the
planet for many years, until passing into the Force themselves, leaving yet more dark side spirits
on Ambria. On Kesh, the descendants of a crashed ship the Omen survived and formed the Lost
Tribe of Sith. Several Sith sects survived on Vjun and passed on their teachings secretly through
the families. On Tund, the Sith refugees eventually became mere charlatans known as the
Sorcerers of Tund. As a result of an unstable hyperdrive, the Sith starship Harbinger traveled to
the future to the year 41 ABY. Finally, one Sith Lord took his forces and retreated to the
Unknown Regions where they would bide their time, and wait. This hidden Sith Empire still held
on to Malachor V as a teaching center. Sadow was unable to rebuild the Empire after the war as
he had hoped to do on Yavin, and so placed himself in suspended animation within one of his
temples.

The rise of Freedon Nadd and conflict on Onderon

"Jedi must be willing to look into their own hearts and spirits. If you do not…well, let us just say
that you will never become a true Jedi."

―Jedi Master Matta Tremayne to Freedon Nadd[src]

Freedon Nadd lingered for centuries after his death as a Force ghost.
While Naga Sadow remained in stasis, the Sith Order survived in obscurity on Yavin 4 and the
Jedi and Republic once again believed their enemy defeated. Around six-hundred years
following the fall of the Sith Empire, a young human began training at Odan-Urr's Great Jedi
Library on Ossus. The young Jedi named Freedon Nadd impressed his masters with his
connection to the Force and eagerness to find harmony. The attention from his masters caused
arrogance in Nadd that lead him to believe he would soon be elevated to knighthood. To his
surprise, he was passed over for knighthood, causing him to become resentful and conflicted.
Nadd sought out Jedi Master Matta Tremayne in the hopes that she might be able to show him
what he must do in order to become a Knight. In a test for the young Jedi, Tremayne ignored him
until his anger burst out and he turned to leave. Only then did she acknowledge him, challenging
him to a lightsaber duel. The two engaged one another, and Freedon's anger rose. Sensing this,
Tremanyne deactivated her lightsaber, exposing herself to attack from Nadd. Realizing it had all
been a test far too late, Freedon's saber cut through Tremayne, killing her. Initially regretful,
Nadd soon became infuriated as he began to believe it was all a ploy to get him removed from
the Order. Abandoning the Jedi, he fled Ossus craving revenge.

Nadd first traveled to the heart of the now defunct Sith Empire in the hopes that the dark side
teachings there would lead him to the revenge he desired. He arrived on the world of Ashas Ree,
where the ancient Sith Lord Garu had hidden the holocron of King Adas. Learning from the
holocron, Nadd studied deeper into the dark side and traveled deeper into old Sith Space.
Eventually the he came upon the fourth moon of Yavin and the sleeping Dark Lord Naga Sadow.
Sadow, finally recognizing Nadd as one who could restore the power of the Sith, awakened and
consented to train the fallen Jedi in the ways of the Sith. The training lasted for a time, however
before it was complete, Nadd's confidence in his own abilities once again took control. Believing
himself strong enough for the title of Dark Lord, Nadd slew Sadow and seized the mantle.
Sadow's death marked the end of the Sith species, as the remaining Massassi on Yavin had
become primitive mutations of themselves following centuries of experimentation at the hands of
Sadow.

Ommin, King of Onderon and descendant of Freedon Nadd

After gathering what relics he could from the Massassi Temples, Nadd left Yavin 4 behind and
traveled to Onderon, an Inner Rim world. Onderon was a densely forested planet home to large
beasts and a single, heavily guarded city, Iziz. The city was surrounded by walls and defense
towers used to keep out the beasts of the jungle, which the people of Iziz had fought for
centuries. Nadd arrived on the planet and wowed the populace with his dark side magic and
Force powers. Much like the exiled dark Jedi millennia before on Korriban, Nadd proclaimed
himself the ruler of the people in Iziz and King of Onderon. Iziz's law and order was based on
the policy of banishing dissidents and "criminals" from the walled city, condemning them to
death by the animals of Onderon. Eventually, the banished criminals organized themselves into
the "Beast Riders" after taming the beasts of the jungle, such as the Drexl, Cannok, and Boma.
The Riders continually attacked the city they had once called home in a centuries-long conflict
known as the Beast Wars. Nadd was able to elevate himself to a near-God status with the people
by repelling attacks by the Riders by use of the Force. Although his reign was oppressive, the
Onderonians accepted his teachings and embraced his dark side influence. Nadd eventually died
and was buried beneath the Iziz palace in his tomb. His bloodline continued to rule Onderon, and
although he was dead, Iziz was still saturated with the dark side presence of Freedon Nadd.

The Onderonian Monarchy

"You should know the darkness has been with us for centuries. My father, his father…"

―King Ommin, speaking of his dark side heritage — Listen (file info)[src]

His descendants would continue his oppressive rule as the kings and queens of Onderon, and call upon
his lingering spirit for power and dark side teachings. His tomb beneath Iziz became a strong nexus of
dark side power and his collections of artifacts became treasures to those seeking his dark side strength.
Eventually the Dark Lord's descendant Ommin took the throne and trained extensively with Freedon
Nadd's spirit. The two also seduced Amanoa into marrying the King and training in the Sith arts. Nadd
played the two against one another hoping the competition would reveal the stronger of the two, and
thereby the one worthy of becoming the vessel of his resurrection. Although Ommin became extremely
capable in the dark side, his power in the Force caused him to lose control over his own body, and the
King became confined to a mechanical exoskeleton that also served as a life-support system.

Queen Amanoa surrenders completely to Freedon Nadd's power.

Unfit for the public eye, he handed control of Iziz to his wife, Queen Amanoa, who abandoned her
studies with Nadd to focus on the affairs of state. While the people of Onderon believed Ommin dead,
he hid beneath Iziz in his lair, continuing his dark side study, collecting Sith artifacts, and gathering an
cult of followers calling themselves Naddists. Ommin and his wife were both too embroiled with their
own interests to take direct command of the cult, and so their proxies, Warb Null and Novar, acted in
their stead. The armor-clad Warb Null was a young Force-sensitive who had been seduced to the dark
side by a Sith spirit, while Novar had been an apprentice to Ommin and Amanoa following his tenure as
Ommin's personal aide.

Eventually, Freedon Nadd came to realize that neither the King nor the Queen would be fit to
serve as the agent of his resurrection. Ommin had become far too weak under the pall of the dark
side and Amanoa was no longer focused on the Sith. Unwilling to surrender, Nadd attempted one
last time to pull the Queen back into the grip of the Sith, appearing before her and warning her
not to allow the still ongoing Beast Wars to fully erupt, as it would result in her destruction.
Although Nadd hoped this would scare the Queen back into her dark side studies, Amanoa took
an entirely different direction and requested the aide of the Jedi Order to end the centuries-long
conflict. The Jedi agreed and sent Master Arca Jeth's apprentices to Iziz to begin negotiations.
Hiding the taint of the dark side from the young Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott
Doneeta, Amanoa requested their assistance in defeating the Beast Riders, who kidnapped her
and Ommin's daughter, Galia, shortly after the Jedi arrival. Soon, Amanoa learned that her
daughter consented to be married to the leader of the Beast Riders, Oron Kira, and hoped to
settle the war peacefully. Having no interest in a peaceful settlement, the enraged Queen revealed
her dark side allegiance to her enemies, surrounding Iziz in a palpable darkness. During the
ensuing battle, the Naddist army fought to defend the Queen as she retreated to Freedon Nadd's
tomb beneath the palace. The Naddists fought valiantly against the Beast Riders for a time under
Amanoa's dark side influence, however the arrival of Master Arca Jeth broke their advantage.
Jeth was able to follow the Queen into the Dark Lord's tomb and dispel his dark energy, killing
Queen Amanoa in the process.
Freedon Nadd's spirit guides Aleema and Satal Keto to safety.

The death of the Queen and the supposed dispersion of Nadd's dark energy did little to pull
Onderon out of darkness however. Even after Galia took the throne and the fighting ended, there
was still a noticeable dark side aura throughout Iziz. The decision was made by the Jedi to
exhume the remains of Freedon Nadd and bury both him and Queen Amanoa on Onderon's
jungle moon of Dxun, where their presence could no longer corrupt future rulers. News of his
wife's death at the hands of the Jedi and the end of the Beast Wars eventually reached King
Ommin, still hiding beneath Iziz. Prepared to reveal himself once more, the frail king had the
dark side slave, Warb Null, lead the Naddist cult into battle on the streets of Iziz during the
Queen's funeral procession. The dark-siders tunneled up into the surface of the city and
ambushed the Jedi. Null fought them off and the Naddists captured the sarcophagi of both
deceased monarchs, quickly returning them to Ommin's underground sanctuary. Shortly after the
battle, Ommin, empowered by the spirit of Freedon Nadd, distracted Arca Jeth long enough for
the King to seize the Jedi Master and flee with him deep into the tunnels. Jeth's Padawan, Ulic
Qel-Droma, was unable to save his master from abduction, as he had entered a duel with Warb
Null. The duel ended quickly however, with Null dead.

Meanwhile, on Koros Major, Satal and Aleema Keto, cousins and royal heirs of the Tetan
Monarchy, had formed the Krath secret society with their friends. The group researched the Sith
and their ancient Empire which instigated the Great Hyperspace war centuries before, and
became so consumed with the history that the two decided to take a trip to Coruscant, where the
Galactic Museum had prepared an exhibit featuring artifacts from the Sith Empire. At the behest
of Aleema, Satal stole a Sith spellbook from the exhibit, The Dark Lords of the Sith, however
neither of the two could read the contents, as it was written in ancient Sith glyphs. As the
fighting continued on Onderon for days, word of the conflict spread across the galaxy via the
HoloNet. A report of the Sith-worshipping dark side army was read on a newscast, which caught
the attention of the cousins. The two resolved to travel to Onderon in search of an individual who
could translate the text for them.

The final resting place of Freedon Nadd on Dxun

Although the battle on Onderon was progressing well for the Naddists, the Jedi soon received
reinforcements in the form of a Republic battle group and five additional Jedi from Ossus. One
of these Jedi, Nomi Sunrider, was able to turn the tide with her battle meditation ability. The
fighting, which had been confined to the jungle stronghold of the Beast Riders for two days, now
returned to Iziz. As the streets once again became embroiled in war, the Keto cousins dropped
out of hyperspace, right in the middle of the war zone. Ignoring warnings from the Republic fleet
in orbit, the two descended towards the city and were shot down by crossfire. Aleema and Satal
survived the crash and were able to contact King Ommin. He gifted the aspiring darksiders with
a Sith amulet which granted them the power to read the Sith spellbook. In return, he asked for the
opportunity to transcribe the spellbook for his own collection. As the trio completed their deal,
Ommin introduced the Ketos to his latest addition to his collection: Arca Jeth. Ommin planned to
torture the Jedi Master enough that he would be unable to resist the temptation of the dark side.
However, it was at this moment that the Jedi task force in the city was able to penetrate Ommin's
stronghold and ambush his defenders. As Satal and Aleema panicked and fled deeper into the
tunnels beneath Iziz, the King fought the Jedi, but to no avail. Ulic Qel-Droma was able to slice
through Ommin's exoskeleton, incapacitating him. The King begged for the assistance of
Freedon Nadd, however the Dark Lord had decided that the Keto's showed more promise than
Ommin. Nadd's spirit guided the two Krath founders to safety and returned to tell Ommin that he
had forsaken him, and the Jedi that their victory would be short-lived. Before departing Iziz,
Nadd prophesized on the fate of Ulic Qel-Droma, claiming he was destined to become one of the
great Sith Lords.

With Ommin's death, and the end of the Freedon Nadd Uprising, Onderon was finally free of
Nadd's dark shadow. The bodies of King Ommin, Queen Amanoa, and Freedon Nadd were all
moved to Dxun, into a tomb of Mandalorian iron, not to be disturbed again. Aleema and Satal,
armed with new knowledge and artifacts from Iziz, returned to Empress Teta to plan their
ascension.

The Great Sith War

"The Ancient Sith have spoken. Together, we will bring down the galaxy."

―Exar Kun to Ulic Qel-Droma[src]

Exar Kun and Vodo-Siosk Baas prepare for a training duel on the plains of Dantooine.

With the Naddist Revolt crushed, Freedon Nadd's dream of a second Sith Golden Age was halted
once again. However, a new opportunity would present itself in the form of the rising Krath cult
in the Empress Teta system and the young Jedi Exar Kun.

Exar Kun was the pupil of Krevaaki Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas along with the Cathar Jedi
Crado and Sylvar. Kun was extremely talented in the Force and, much like Freedon Nadd
centuries earlier, developed an arrogance that led him to believe he was worthy of receiving
special teachings. Becoming engrossed with the idea that he could research Sith teachings and
powers, yet remain uncorrupted by the dark side, Kun began to delve into forbidden Sith
holocrons on the Jedi world of Dantooine. During a lightsaber training session with his master
and fellow students, Kun defeated Crado easily. Following Crado's defeat, Master Baas
instructed Sylvar to enter a duel with Kun. Exar taunted Sylvar with claims that nonhumans were
inept and unworthy, angering her, and in retribution, she struck the human with her claws,
scarring and infuriating him. Kun attacked her viciously and nearly killed her when Vodo-Siosk
Baas stepped in and stopped Kun's saber with his walking staff. In an attempt to teach Exar Kun
a lesson in strength, Baas challenged his wayward apprentice to a duel and gained the upper hand
quickly, despite the immense odds of walking stick versus lightsaber. Kun was able to defeat his
master with aid from Crado, who threw Exar his lightsaber during the duel. Victorious, Kun
declared himself a Jedi Knight and departed Dantooine to search for the secrets of the Sith.
Satal and Aleema's Krath forces overwhelm the Empress Teta system during their coup.

Kun followed his curiosity to Onderon, where the fighting had just ended. He learned here that
the Sith Lord Freedon Nadd had recently been interred on Dxun, and traveled to the moon in
search of answers. Kun broke into the sealed tomb and encountered the spirit of Nadd, who
encouraged the young man to continue his search on the ancient Sith burial world of Korriban.
As Kun left Dxun for old Sith space, Aleema and Satal Keto, who had also recently paid
Onderon a visit, were setting their plan for domination in motion on Koros Major.

The two Krath founders, after having used the late King Ommin's artifacts and the spirit of
Freedon Nadd to become adept in Sith sorcery, traveled to the Tetan carbonite smelter above
Koros where Lord Keto and Lady Magda Keto, rulers of the Empress Teta system and parents of
Satal and Aleema, were being given a tour. The two were escorted by the royal tutor Korus,
whose tongue was transformed into an Adegan eel by the children. This bewildered Lord Keto,
who attempted to call for help, but his guard's swords were transformed into snakes that began to
attack their wielders. Helpless, Lord and Lady Keto accepted defeat at the hands of their children
and continued their tour, now guiding the new Emperor Satal and Empress Aleema of the Teta
system. The group entered a smelting chamber, and the new rulers of Teta had the former rulers
tied above vats of molten carbonite and lowered into them. With Lord and Lady Keto dead and
the Tetan government under their control, Satal and Aleema took up residence in the Iron Citadel
in Cinnagar. The worlds of Empress Teta quickly fell in line behind the Krath, all except for
Koros Major itself. Initiating the Krath Holy Crusade, the Ketos launched an assault against their
own capital world, hoping to bring it in line.
The Krath Holy Crusade
"I'll bet they don't even understand what they've unleashed, and that makes them all the more
dangerous."

―Cay Qel-Droma[src]

As the Ketos prepared to crush the resistance on Koros Major, word of the struggle and Krath usurpation
reached the Republic capital of Coruscant. Jedi Master Arca Jeth petitioned the Republic leadership to
send aid to the resistance fighters and help defeat the Krath, as the dark side cult reminded the Jedi too

much of the Naddists recently defeated on Onderon.

Aleema Keto's illusions attack the Republic Navy at the Battle of Koros Major.

The Republic complied, and a battle group to relieve the resistance fighters was organized, lead by Jedi
Knights Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma. However, when the Republic fleet arrived at Koros Major,
the battle was already in progress, with Krath warships attacking the planet. As Qel-Droma ordered his
ships into battle positions, Aleema and Satal began their counter-attack. Aleema utilized Sith magic to
conjure illusions of space grazers which headed directly at the Republic fleet, causing the officers to
panic and their ships to scatter. Nomi Sunrider was able to see through the illusion and refocus the fleet,
however the Krath decided that the battle would require both the Force and physical military might, and
so ordered wings of Chaos fighters to initiate suicide runs on the Republic vessels. As the fighters closed
the distance between the fleets, Aleema conjured an illusion of additional wings of Chaos fighters to
confuse and overwhelm the Republic ships. Sunrider again saw through the illusion and was able to
block Aleema's ghost ships from interfering in the battle, but there were still many real fighters that
collided with Republic vessels. The Republic fleet was crippled and forced to retreat with a severely
injured Qel-Droma, while the Krath were left to complete their conquest of Koros. The Battle of Empress
Teta was a complete success for the Krath, and marked the beginning of the wider Great Sith War.
Because of the massive losses over Koros Major, the Jedi leadership decided it was time for an assembly
to be called in order to discuss the Krath threat and other gathering shadows. Krath intelligence agents
discovered that the grand convocation was to be held on Deneba, and Satal planned for a direct assault
against the Jedi there. As thousands of Jedi vessels descended upon Deneba, Satal was able to sneak a
Krath warship among them, hiding in orbit. Meanwhile, light years away on Korriban, Exar Kun was
exploring the planet once inhabited by the Dark Lords of the Sith. Guided by Freedon Nadd's spirit, Kun
became trapped and injured beneath rubble during a cave-in within an ancient tomb. The cave-in was
designed by Nadd as a test for Kun, who would need to touch the dark side in order to survive. Initially
fearful, Kun reached out through the Force for his former Master Baas on Deneba, who attempted to
help his pupil. Freedon Nadd refused to allow this to happen however, and blocked Vodo's attempts at
aiding Kun. Near death and running out of options, Kun embraced the dark side and freed himself.

A Krath war droid on Deneba

Kun's anger and malice healed his broken body and sent ripples through the Force that greatly disturbed
the Jedi assembly, however Baas accepted that he could no longer help the young man. Kun, still under
the belief he could use both the dark and light side without consequence, left Korriban on a course for
Yavin 4, where Nadd claimed his training would be completed.

On Deneba the Jedi debated over how to best combat the dark side and it's followers, and after
hearing proposals and arguments from Ulic Qel-Droma and others, the convocation took a short
recess. Just before the conclave could resume, Satal set his plan in motion. The Krath warship in
orbit above the planet launched a large number of escape pods, each filled with Krath war droids.
Catching the Jedi unaware, the droids were able to kill many of them in the initial stages of the
attack. In conjunction with the war droid assault, the service droids who had been serving the
Jedi during the convocation also attacked their masters, having been sabotaged by Krath spies
prior to the arrival of the Jedi. Although all the droids were destroyed at the Battle of Deneba,
many Jedi were killed, including Arca Jeth. The death of his master caused Ulic Qel-Droma to
plan a mission to destroy the Krath from within, a strategy frowned upon by many other Jedi,
including his late master.

Ulic traveled to the Empress Teta system and cut off contact with the rest of the Order. He was quickly
able to convince Aleema that he had fallen from the Jedi way and become sympathetic to the Krath,
however Satal was not so trusting. He had the young Jedi imprisoned and tortured which caused Ulic to
begin a journey towards the dark side. Satal eventually came to trust Ulic, and Qel-Droma was instated
as a warlord of the Krath. Fearing the worst after months with no contact, Ulic's lover Nomi Sunrider
planned a mission to rescue Ulic from Cinnagar. Whe she arrived however, she found that Ulic still
wished to maintain his cover and did nothing as Nomi was sentenced to death. He attempted to explain
himself to her via a secret message that was intercepted by Satal. Not knowing Ulic's plan, Nomi
escaped her prison but before she could depart, she was confronted by Satal, who was then confronted
by Ulic Qel-Droma. Ulic had recently learned from Aleema that it was Satal who ordered the attack on
Deneba, and in search of revenge for the late Arca Jeth, Ulic attacked Satal. During the ensuing struggle,
Ulic killed Satal in a fit of anger and succumbed to the dark side, Keto's intent from the start. Although
Nomi and other Jedi attempted to help him, he attacked them as well and drove them off while he
stayed on Koros Major. Ulic soon took Satal's place at Aleema's side was awarded with a rare Sith
amulet while Nomi began to plan yet another mission to rescue Ulic.

"Some crimes deserve the justice of hatred!": Ulic Qel-Droma exacts revenge on Satal Keto.

Across the galaxy, Exar Kun was also continuing his descent into darkness. Much like Ulic, who
believed he could conquer the dark side from within yet still remain true to the light, Exar
believed he could use the power of the dark yet remain uncorrupted by it. Freedon Nadd, whose
spirit still guided Kun, was intent on proving him wrong. As Kun arrived on Yavin 4, he was
confronted by the primitive and savage Massassi people who easily captured the Dark Jedi, as
Exar was still unwilling to fully give into the power of the dark side. On the verge of death, Kun
was again visited by Freedon Nadd. Nadd once again told him that the only way to survive was
to embrace the dark side and Exar complied, seizing a Sith amulet from a Massassi priest and
using it's power to free himself and kill his captors. Exar had fully accepted the Sith ways, much
to Freedon Nadd's delight, who immediately demanded that Kun get to work on the creation of a
new body for the long-dead Dark Lord to inhabit, a task both Ommin and Amanoa had failed on
Onderon. Exar had grown annoyed with Nadd however, and used his newfound power to destroy
his spirit once and for all. In his last moments, Nadd visited Ulic Qel-Droma and Aleema Keto in
Cinnagar and warned them of Kun's rising power. Freedon Nadd, plague of the Jedi and father to
the Naddists and Krath, was gone. Exar Kun, free from Nadd's command, went about enslaving
the remaining Massassi on Yavin 4 and searching for threats to his power. He identified two
darksiders on Koros Major, Ulic and Aleema, and set out to kill them.

Kun arrived in Cinnagar directly after a Jedi assault lead by Nomi Sunrider was beaten back by
Qel-Droma. Exar confronted Ulic and Aleema and quickly incapacitated the Tetan Empress. Qel-
Droma was much more of a challenge however, and the two dark Jedi dueled fiercely. The duel
was short-lived though, as Exar and Ulic's Sith amulets began to glow with dark energy, enticing
the spirit of Marka Ragnos to appear as it had during the duel between Naga Sadow and Ludo
Kressh. This time however, the combatants yielded to the spirit and stopped their duel to heed
Ragnos's words. The ancient Sith Lord proclaimed that Exar Kun was to be the new Dark Lord
of the Sith, while Ulic Qel-Doma was to become his apprentice. The two were branded with Sith
tattoos on their foreheads to signify their new allegiance. With the inception of the new Sith
Lords, the order was once again revived, the first time since the death of Freedon Nadd centuries
before.

The Brotherhood of the Sith

"You are puppets of a tradition pretending to be important. The coming of a golden age has no
place for you. Your Republic is an empty, self-indulgent diversion…signifying nothing. The lost
glory of the Sith will turn all of your supposed accomplishments to dust!"

―Ulic Qel-Droma, to the Senate[src]

Jedi Master Odan-Urr's death at the hands of Exar Kun, the new Dark Lord of the Sith

Allied with Aleeema's Krath armies, the two Sith Lords set out to plan the final destruction of the
Jedi and the Republic. Using the Dark Reaper,they inflicted near-genocidal casualties on worlds
such as Raxus Prime. Exar used Sith alchemy to create Terentateks, large creatures with a thirst
for Jedi blood. Ulic was also able to make an alliance with Mandalore the Indomitable on Kuar,
and with the new addition of Mandalorian soldiers to their forces, the Sith overwhelmed the
Republic defenders at Foerost. While the Krath and Mandalorian armies under Ulic's command
terrorized the galaxy, Exar went about building a following of darksiders for the Sith Lords to
command. He traveled to Ossus, where he gave an impassioned speech to the Jedi students there,
claiming their masters were withholding knowledge and power from them. Many students,
including Crado, left Ossus for Yavin 4, where they would become the apprentices of Kun,
however before Kun himself left, he planned on retrieving the Sith holocron possessed by Odan-
Urr, the ancient Jedi hero of the Great Hyperspace War. Kun confronted Odan-Urr and killed
him, taking the holocron for himself and claiming the ancient Master declared Exar a Jedi Master
directly before his death.

On Yavin 4, his students expressed doubt about the path they had started on after sensing the
dark taint of the moon. In response, Kun destroyed Odan-Urr's Sith holocron, releasing the spirits
trapped inside which then possessed the doubtful Jedi. Reassured by the dark spirits now
controlling their actions, the Jedi students trained with Kun in the dark arts and were eventually
convinced by him that the last thing standing in the way of another Sith Golden Age was their
former Jedi Masters. The students left Yavin to hunt down and kill their masters in an incredibly
successful strike known as the Jedi pogrom. Meanwhile, Ulic had grown ambitious and arrogant
with his new Mandalorian army and decided to strike the heart of the Republic, Coruscant.
Although the plan was frowned upon by Kun, Ulic went ahead with the attack and lead
Mandalore and Aleema into battle alongside their armies. Aleema, tired of sharing power over
the Krath with Ulic, ordered a retreat while Qel-Droma was attacking the Republic war room
alone. Abandoned, Ulic was eventually defeated by the Jedi on Coruscant and put on trial.

Exar Kun shortly before killing his former master, Vodo-Siosk Baas

Ulic's trial was presided over by the Republic Inquisition and he was found guilty on all charges.
As he was sentenced to death, Exar Kun strode into the Senate Hall where the trial was being
held. Immobilizing the senators and executing the Supreme Chancellor, Kun freed his apprentice
only to be confronted by his former master, Vodo-Siosk Baas. Kun used his new weapon, a
double-bladed lightsaber to overpower and murder Baas, who claimed he would one day return
to defeat his apprentice. Kun and Qel-Droma departed Coruscant to continue their war after
again proclaiming the dominance of the Sith. Upon Ulic's return to command, Mandalore
informed him of Aleema's treachery at the Battle of Coruscant and the Sith apprentice began
planning for revenge.

The next stage of the war centered around the attack on Kemplex IX. Ulic hoped to use the battle
as a trap for Aleema, while Exar planned to trick the Krath Sorceress into destroying the Cron
Cluster, a group of ten closely packed stars, which would result in the destruction of a different
target. Exar armed Aleema with the Corsair, the ancient flagship of Naga Sadow discovered on
Yavin 4. Kun taught her how to use it's Sith magic to rip the cores from stars, but neglected to
tell her that it would cause a supernova the ship could not protect her from. Aleema and Crado
were to take the ship and lead the assault on Kemplex IX, however Aleema was overly eager to
use her new weapon. After destroying the Republic jump-station that was their target, Aleema
lured a Jedi fleet into the nearby Cron Cluster, just as Exar Kun had predicted. Aleema ripped the
core out of one of the stars, incinerating the Jedi fleet, however she was unable to control the
explosion. A chain reaction began, with all ten stars going nova and destroying the Corsair along
with Aleema and Crado. Also according to Exar Kun's plan, the supernova headed directly at
Ossus, the primary target of the Sith.

While the Jedi attempted to evacuate Ossus with as many relics and artifacts as they could, Exar Kun and
Ulic lead an attack against the planet. Kun's Massassi warriors looted what remained of the Jedi library
while the Dark Lord himself attempted to steal a cache of ancient lightsabers from the Neti Jedi Master

Ood Bnar.

Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma battles and eventually kills his Jedi brother, Cay Qel-Droma, on
Ossus.

Kun failed as Bnar transformed into a giant tree and hid the lightsabers beneath his body, not to be
disturbed again until millennia later. Ulic flew above the fray during the battle, only to be confronted by
his brother, Cay Qel-Droma, who had sensed his presence. Ulic and Cay landed and began a duel which
ended with Ulic killing the brother he had once fought alongside as a Jedi. Witnessing the murder, Nomi
Sunrider trapped Ulic in a "wall of light" and cut him off from the Force out of disgust for what he had
become. Ulic only now realized what he had done and renounced his Sith ties, agreeing to help the Jedi
defeat the Dark Lord Exar Kun. After both the Jedi and Sith retreated from the planet, Ossus was hit by
the Cron Supernova, destroying all life on the planet, save for Master Bnar.

On other battlefields across the galaxy, the war still raged. Following the Jedi victory at the
Battle of Toprawa, the failed Jedi apprentice Haazen was nearly killed by explosions in caverns
that claimed the life of many of his fellow Jedi, including Barrison Draay. Haazen was revived
by the Sith and turned to the dark side, only to hide his allegiances following the end of the war.
On Onderon, the remaining Mandalorian warriors were beaten back and retreated to Dxun,
where Mandalore the Indomitable was killed by wild animals. With Ulic's help, the Jedi also
prepared for a massive assault on Kun's fortress on Yavin 4. The war was drawing to a close, and
Exar Kun was the last leader of the Sith still standing. Above Yavin, thousands of Jedi ships
descended towards Kun's fortress. Realizing the war was lost, Kun assembled his Massassi
warriors at the temples left behind by Naga Sadow. Exar Kun called upon Sith magic and
drained his Massassi slaves of their life force, killing them. The energy he gained from them
allowed the Dark Lord to break free of his mortal body and maintain his spirit, which hoped to
leave Yavin to continue the war elsewhere in the galaxy. Sensing this, Nomi and rest of the
assembled Jedi created a wall of light around Yavin 4, hoping it would have the same effect as it
did against Ulic on Ossus. The massive surge of light side energy managed to keep Exar Kun's
spirit trapped on the planet, tied to one of his temples, however the collision of light energy from
the Jedi and dark from Kun's Sith magic caused a massive firestorm to erupt and rage across the
moon, killing all life on its surface. The Jedi retreated, their mission accomplished. The Great
Sith War was over, and the Sith Order was defeated.

Following the conclusion of the Great Sith War, the remains of the Brotherhood of the Sith were
disbanded. The Empress Teta system was finally liberated from the remnants of the Krath at the
recapture of the Empress Teta system and the Jedi and Republic began the long process of
rebuilding a broken galaxy. During this period, the Jedi initiated the Great Hunt, an effort to kill
the Exar Kun's remaining Tarentateks which terrorized the Order during the war. The program
was mostly successful, however several beasts survived on both Korriban and Kashyyyk. The
Jedi also attempted to destroy the Sith-inspired Mecrosa Order, however their attempts were
unseccessful. The few surviving members of the Brotherhood were still scattered throughout the
galaxy. Toki Tollivar became a serial killer on Corellia, Haazen infiltrated the Jedi Covenant, an
organization designed to ensure the extiction of the Sith, and Ulic Qel-Droma was killed shortly
after his redemption on Rhen Var. The Old Sith Empire continued to survive in obscurity in the
unknown regions, still lead by the same Sith Lord who had escaped the Empire's destruction
centuries before during the Great Hyperspace War.

Surviving influences
"The Sith came to us with an offer–to fight a worthy enemy in a battle that would be
remembered forever."

―Canderous Ordo[src]
Haazen, Sith Acolyte in hiding

The remnants of the ancient Sith Empire saw an opportunity for revenge in the form of the
Mandalorians. After Mandalore the Indomitable's death on Dxun during the war, Mandalore the
Ultimate rose to take his place as leader of the Mandalorian clans. This new Mandalore reformed
his warriors into the Neo-Crusaders and made a base on the moon of Dxun. According to
Canderous Ordo, Mandalore was approached by the Sith and goaded into attacking the Republic,
as it was weak and still rebuilding in the aftermath of the Great Sith War. Mandalore accepted
and readied his armies for war, and in 3976 BBY, twenty years after the conclusion of the Great
Sith War, the Mandalorians began a brutal campaign for dominance over the Outer Rim and
areas of Unknown Regions. The Neo-Crusaders were able to carve out an area of space for
themselves that exceeded that of the Hutt Empire, however the Republic refused to respond to
the threat until the Mandalorians neared the business world of Taris, at which point the Galactic
Senate pledged it's support to the defense of Taris- a defense lead by Admiral Saul Karath. A
military-security cordon was established and the battle entered into an uneasy period of tension.
While the Republic leapt headlong into the conflict, the Jedi remained cautious. The High
Council decided it would not aid the Republic, turning the sentiment of much of the Republic
Army against them.

During this period, the Jedi Covenant's First WatchCircle, a group of Jedi Consulars based on Taris,
received a Force vision depicting the return of the Sith. The Jedi Covenant's purpose was to prevent this
specific event from happening, thereby avoiding yet another Great Sith War. In response, these Jedi

Consulars massacred their students

Karness Muur and his talisman

, who they believed to be the source of the future Sith menace. Zayne Carrick, Padawan to Lucien Draay,
was the only one of the five students to survive. The First WatchCircle and the Jedi Covenant framed
Carrick for the massacre, claiming he had turned to the dark side. In reality, all of these events were
being engineered by Haazen, the Sith acolyte still in hiding within the Jedi Covenant since the conclusion
of the war. Haazen had been Draay's Jedi Master, and since his grievous injuries and turn to the dark
side during the war, he had been plotting to destroy the Jedi Order from within by wresting control of
the Covenant away from Lucien's mother, Krynda Draay.

As the Jedi hunted for Carrick, he and Covenant Shadow Celeste Morne encountered the Muur
Talisman on Taris. The ancient relic of the original Sith Empire had somehow made its way to
the city-planet, where the Rakghoul Plague that had been created by Karness Muur several
millennia before ran rampant. Shortly after the two Jedi discovered it, the Talisman was taken to
Jebble by invading Mandalorian forces. There, it transformed an entire Mandalorian army into
Rakghouls that threatened to leave the planet and spread the disease throughout the galaxy.
Morne and Carrick also discovered that the Talisman still contained the spirit of Karness Muur
himself, who hoped to possess a Force-sensitive body and create a new Sith era enforced by his
Rakghouls. Celeste Morne, who had dedicated her life to the prevention of the return of the Sith,
allowed the Talisman to attach itself to her. She was able to control Muur to some degree,
however she was corrupted as well, and was in danger of slipping to the dark side. Carrick and
Morne discovered another Sith artifact on Jebble that had been acquired by the Mandalorians—
Dreypa's Oubliette. The oubliette was designed to contain both Muur and the plague, but Morne
would have to be interred within it as well. Carrick planned to leave and return with help for her,
but, shortly after his departure, the Mandalorian fleet arrived and bombarded the planet with
nuclear warheads, killing the Rakghouls and flooding the once-frozen world. Carrick believed
Morne to dead; however, she was safely in stasis within the intact oubliette, and would remain
there for almost four millennia.

Zayne Carrick traveled to Coruscant shortly after, hoping to force a member of the First
WatchCircle to confess to their crime and clear Zayne's name. Master Xamar gave in and
confessed to the Jedi Council, which then ordered an assault on the Draay Estate, headquarters of
the Covenant. Having already poisoned Krynda, Haazen set his plan into motion, initiating
"Vindication", a contingency plan that was to be put into effect should the Jedi Council come
under the influence of the Sith. "Vindication" placed the orbiting Republic fleet in Haazen's
control, allowing him to kill many of the attacking Jedi with orbital bombardment. Carrick and
Lucien Draay were the only two Jedi not forced to retreat, and although Haazen nearly pulled
Draay to the dark side, the Jedi refused to join the Sith and instead killed Haazen by redirecting
the Republic ships to fire directly at the Draay Estate. Both Carrick and Draay survived;
however, neither returned to the Jedi Order, deciding to take different paths. Carrick and his
friends later killed Toki Tollivar, another Sith Acolyte who had been in hiding since the
conclusion of the war.

Revan, Alek, and several Revanchists on Cathar

The making of Revan

"We'll go to the front—and beyond it, if it'll save the galaxy. Sometimes you have to enter the
darkness to save the light."

―Alek Squinquargesimus on the Revanchists[src]

As tension in the Outer Rim escalated, several members of the Jedi Order began to voice their
opposition to the Council's decision to remain uninvolved. Foremost among these dissidents was
the Jedi Knight Revan. He, along with his close friend Alek Squinquargesimus, began to
advocate for the Jedi to enter the war alongside the Republic. Although many Jedi remained
loyal to the Council's decision, many younger Jedi joined Revan and Alek and began to scout the
front lines. Revan's followers soon adopted the name "Revanchists". As these renegades probed
the borders between Mandalorian and Republic space, Taris descended into chaos following the
"Padawan Massacre" and the departure of the Jedi Masters stationed there. Seeing his
opportunity to seize the planet, Mandalore the Ultimate initiated the true Mandalorian War,
unleashing his armada into Republic space and overwhelming the under-prepared security forces.
The Republic suffered grievous losses in battles at Onderon, Vanquo, several Outer Rim
Colonies, Taris, and Serroco.
Seeing the carnage, Revan released records of the Genocide of Cathar, a Mandalorian operation that
had occurred in the early stages of the war after the Council's refusal to take part in the conflict, to
garner support for his cause. The reports shocked both the Republic and the Jedi, leading to more
greater for both Revan and Alek, who had adopted the alias Malak since the events surrounding
"Vindication". The two led the Revanchists (also known as the Jedi Crusaders) to join the Republic
military and fight in battles across the galaxy. Revan and Malak, alongside Meetra Surik, proved to be
capable military commanders and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually gaining control over a full
third of the Republic Navy. The soldiers under their command became incredibly loyal to the Jedi and
increasingly averse to the Council and Knights who chose to remain out of the war. As Revan and Malak
continued their crusade, the tide began to turn in their favor. The Mandalorian armies were beaten back

on Taris and crushed at Dxun.

The Trayus Academy on Malachor V

Revan and Malak's tactics became increasingly as the war raged on. They sacrificed countless Republic
soldiers on Dxun simply to drive the Mandalorians off the moon and decimated Mandalorian ground
forces on Althir. Soon the Mandalorians had retreated to their pre-war Empire in the unknown regions,
pursued by Revan's forces. Revan was a hero to the Republic and the Jedi and appeared to have been
vindicated in his defiance of the Council.

However, appearances were deceiving. Early in the war, during Revan's original scouting of the
area surrounding Mandalorian Space, he came upon Malachor V, a world considered forbidden
by Mandalorians. By this time the hidden Empire had forgotten the world. The Jedi traveled to
the planet's surface and was immediately overwhelmed by dark side energies. Malachor had once
belonged to the ancient Sith Empire, and was saturated with the dark side. In an effort to save
himself from being consumed by the dark side, Revan fed off of it instead. He had also stumbled
upon the Trayus Academy, an ancient repository of Sith teachings built around a dark side
geyser. It was there that he learned the location of Korriban and the existence of a hidden Sith
Empire, the faction of the original Empire that had survived the Great Hyperspace War and been
in hiding beyond the Unknown Regions for thousands of years. Revan, believing these Sith to be
a greater evil than the Mandalorians, accepted the Sith way and the power it offered, hoping that
he could defend the galaxy from this newly discovered threat. He also believed that these Sith
had somehow influenced the Mandalorians into attacking the Republic. Revan introduced Malak
to the teachings of the Sith, and together the two adopted the title of Sith Lords, with Revan as
the Dark Lord and Malak as the Apprentice. They remade themselves into Darth Revan and
Darth Malak, marking the first recorded use of the honorific Darth title. During the war, Revan
also discovered a Star Map on Kashyyyk- an ancient relic of the Infinite Empire which had
attempted to conquer the original Sith people far before the creation of the Sith religious order.
The Star Map hinted at the existence of an ancient superweapon that Revan would focus on
finding after the war. The new Sith made preparations for the final battle of the Mandalorian
Wars and their forces in the aftermath of the conflict. Sith teachings began to spread through the
Republic fleet, going largely unquestioned, as Revan and Malak were still the heroes of the
Republic.

The new Dark Lord decided that Malachor V would be the final battleground, positioning a fleet of
Republic ships in orbit consisting of crewmen and soldiers who were not fanatically loyal to him. The
Mandalorians temptation for battle eclipsed their desire to avoid Malachor, and so began a final,
massive assault on the Republic fleet which was being lead by Surik. Prior to the battle, Revan had
entrusted her with the Mass Shadow Generator, a new superweapon designed by the Zabrak engineer
Bao-Dur. As the battle began, the Republic forces were overwhelmed and suffered crippling losses, but
Revan soon arrived with reinforcements and the power of Sith teachings.

The ruins of Malachor V

He drew upon the dark energy of the planet below, invigorating his forces and drawing many of them to
the dark side. Revan himself killed Mandalore the Ultimate, and the remaining Mandalorian forces were
pushed towards Malachor. At this point the Jedi Crusader leading the fleet ordered the activation of the
Mass Shadow Generator and watched in horror as thousands of ships from both the Mandalorian and
Republic fleets were crushed in an artificial gravity well. The wreckage slammed into the planet and
ruptured its crust, leaving nothing but a broken core. The countless deaths could be felt through the
Force, causing the Jedi Crusader to cut herself off from the Force to avoid death. The battle ended with
almost all of the Mandalorians killed, and the remaining declaring their unconditional surrender to
Revan, who disbanded the warriors and sentenced them to perpetual exile. The surviving Jedi were
either turned to the dark side or killed by Revan and Malak; however, the Dark Lord allowed the now-
Force-dead Surik to escape and return to the Jedi Council on Coruscant, where she would be sentenced
to exile for her actions during the war. Revan had single-handedly defeated the Mandalorian menace
and could have returned to Coruscant as a hero, despite the tragedy over Malachor V.
However, to everybody's surprise, he and Malak, along with a full third of the Republic fleet,
disappeared into the Unknown Regions shortly after the Battle of Malachor. The official reason
was that they were hunting down the last of the Mandalorians, but the Sith Lords and their fleet
were actually searching the galaxy for the Star Forge, the ancient weapon which Revan had
learned about from the Star Map. Several years passed with the Republic receiving no word from
the missing fleet, and it was assumed that the heroes of the Mandalorian Wars were dead.

The Jedi Civil War and the redemption of Darth Revan

"The hero had become a conqueror."

―Jedi Master Dorak[src]

Revan and Malak confront the Sith Emperor in the Unknown Regions.

However, Revan and Malak were very much alive. During their time in the Unknown Regions,
they encountered a Sith Empire established by the Sith Emperor. The Dark Lord converted them
to his cause and recruited them. These two Sith Lords were dispatched back into Republic space
to locate the Star Forge to allow the Empire to drastically boost its military production.
Unfortunately for the Emperor, Darths Revan and Malak became overly ambitious without his
direct supervision and claimed the Star Forge for themselves.[4] Revan began a campaign to end
the "tyranny" of the Jedi Council once and for all. Together with Malak, Revan went to Korriban
and seized control of the planet, secretly establishing a new Sith academy not far from the
settlement Dreshdae.

About a year after Revan's return to known space, the first battle of the new conflict, the Jedi
Civil War, began. In a surprise attack, Revan's fleet swept into the unprepared Foerost system,
quickly overcoming their defenses. It was after this battle that Revan and Malak officially
announced to the galaxy that they now were now Sith Lords, Darth Revan and Darth Malak, and
captured the majority of the Republic Fleet based in the drydocks around Foerost, dealing a
crippling blow to the Republic. The second planet to be attacked by the Sith was Telos IV, a
strategically-important planet on the edge of Republic-controlled space whose military and
economic power bases were considered vital to the Republic. Although Darth Revan had
intended for Telos to be conquered, Darth Malak ordered the former Republic admiral Saul
Karath to prove his loyalty to the Sith by destroying Telos - Karath complied.
Darth Malak, Darth Revan's Sith apprentice and successor.

While a destructive war, Revan sought to do as little damage to the Republic's infrastructure as
possible. Under his leadership, Sith forces bypassed militarily vital planets that would be
required for the defense of the galaxy against the threat of the hidden Sith Empire. Revan never
intended to 'destroy' the Republic, but to unite it under his banner, so it was vital for him to keep
the Republic largely intact for the purposes of post-war rebuilding. Revan, seeing the need for
corporate assistance in providing necessary materiél for the war effort, entered a partnership with
the Czerka Corporation, a galaxy-spanning conglomerate with such diverse interests as mining,
slaving, and manufacturing items such as arms, armor, and droids. Offered a trade monopoly
within Sith space, the corporation helped to sponsor the establishment and growth of the
Dreshdae colony on Korriban as part of their supply network. The corporation continued to
provide logistical support for the Sith Empire throughout the course of the war. They also
secured diplomatic relations with the ocean planet of Manaan so that they would able to export
the healing substance known as kolto. Revan even took out a number of political figureheads
who stood in his way. Amongst them was: Yusanis of the Echani, Senator Mimas Yoon of
Corellia, and Lelin-Dor of Serroco. By doing so Revan would be able to begin his rule with a
functioning army and a stable economy without his rule being questioned. He believed that even
if he were to fail in his conquest of the Republic, the result would be the same; a stronger
Republic more capable of defending itself against the hidden Sith Empire.

Unlike most, Revan understood that his war was never truly against the Republic, but against the
Jedi. Revan believed that whoever had the most and the strongest Jedi would win the war. He
would either convert or kill captured Jedi, relying on secrecy instead of brute force. His Sith
assassins quietly flooded into the Republic to achieve this goal Jedi throughout known space.
Revan reestablished old strongholds and academies upon worlds of ancient power such as Lehon,
Dxun, and Korriban. There his most faithful servants broke captured Jedi and converted them to
the dark side. If any Force-sensitive was found within his ranks he captured them as well and
made them into Dark Jedi.
Bastila Shan confronts Darth Revan during his capture.

Darth Revan's tactical brilliance caught the Republic completely off-guard and the Sith won
battle after battle until a young Jedi Knight named Bastila Shan entered the fray. Bastile could
use battle meditation, a powerful Force-power that increased the combat effectiveness of the
Republic's forces and sapped the will of enemy combatants. The Republic knew, however, that
even with Bastila's powerful battle meditation, they wouldn't be able to stand against the Sith for
long, so the Jedi Council drafted a plan to capture Darth Revan, thus depriving the Sith of their
greatest leader and tactician. While Darth Revan's fleet was distracted by a small force of
Republic warships, a Jedi strike-team consisting of Bastila Shan and a number of Jedi Knights
boarded Revan's flagship, overcoming his guards and cornering the Dark Lord on the bridge.
Darth Malak, determined to become the Sith Master, ordered the ships under his command to fire
upon the bridge of his mentor's flagship, intending to kill both the Jedi boarding party and his
master in order to claim the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith for himself.

Unknown to the newly crowned Dark Lord Darth Malak, his old mentor was still very much
alive. As the only other survivor of the attack, Bastila Shan used the Force to preserve the flicker
of life that remaining within the unconscious Dark Lord. This act created a Force bond between
the two, an event that would have lasting repercussions in the future. Shan then brought Darth
Revan to the Jedi Council on Dantooine, where they used the Force to temporarily wipe his
memory. Revan was then reprogrammed with a new identity, one loyal to the Republic, while
Bastila Shan was charged with keeping Darth Revan's identity hidden and drawing out the
former Dark Lord's memories.

Reign of Darth Malak and Revan's reemergence

"What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own
knowledge against them."

―Bastila Shan[src]

Although Darth Malak lacked the tactical superiority of his former master, relying instead on
brute force, the sheer size of his armadas allowed him to win many victories over the battered
and outnumbered Republic forces. Unlike Darth Revan, Darth Malak would destroy worlds
rather than capture them, taking away vital resources from both sides. Throughout the conflict
Darth Malak became much more reliant upon the Star Forge than Revan had been. He took a
former Jedi whose quest for power had set him apart from his fellow students and named him
Darth Bandon, making him his Shadow Hand and the second-in-command in the Sith Empire. As
his forces tore through Republic space, Darth Malak felt that the only thing that could stop him
from taking over the galaxy was Shan's powerful battle meditation. Therefore, he expended
tremendous resources to locate and capture Shan, hoping to turn her to his cause or kill her if this
proved impossible.

Darth Malak leads his Sith troopers and Dark Jedi into battle.

As the war raged on, Revan, under an implanted name and with no recollection of his real history or of
his former mastery of the Force, was enlisted as a common soldier in the Republic army and placed on
the Republic warship Endar Spire. Darth Malak's hunt for Shan led him to this ship, where he sent Darth
Bandon, along with a Sith armada, to ambush the ship. There, while boarding the vessel, Darth Bandon
encountered Revan, but before he had the chance to kill the amnesiac Dark Lord, a

Darth Bandon, Darth Malak's Sith apprentice

Republic ensign sacrificed himself so that Revan could escape the ship. Shan successfully fled the ship
aboard one of the escape pods and crash-landed on Taris, as did Revan and the Republic commander
Carth Onasi. Malak ordered a blockade of the planet so that the Sith could search for Shan.

After crash-landing on the surface of Taris, Revan began experiencing flashbacks through the
Force of his buried past. On Taris, Revan and Onasi had to rescue Bastila Shan from the Black
Vulkars swoop gang with the assistance of the young Twi'lek Mission Vao, her Wookiee partner
Zaalbar, and the Mandalorian war veteran Canderous Ordo. With the help of his new droid
companion, T3-M4, Revan was able to steal the bypass codes to the Sith blockade from the Sith
base and could escape the planet. However, once Revan and his newly formed team (which
included Bastila) left the surface, Darth Malak ordered an orbital bombardment of the planet,
hoping to eliminate Bastila together with the billions of Tarisians living on its surface.

Deciding to regroup, Revan and his companions fled to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. There, Revan was
trained again in the ways of the Force by a reluctant Jedi Council. During his training he performed
various important tasks in the area around the Enclave. Among these tasks was to cleanse a meditation

grove of a dark taint. The

The Star Map Revan found on Dantooine

taint soon turned out to be a Cathar Dark Jedi named Juhani, who he redeemed and convinced to return
to return to the Jedi. Soon afterwards, Shan and Revan shared a dream of Revan and Malak exploring
the nearby ruins and discovering a Star Map, a Rakatan artifact that, when combined with the other four
Star Maps, Revan had used to find the location of the Star Forge. Upon learning this, the Jedi Council
placed it upon Revan and Shan to travel to the worlds where the other Star Maps were hidden and find
the location of the Star Forge. Although the Council still wanted Bastila to continue to draw out Revan's
memories, they were also curious to see if Revan could accomplish this mission without falling to the
dark side. Juhani also requested that she be allowed to join Revan's party.

Revan, Shan, and their companions journeyed to these worlds, retracing the steps of Darth Revan
and Malak from years before. During these travels they gained two new companions; on
Tatooine, Revan purchased HK-47, the assassin droid that he had created as a Sith Lord, and on
Kashyyyk, the self-exiled Jedi named Jolee Bindo joined his party. Additionally, the crew of the
Ebon Hawk found themselves hunted by both the Sith and bounty hunters and confronted with
the problems of the local populace at every turn. One of their greatest challenges was when
Darth Bandon finally caught up with the party, only to meet his end at the hands of Revan.
Throughout their journey, Revan and Bastila grew closer due to the feelings created by their
Force bond. Bastila feared their love, thinking it would lead to the dark side. In truth, she was
afraid to face her feelings, out of fear of who Revan once was. She attempted to resist the
feelings, but their love was too great to avoid.
As the crew searched for the final Star Map, Revan and his allies were captured by the Sith
flagship Leviathan under the command of Admiral Saul Karath. As the Ebon Hawk was being
brought in via tractor beam, its crew decided that it would be best for another member of the
party to use their talents to either avoid or escape confinement and then liberate the rest of the
crew. Aboard the ship, Admiral Karath interrogated Revan, Shan and Onasi personally,
informing them of the destruction of the Dantooine Enclave as he attempted to extract
information from them; however, despite their torture, Karath was unable to learn anything.
After the Admiral's eventual departure, both Bastila and Revan determind that Karath had sent a
message to Darth Malak with their location and that he was making his way towards them.
Meanwhile, the Ebon Hawk crewmember succeeded in getting away from their guards and
managed to unlock the holding cells and force cages that held the rest of the group captive.

The Sith Navy amassing around the Star Forge

Reunited, the crew worked together to escape the Leviathan. On the way, the crew confronted
Admiral Karath on the bridge deck, and a furious battle took place, resulting in the Admiral's
death. With his dying breaths, the onetime Republic officer told Onasi of Revan's true nature.
Making a break for it, the crew fled towards the Ebon Hawk, but, despite their haste, the trio was
intercepted by the Dark Lord. As surprised as he was amused at the events that had transpired
since his betrayal, Darth Malak gleefully filled Revan in on the details of who he was—and what
he had been made into. Revan, shocked by the revelation, asked Bastila if Malak spoke the truth.
She affirmed said truth and went on to explain everything. Following their brief discussion,
Darth Malak created a stasis field around Shan and Onasi and prepared to end his former Master.
Revan proved himself a capable swordsman, holding his own against the Dark Lord. However,
Shan intervened so that Revan and Onasi could escape. Darth Malak defeated and captured her.
Reluctantly, Revan and Onasi left, and escaped the Leviathan with the rest of their crew. Revan
was thus forced to deal with Darth Malak's revelation and the loss of his beloved Bastila.
The Rakata outside the Temple of the Ancients.

Darth Malak then attempted to turn Bastila to the dark side and become his new Sith apprentice,
torturing her with Force lightning. She was firm at first, but after a week of endless torture, he
succeeded in breaking her and turned her to the dark side. Shan became his apprentice, replacing
the slain Darth Bandon. His primary motive in this was to gain the power of her battle
meditation. Meanwhile, the preparations for the Star Forge were nearing completion and the Sith
forces had grown greater than ever before, and Revan found the fifth and final Star Map,
rediscovering the location of the Star Forge.

Upon arriving, the Ebon Hawk was crashed on the unknown planet because of its disruptor field.
With their hyperdrive damaged, Onasi was forced to make an emergency landing on one of the
planet's smaller islands—the very same island that held the Temple of the Ancients. After several
run-ins with the native Rakata, Revan was able to piece together what had transpired during his
and Malak's last visit to the forgotten world. With the help of the Rakata, he, accompanied by
Jolee Bindo and Juhani, entered the Temple of the Ancients in order to shut down the disruptor
field so that the incoming Republic fleet would not suffer a similar fate. At the top the Temple
they were confronted by Bastila; now a Sith apprentice to Darth Malak. Mocking the three and
taunting the anguished Revan, she engaged them in a brief lightsaber duel. Shan was no match
for Revan's power and threw a Force wave at the three in order to save herself from defeat. After
seeing how powerful Revan was, she came to believe that Revan deserved to be the Dark Lord of
the Sith. She attempted to entice Revan to reclaim his former title and take her as his apprentice.
Revan rejected Bastila's temptation, choosing the path of the Jedi, and tried to turn Bastila back
to the light, reminding her of the of love between them. Angered at her failure to turn Revan,
Shan retreated to the Star Forge, where she and Revan would face each other again during the
final battle.

The Fall of Darth Malak and Revan's departure to the Unknown Regions
"Once again, we shall face each other in single combat, and the victor will decide the fate of the
galaxy."

―Darth Malak to Revan[src]

The defeat of Darth Malak at the hands of a redeemed Revan, as envisioned by Duron Qel-
Droma.

Revan and his crew repaired the Ebon Hawk and pursued Shan as a Republic fleet and a group of
surviving Jedi from the Jedi Enclave arrived, commencing an assault on the Star Forge. Revan,
with his two companions and a Jedi strike team, boarded the Star Forge in hopes of disrupting
Shan's battle meditation long enough to give the Republic fleet a chance. Aboard the Star Forge,
Revan displayed his restored affinity for the Force and mastery of lightsaber combat by
confronting and defeating Malak's army of Star Forge battle droids and Dark Jedi with little help
from others. In the Star Forge's war room, Revan faced off against Shan once again, this time
alone. Although Shan was able to draw on the Star Forge to renew her strength, Revan still
bested her. She begged Revan to kill her after all she had done, but Revan attempted to convince
her to return to the light side by drawing on the powerful bond of love they shared. He
succeeded, and Shan used her battle meditation to aid the Republic, turning the tide of the battle.

As Shan used her powers to shift the balance of power, Revan went on to confront Darth Malak
atop the highest levels of the station. There Revan faced Darth Malak in a brutal lightsaber duel
during which the Dark Lord attempted to siphon off the remaining Force-energy of several dead
Jedi; Revan, however, was able to use his own power to prevent this. After defeating his former
apprentice, he and Shan, along with Onasi and the others, boarded the Ebon Hawk and escaped
the station's destruction. With the Star Forge destroyed, the will of the remaining Sith forces in
orbit was broken and they were defeated; as a result of this action, the destructive war that had
claimed so many lives—on both sides—finally came to an end. Revan and his crew were given a
hero's escort back to Lehon. There, they were each rewarded with the Cross of Glory, the
Republic's highest award. Jedi Master Vandar Tokare also thanked Revan, re-bestowing his rank
of Jedi Knight and proclaiming him the "Prodigal Knight", and his friends as the heroes of the
era and galaxy.

After the war's end, however, Revan began to recover more and more of his lost memories
despite what the Jedi had done to wipe them away. As time went on, the former Dark Lord
remembered the threat posed by the hidden Sith Empire that he had encountered in the Unknown
Regions. Leaving behind Shan, those who had served alongside him at war's end, and all of his
possessions, Revan departed known space in order to face this threat in his own way. The exiled
Jedi Master Kreia, who had taught Revan when he was still a Padawan, had gone in search of
both him and what had driven him to leave the Republic behind and wage a war against it;
eventually she too found Malachor V and, corrupted by its dark energies, began to form the Sith
Triumvirate.

The Sith Triumvirate and the First Jedi Purge

"To be united by hatred is a… fragile alliance at best."

―Darth Traya[src]

The heart of the Trayus Academy.

With the death of Darth Malak and Revan's disappearance, the Sith were left with a massive
power vacuum that resulted in their own civil war. The lesser Sith Lords of the Empire, left
without a strong leader, turned upon each other, attempting to take what scraps they could from
the ruins of the Empire. Declaring themselves sovereign warlords, they fractured the empire into
a number of small, hotly-contested kingdoms. At the height of the civil war on Korriban, Revan
led a host of Jedi in an invasion of the Sith homeworld, and his forces successfully drove the Sith
Lords from the planet. When Republic forces arrived on Korriban approximately a year after the
Jedi Civil War's conclusion, they found the planet to be barren and lifeless. With the fall of the
Sith Empire, the Galactic Republic was able to conquer Sith space, and reclaim worlds that had
been under Sith control since the Great Sith War.

After the fall of Korriban, only one Sith faction remained active in Republic space, a secretive
and elusive Sith faction known as the Sith Triumvirate, led by the three Sith Lords Darth Traya
and her apprentices Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus. Darth Traya was the Sith alias of the former
Jedi Master Kreia, the first and last master of Revan, who was exiled by the Jedi Council for her
part in Revan's training, and of others who the Council deemed as failures.

After her exile from the Order, she started questioning her beliefs and philosophy. She began
searching for answers, meeting those she had affected through her teachings. Eventually, she
came to Malachor V, a dead world, powerful in the dark side. She was curious, and the Sith ruins
drew her in. She became overpowered with the allure of the dark side, and became Darth Traya,
the "Lord of Betrayal", having been betrayed by the Jedi and ready to betray in turn. She attained
the title of headmistress of the Trayus Academy, able to hold any students willing to fight for the
cause of the Sith: to destroy the Jedi.

Two more Sith Lords came to join forces with Darth Traya on Malachor. The first was Darth
Nihilus, the "Lord of Hunger," who before becoming a Sith, lost everything to the Mandalorians
during the war. A survivor of the Mass Shadow Generator in the war's final battle at Malachor V,
the experience of the shadows made him "hunger" for Force energy and the affliction began to
ravage his body. In his pain he became a wound in the Force and was found by Darth Traya. She
told him that she could teach him to feed his hunger. He accepted her offer, becoming Traya's
apprentice. The next to come was Darth Sion, the "Lord of Pain," a long-time Sith, having served
Exar Kun's Sith Empire until the day he was struck down.

Darth Sion strikes down a Jedi.

Rather than die, Sion found that by calling on his pain, anger, and hatred, he could rise from
certain death and achieve immortality at the cost of all-consuming agony. With a body fractured
and decomposing but held together by the dark side of the Force, Sion survived the Great Sith
War. When the civil war broke out Sion fled Korriban, he came to Malachor V, where he found
the Trayus Academy and Darth Traya. His brutality and strength were noted by Traya during his
tutelage under her, but the two soon disliked each other because rather than yearn for knowledge
or studies as she did, he sought hatred and power.

At the completion of their training, these three became co-rulers of an Empire. The remnants of
Revan and Malak's forces soon joined them on Malachor V where they subtly intervened with
galactic affairs, using Traya's idea of echoes in the Force and corrupting Jedi to the dark side.
Sion quickly grew impatient of waiting to fight the Jedi and the Republic while Nihilus grew
hungry and in need of Force sustenance. The two conspired against Traya for a time, and when
she was vulnerable, they struck. She was cornered from two sides in the Trayus Core while
meditating and violently subdued. During this time, the two Lords used an unknown Force
technique to sever her connection to the Force, also making her lose the evil that had corrupted
her in the first place. Traya, Lord of Betrayal, was betrayed again.

Cast out by both Jedi and Sith, Kreia directed her anger towards the Force itself, treating it like
an insidious god. She left the Sith Triumvirate she had started and directed her attention towards
Meetra Surik, a Jedi exiled from the Jedi Order for following Revan into war. Sion and Nihilus
now had dual control of the remnants of the Empire, becoming the new Dark Lords of the Sith.
However, while they shared the belief in Jedi extermination, their conflicting philosophies ruled
out working together. They split the Empire into equal portions and went their separate ways.

They took their respective factions into hiding and initiated a covert shadow war against the Jedi,
starting the First Jedi Purge. Sion led an army of Sith assassins from the Trayus academy in a
bloody crusade, while Nihilus worked from his ship controlling his half-dead thralls and using
his powers to feed on the life-force of entire worlds, gravitating towards planets with a Jedi
presence.

Though working independently, the two reduced the number of surviving Jedi down to less than
one hundred by 3951 BBY.

Traya's Retribution

Survival and Search

"From the moment you awoke, I have used you."

―Darth Traya, to Meetra Surik[src]

Kreia during her exile

While the new Dark Lords thought Darth Traya dead, this was not the case. Left extremely
weakened, she managed to escape and went into self imposed exile. Claiming the Ebon Hawk,
Revan's old ship, for herself, she proceed to wander the galaxy, searching for a specific Jedi
veteran of the Mandalorian wars.

The veteran in question was Meetra Surik, a high ranking Republic general who had led
numerous battles and was involved in the final battle at Malachor V. It was she who ordered the
Zabrak engineer Bao-Dur to activate the Mass Shadow Generator at Malachor, decimating the
Mandalorian fleet. With the end of the war, she was the only Jedi to answer the Jedi Council's
summons and return to Coruscant. Within the High Council Chamber within the Jedi Temple on
Coruscant, she stood before the Jedi for judgment. Due to her experiences at Malachor V, she
had involuntarily disconnected herself from the Force, becoming a wound in the Force, an empty
void. Sensing the emptiness within her, and unsure how to deal with it or its ramifications, the
council exiled her.[5]

Surik took to wandering the galaxy, gradually revisiting most of the old battlegrounds where she
had fought. As she traveled to Telos aboard the Republic cruiser Harbinger, she was drugged
and stowed away by an HK-50 assassin droid looking to collect on the Jedi bounty posted by the
Exchange crime syndicate. However, as this took place, the Harbinger encountered the Ebon
Hawk, which was being pursued by a Sith warship commanded by Darth Sion. The Hawk was
allowed to land on the Harbinger while it docked with the Sith warship and searched it. Traya,
having retaken her original identity as Kreia, found Surik and took her aboard the Ebon Hawk,
unknowingly followed by the HK-50. At the same time, the Harbinger search teams found the
Sith warship empty with the exception of a heavily mutilated body that somehow remained just
barely alive despite the extreme damage it showed.[5]

The "body" was revealed to be Darth Sion himself. Sion relied on his rage-fuelled power in the
Force to literally pull his body back together, achieving a form of immortality and used this
ability to masquerade as a dead body. However, as he could only keep his body together, not
repair the damage it sustained, he was left in constant agony and had the appearance of that
which he pretended to be; a corpse.[5]

Near Disaster

Bursting out of the Kolto tank that his body had been placed in, he commandeered the ship with
the aid of the Sith Assassin crew of his warship that had secretly infiltrated the Harbinger when
it had docked with his own ship via umbilical. As he took over, Kreia took off in the Ebon Hawk
with the drugged Surik in tow. However, the now Sith-controlled Harbinger fired on the Hawk
as it jumped into hyperspace, forcing the ship to make a droid controlled landing at the Peragus
Mining Facility.

At the facility, the blacked out Surik and near-dead Kreia were placed in the medical bay while
the HK-50 stowaway assumed the role of the facilities maintenance assistant. The assassin droid
used his new position to reprogram the facilities droid miners to attack the organic ones, fool the
computers into believing that there was an explosion, confining the remaining miners to the
reinforced dormitories, sabotage the ventilation system to kill the trapped miners, and cause all
the med-bay patients, including the Exile, to receive a near-lethal dose of sedative.[5]

Darth Sion on the corpse-strewn bridge of the Harbinger

While the other patients were killed by this, Surik's Jedi training enabled her to withstand the
effects and survive, as HK-50 anticipated. However, she withstood the effects far better than the
droid intended and awoke. Wandering the medbay, Surik encountered the now recovered Kreia
and began searching the facility for an escape route, meeting the confined Atton Rand. With
Rand's help, they managed to find a way to the hanger, where the Ebon Hawk was kept.
Fortunately, the ship had been repaired under orders from the HK-50 to serve as an escape
vehicle. However, before they could escape, the Harbinger, under Sion's command, arrived at
the facility and docked. As they needed the current asteroid drift charts to navigate the field
surrounding Peragus, they were forced to board the Harbinger to obtain them, battling and
destroying the HK-50 along the way.[5]

Unfortunately, before they could make good their escape, they encountered Darth Sion.

While Atton Rand and Surik fled to the Ebon Hawk, Kreia remained behind to hold off Sion.
After a short conversation between the two, during which Kreia hid from her former apprentice
with the Force, Sion took advantage of a momentary lapse in her illusion to amputate her hand
with a lightning fast strike. This caused a Force link between Kreia and Surik to reveal itself, as
Surik felt Kreia's pain. Despite this, they managed to escape to Telos.

Unfortunately, the Peragus Mining Facility was destroyed by Sion as he pursued them, an event
that would have drastic ramifications for the Republic.[5]

Telos

Their visit to Telos was a total debacle. Firstly, as they had come from Peragus, they were
arrested in connection with the destruction of the facility. While in custody, the Ebon Hawk was
stolen and they were attacked by a bounty hunter that had infiltrated the Telos Security Force,
then they were confined to house arrest, and while they were eventually let go, they were still
confined to the Telos Citadel Station in orbit above the ravaged world. Though they managed to
procure a shuttle to journey down to one of the restoration zones on Telos's surface, they were
shot down by a Czerka Corporation survey team.

Fortunately, they encountered Bao-Dur, who had taken a job as shield technician on Telos. He
pulled them out of the burning wreck and helped them escape the restoration zone,
commandeering a shuttle in the ruins of the Telos military base. In the shuttle, they flew to a
secret academy established by Jedi Master Atris at the north pole of Telos. There the Exile met
with Atris and negotiated the return of the Ebon Hawk, which had been stolen by her agents.[5]

Kreia blackmails Atton Rand.

While Surik met with Atris, Kreia forcefully probed Atton Rand's mind, discovering that he had
been one of the Sith Troopers during the Jedi Civil War, specializing in Jedi hunting… and
torturing. Atton, who was deeply ashamed of his actions, was blackmailed by Kreia to be an
instrument of her manipulations.

Mission

Once under way again, the Exile resolved to gather the remaining Jedi, supposedly to fight back
against the Sith, but truly to get an explanation of what happened to her and why she was exiled.

They proceeded to journey to the various worlds the Jedi masters were last known to have been.
On Dantooine, they found Master Vrook Lamar and aided him at defeating an Exchange-
controlled mercenary army bent on destroying the worlds fragile government. On Nar Shaddaa,
they became involved in the vicious intrigue between the Exchange, the Hutt crime lords, and the
Bounty Hunters guild. In the end, Surik was captured by Goto, the Exchange crime boss
controlling Nar Shaddaa. In the midst of all this, Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell revealed himself and
helped rescue Surik from Goto. "Goto", his control over Nar Shaddaa in shamble, joined Surik's
party, revealing himself to actually be the droid; G0-T0. Obsessed with order and with no
affiliation to any party, G0-T0 sought to use the Exile as an instrument to create order.
Fortunately, as G0-T0 was the one who originally placed the bounty on the Jedi in the first place,
his joining of their party forced him to rescind it.[5]

On Onderon, they became involved with the Onderon Civil War between the hereditary ruler
Queen Talia and the isolationist militant upstart General Vaklu. Gaining the aid of the
Mandalorians, now led by Canderous Ordo, they managed to end the war, siding with Talia and
the royalists. However, they found out that the militant faction led by Vaklu had been receiving
aid from the Sith, specifically Darth Nihilus's faction. While the war was ended and Jedi Master
Kavar, who had been serving as Talia's advisor during the crisis, was freed up to join the
gathering on Dantooine.

On Korriban, they found the corpse of Lonna Vash in the torture chamber of the Sith Academy.
As they prepared to leave, they encountered Darth Sion. After a quick lightsaber duel, they were
forced to flee. Sion let them go, feeling that the Jedi Exile had earned the right.[5]
Battle of Telos

Darth Nihilus

During the Onderon Civil War, Kreia allowed one of General Vaklu's subordinates, the Colonel
Tobin, to escape. Tobin fled to Nihilus and told the Sith Lord the information given him by Kreia
regarding the existence of the Jedi academy Atris established on Telos. The information was a
lie, the only Jedi there was Atris herself while the rest of the residents were Echani handmaidens
trained to resist the Force. In any case, Nihilus prepared to attack Telos in order to drain the
apparent Jedi Academy and once again sate his hunger.[5]

As this took place, Surik traveled to Dantooine and met with the masters. Unfortunately, the
masters decided that Surik's condition as a wound in the Force made her a threat to the Force
itself, and prepared to use their powers to permanently sever her connection to it. However,
before they could do so, Kreia burst in on them. Reclaiming her identity of Darth Traya, she used
to Force to drain their connection to it, killing them. While Surik laid unconscious, Traya was led
to Jedi Master Atris for judgment by one of Surik's companions, the Echani Handmaiden
Brianna. Journeying to the Telosian Jedi Academy, Traya revealed that Atris had herself been
corrupted and turned to the dark side by the Sith holocrons she gathered, but could not admit it
even to herself. Atris then embraced the dark side openly, but was soon confronted and defeated
by the Exile.[5]

With Atris defeated, Surik turned her attention to Darth Nihilus, who had just arrived in-system.
While the Republic fleet arrived to hold Nihilus's fleet, Surik boarded the Sith Lord's flagship,
the Ravager, and with the aid of Canderous Ordo's Mandalorian commandos, they prepared to
destroy the ship. As this was done, Surik confronted Darth Nihilus and engaged the Sith Lord in
combat.

The Sith Lord attempted to absorb Surik's Force energy, however, he failed and exhausted
himself. This was due to Surik's natural ability to draw on the Force energy of those around her,
mirroring Nihilus's, as a result of her tie to the Force being cut at the end of the Battle of
Malachor V. They engaged in a quick fight, with the Dark Lord seemingly too strong to defeat.
Then, Surik learned of his aversion to her Force energy signature and turned the tide against him.
Nihilus's former apprentice, Visas Marr, now one of Surik's companions, entered a trance and
tried to disrupt the link with her former Master, undermining his connection to the Force through
their Force bond. Nihilus was defeated, vanishing in a haze of dark side energy.[5]

Reclaiming Power
"Know that there was once a Darth Traya. And that she cast aside that role, was exiled, and
found a new purpose. But there must always be a Darth Traya, one that holds the knowledge of
betrayal. Who has been betrayed in their heart, and will betray in turn."

―Darth Traya[src]

Darth Traya

Traya returned to the Trayus Academy, subverting Darth Sion and becoming his master once
more. Having reclaimed her lost power, she waited for Surik. Surik, following information from
Atris, arrived on Malachor and stormed the Sith academy. Fighting her way through the army of
Sith assassins and apprentices populating the training center, she confronted Darth Sion at the
entrance to the Trayus core.

After a lengthy battle, she convinced the Sith Lord to let go of his rage and allow himself to die.
As Sion became that which he appeared to be, he expressed relief at finally leaving the world.
Surik entered the core and confronted Traya. After a discussion where Traya revealed her disgust
towards the idea of the "Will of the Force", and her intention to strip the Force of its will, the two
fought. Their bout abruptly ended when Surik cut off Traya's remaining hand. However, the Sith
used her telekinetic abilities to summon up a trio of lightsabers to assail Surik. Surik managed to
cut down the weapons and defeat Traya.

While this took place, one of Bao-Dur's droids made its way through the wastes of Malachor V
and found the remains of the Mass Shadow Generator in several crashed ships. Reactivating the
weapon, the Trayus academy was destroyed while Surik and her companions managed to escape
aboard the salvaged Ebon Hawk.[5] The Sith were once again, though not for the last time,
destroyed.

The Empire's Spy, and Naga Sadow's Return

"They were a family of Sith Infiltrators."
 ―Jedi Master Gnost-Dural speaks of the Ovair family[src]

Barel Ovair, a Sith Infiltrator posing as a Jedi

Although the Jedi thought the Sith were defeated, the Sith Empire that Revan had once
encountered still existed. In fact, they had planted a Sith infiltrator within the Jedi Order itself,
Barel Ovair. Barel selected Eison Gynt to be his Padawan, and together traveled the galaxy
studying the Force and accepting the most dangerous of missions for the Order.

Ovair was then given a mission by his superiors; he must destroy all of the long dead spirits of
the Sith, who might attempt to challenge the Sith Emperor's return. Thus, the spy and his
Padawan undertook the Mission to Yavin 4. The Jedi Order and Gynt believed they were to
destroy the spirit of Naga Sadow, which still lingered in his tomb on the planet, in order to
finally cleanse the Dark Side planet, so Barel was free to defeat the spirit without hesitation.
Unfortunately, the pair was attacked by Massassi warriors that still lived on the surface, and they
were forced to retreat into the temple of the dead Sith Lord.

Eison Gynt, possessed by Naga Sadow

Later, Ovair returned to Coruscant injured and half-mad. His report to the Jedi Council was that
Gynt had been killed during the mission, and the Jedi believed his lies. Eison was indeed alive,
and even possessed by the spirit of Naga Sadow. Years later, the possessed Gynt arrived on
Coruscant, and immediately challenged his old master to a duel. The two fought, and although
Eison's powers were bolstered by Sadow's, Ovair was victorious, and slew his ex-Padawan.
Ovair was questioned by the Jedi after the fight, but they once again believed him and he was
treated as a hero.
Resurgence of the Sith Empire
Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?

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page's listing.
"Our time has come. For three hundred years, we prepared. We grew stronger while you rested
in your cradle of power, believing your people were safe… protected. You were trusted to lead
the Republic but you were deceived, as our powers over the Darkside had blinded you. You
assumed no force could challenge you and now… finally, we have returned."

―Darth Malgus during the Sacking of Coruscant — Listen (file info)[src]

Sith Troops marching into battle

In the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace War, the old Sith Empire was largely decimated by the
final conflict between Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, and was forced to retreat to the Unknown
Regions by the Republic, leading to the belief that the Empire was defeated.

The reason for Revan's betrayal of the Republic was to strengthen it for its inevitable rematch
with the old Sith Empire. However, with his plans largely undone by Malak's rampage, he
journeyed into the Unknown Regions to search out the Empire and possibly stem the tide.
Whatever his intent or actions, the Sith Empire ultimately returned.

It had been three centuries since the Jedi Civil War, Revan's disappearance, and the collapse of
the Sith Triumvirate. The Sith were thought long dead, so the invasion came as a total surprise.
Their invasion marked the beginning of the decades long Great War.

The Sith quickly seized most of the Outer Rim, destroying the Sluis Van shipyards. The
battlegrounds spread to include such remote worlds as Ilum or Dathomir. Despite Manaan's
attempts to remain neutral, it was ravaged by the Sith, and the Republic suffered further defeats
at Agamar and Utapau. However, a heroic struggle at Bothawui helped slow the Sith onslaught,
and the Jedi were able to bring the dark-siders advance to a halt in the Mid Rim. It was during
this time that the sith emperor hatched a plan to capture enemy combatants and program into
them his very essence. His apprentice Exal Kressh betrayed him and led a republic attack on the
Sith homeworld of Korriban. There she faced Teneb Kel, the Sith apprentice chosen to hunt her
down.
The new Mandalore meeting with Imperial agents

However, things for the Republic were vastly complicated by the rebirth of the Mandalorians. In
the bloody arenas of Geonosis, a gladiator who called himself the "New Mandalore" rose to
prominence. The Sith Imperial Intelligence saw a tremendous opportunity in this gladiator.
Dispatching agents to rig the arena bouts, they ensured the warrior's epic rise to power. Beating
all his opponents in the arena, the gladiator claimed the currently defunct title of Mandalore. All
surviving Mandalorians answered the New Mandalore's call and flocked to his banner. Fulfilling
his end of the bargain with the Sith, the New Mandalore command was simple; face the greatest
challenge the galaxy has to offer and battle the Jedi Knights. Obviously the plan was to disrupt
the Jedi war effort against the Sith.

In order to provoke the Jedi, the Mandalorians blockaded the Rimma Trade Route, cutting off
supplies to and from the Outer Rim and hurting the war effort against the Sith Empire. Left with
no choice, the Jedi were forced to attack the Mandalorian blockade in an attempt to break it. The
attack was a total failure, the Jedi were soundly defeated and the Mandalorians continued their
blockade. Were it not for the efforts of daring smugglers led by Hylo Visz, the Republic would
have fallen much sooner. Visz gathered all the supply ships she could find, loaded them down,
and parked them less than a parsec from the Mandalorian fleet. Distracted by the suspicion
freighters, the Mandalorians were caught off guard by a joint Republic-smuggler attack, breaking
the blockade.

The Jedi war effort was able to continue, Visz was hailed as a hero, and the Mandalorians
disbanded, the new Mandalore leading some of their number to seek new challenges while the
rest returned to mercenary work. Ultimately, the new Mandalore was assassinated and replaced,
though the allegiance of the current Mandalore remains ambiguous.

However, due to their delays in the Mid Rim, the Sith tactics became increasingly aggressive and
desperate. The Sith Emperor became increasingly impatient, having expected to triumph quickly.
In his impatience, he presented a surprising offer to the Republic; a peace treaty. The Jedi
Council advised caution, but even they admitted that the war was unwinnable. Peace was the
only option.
Sith warriors storming the Jedi Temple.

While diplomats and senators convened on Alderaan for negotiations with the Sith, the dark-
siders played their final card. They attacked Coruscant. Using a stolen Republic ship, a group of
Sith warriors crash-landed within the entrance to the Jedi Temple itself. Rendezvousing with
Darth Malgus, who had arrived just previously, and a Sith-hired bounty hunter who had disabled
the Temple security system. Sacking the Temple, they disabled the Coruscant defense
mainframe, allowing their forces to land and storm the planet.

With the Republic's capital firmly in their grip, the Imperial delegation took command of the
Alderaan Peace Conference. Lord Baras introduced the Republic diplomats to the Treaty of
Coruscant, an agreement greatly biased towards the Sith that would shape galactic events for
decades. Although the Jedi Order's representatives protested, Senator Am-Ris agreed to the
terms. The war was ended, but Coruscant was subjected to the rule of the Empire's Dark Council
for a short time.

The new galactic map after the Treaty of Coruscant

With the Sith takeover of Coruscant, the Empire now controlled half of the galaxy, and thanks to
the Treaty of Coruscant, they were recognized as a legitimate government for the first time in
their history. The Jedi and Republic troops were recalled from their many battles, leaving
thousands of star systems to fend for themselves under Sith control. With the Jedi Temple on
Coruscant ransacked and in ruins, the Jedi Order was forced to relocate, choosing their ancient
homeworld of Tython. As the Sith Empire consolidated its power and the Galactic Republic
licked its wounds, the Cold War began.
The Cold War
"Thus began the unprecedented stalemate. The Jedi reconnecting with their roots, the Republic
nursing its wounds, the Sith consolidating their power in a galaxy divided between darkness and
light."

―Master Gnost-Dural, on the Cold War

The Cold War was a period of uncertainty and high tension between the two factions. Bordor
skirmishes and proxy wars between the two powers brought the uneasy truce to the brink of
collapse. However, neither side was ready to resume all out war; and the Sith Emperor's interests
seemed to turn to something other than conquest. He handed control of the Empire over to his
Dark Council, which oversaw the day-to-day affairs of the regime, and went on to pursue his
own mysterious goals.

While the Cold War broiled, the Jedi Order reconnected with their roots, and for the most part
secluded themselves from galactic affairs, as public opinion had largely turned against them and
irate senators blamed them for the war.

The Cold War saw two powerful Sith Lords rise to power: Darth Nox and the second Emperor's
Wrath.

Second Great Galactic War

"We are at war! The Dark Council has placed me in charge and battles are being waged across
the galaxy."

―Darth Baras[src]

The Second Great Galactic War was the culmination of a dozen years' worth of intense standoffs,
uneasy peace and minor border skirmishes and proxy wars. When the galaxy returned to full-
scale war, both sides more powerful than they had been previously, the galaxy was torn apart by
vicious battles and scheming plots. The Emperor consolidated his power from the shadows, his
agents relaying information of galactic events to him while he prepared his plan to annihilate life
in the galaxy and gain ultimate supremacy and power.

The Second Great Galactic War saw Darth Nox and the Emperor's Wrath lead Sith Forces into
war, savagely attacking the Republic and battling ferociously with the Jedi. Though the Dark
Lords of the Sith often engaged in mortal combat with the Jedi, they also suffered from internal
betrayals and other schemes and plots against rivals. This intense rivalry and infighting was put
to an end by the Emperor's Wrath, thus strengthening the Empire like never before.

Desolous's Insurgence
"A thousand Jedi died cursing Darth Desolous."

―Darth Desolous[src]
Darth Desolous

Approximately one hundred years after the end of the Cold War, a Pau'an Force-sensitive was
discovered by the Jedi. Brought into the order, he eventually became a revered and powerful Jedi
Master. However, his innate lust for battle drove him to seek out Sith teachings, which forced the
Jedi to expel him from the order.[6]

The master declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith and took on the name Darth Desolous.
Desolous returned home to Utapau and proceeded to build an army around him, training
hundreds of fellow Pau'ans in a personalized version of Jedi fighting techniques and equipping
them with Cortosis alloy shields. He then rallied his army and embarked on a bloody campaign
against the Jedi Order. Using ambush and guerrilla fighting tactics, Desolous and his army
ultimately slaughtered over two thousand Jedi.[6]

However, with each victory, Desolous grew increasingly reckless and bold, his hatred of the Jedi
eclipsing all other emotions, or reason. In his recklessness, Desolous allowed himself and his
army to be drawn into a trap at Yaga Minor, where he and his army were destroyed.[6]

Meanwhile, in 2975 BBY, the two surviving Sith factions on Kesh, the Lost Tribe of the Sith and
the Doomed clashed in a conflict that culminated with the dissolution of the Doomed, and the
reawakening and death of Dreypa.[3]

The New Sith Wars

Ruin
"There is nothing…
Only me."

―From the creed of ruin[src]

Darth Ruin

Several hundred years after the fall of Darth Desolous, another charismatic and revered Jedi
Master fell to the Dark side and recreated the Sith. This time, it was the Umbaran Phanius, a
renegade master known for a disturbing philosophy, which included elements of moral relativism
and solipsism, possibly echoed in certain aspects by the much later Potentium belief.[7]

Leaving the Jedi Order to pursue prohibited Sith teachings, Phanius became the first of what
would be known as the Lost Twenty. The newly christened Darth Ruin set about recreating the
Sith, uniting the various splinter factions that remained from the Old Sith Wars and the Cold
War, and gaining the allegiance of fifty turn-coat Jedi Knights in an event known as the Fourth
Great Schism. Ruin proceeded to initiate the New Sith Wars against the Jedi.[7]

However, his newfound power was not to last. Ruin, in his all-consuming ambition and single-
minded hatred of the Jedi, caused the deaths of thousands of his own followers, sometimes on a
whim. Ultimately, Ruin's actions led to the betrayal of his followers, and he was assassinated.
However, the New Sith Wars continued on and off for almost a millennium.[7]
The Dark Underlord

The Dark Underlord

Following the death of Darth Ruin, several Dark Lords rose to power and reorganized the Sith,
renewing war against the Republic. One of the first after Ruin was a mysterious being known
only as the Dark Underlord. Theories regarding his true identity often gravitated towards him
being a Sith spirit summoned from Chaos, some even stating that he was the resurrection of the
Lettow General Xendor.[8]

During the first quarter of the war, the Underlord was a bloody marauder who earned the ire of
the Republic. Attaining leadership of the Sith, the Underlord consolidated a number of elite Sith
warriors known as the Black Knights. Setting up a base on Malrev IV, they continued the war
against the Republic.[8]

As the Dark Underlord fought the Republic, he found a nemesis in the Jedi General Murrtaggh.
The Jedi General, in a scheme to infiltrate the Underlord's fortress on Malrev IV, hired a group
of Mandalorian mercenaries to stage a diversionary attack while he broke into the fortress and
assassinated the Underlord. Murrtaggh's plan was ultimately successful, but at a terrible price.
He confronted the Underlord and slew him, but fell to the Dark side as he struck down the Dark
Lord.[8]

Rivan
"Darkness is a friend, an ally. Darkness allows us to understand others, to see what they value
when they believe no one else is looking. It allows us to be honest with ourselves, to express
those values that we would disavow in the light. The light blinds us. It is only in the dark that we
see clearly, and there is a great dark hidden among these worlds."

―Darth Rivan[src]
Darth Rivan

Sometime after the fall of the Dark Underlord, a Zelosian Sith Lord christened Darth Rivan rose
to power. Rivan settled on the planet Almas, and built a fortress on the world. However, unlike
many of his predecessors who devoted themselves to war against the Republic, Rivan's primary
occupation was study. His goal was to find a way to eliminate the inherent infighting amongst
the Sith, as enlightened cooperation was not considered a virtue amongst Darksiders.

Rivan's researches turned his fortress into a massive focal point of Dark side energy, and resulted
in the creation of the Sith battlelords. The battlelords successfully implemented Rivan's goal of
eliminating infighting by causing a Force-bond to form between a commander and all of his
subordinates, ensuring that whenever a subordinate attempted to assassinate his superior officer,
the damage would instead be inflicted upon the soldier.[9]

Rivan's other researches resulted in the creation of the Kaluthin grass, which modified the toxic
landscape and atmosphere of Almas, terraforming the planet into a gardenlike paradise. At some
point, he also gained possession of an artifact known as the Darkstaff, an insidious semi-sentient
weapon capable of draining the Force essence from living beings.[10]

It was initially believed that Rivan was betrayed and killed by his own apprentice, Darsin, after
being driven off Almas by a joint Republic/Jedi assault. In truth, the Darkstaff created a massive
Force storm that swept across the surface of Almas and transported Rivan through space and
time to Ruusan during the final battle of the New Sith Wars several centuries later. He perished
in the battle, being left extremely weakened by the journey.[11]

Until the rise of Darth Bane in the very same battle that resulted in his death, he was the last Sith
Lord known to use the "Darth" title.
Darzu
"She was a student of Sith alchemy; it was said she learned the secrets of mechu-deru, the ability
to transform the flesh of living beings into metal and machinery."

―Hetton to Darth Zannah[src]

Belia Darzu, Dark Lord of the Sith

Some time after Rivan's fall, a new Dark Lord known as Belia Darzu rose to power. Prior to her
ascendance, the Shi'ido Darzu was a Dark Side Marauder and a Sith Alchemist. As Dark Lord,
Darzu made the ancient Jedi world of Tython her seat of power, building a fortress and the planet
and commencing with her alchemic experimentations, saturating the world with the Dark
Side.[12]

Among her creations was a suit of heavy battle armor that was imbued with the Dark Side,
granting the wearer invisibility and enhanced physical strength. However, possibly Darzu's most
insidious creation was her personal army of Technobeasts, creatures whom she had mutated into
twisted mechanical versions of their former selves through a combination of Nanogene
technology and the Dark side of the Force. She controlled this army through the use of the Sith
alchemic technique Mechu-deru.[12]

Belia Darzu was ultimately assassinated by Sith of the Mecrosa Order, who had her poisoned at
the behest of her fellow Sith Lords. Though she died, her knowledge survived in the form of her
many notes and journals left intact within her fortress, and her holocron, all of which later came
into the possession of Darth Bane.[12]
Brotherhood of Darkness

Lord Kaan

Due to the constant infighting amongst the Sith, their Empire was fractured into numerous
pieces. Self-proclaimed Sith Lords rose to establish their own personal domains, while enslaved
masses suffered under the rule of these warlords. Despite this division however, the Republic and
the Jedi Order were both too weakened by their off-and-on conflicts with the Sith for them to
capitalize on it. With the Republic crumbling due simply to a lack of infrastructure, the Mid and
Outer Rims became lawless free-fire zones that, more often than not, were absorbed into the
territories of various Sith warlords. In response to the lack of Republic and Jedi intervention
against the Sith, many individual Jedi began personal campaigns to free oppressed worlds from
the Sith. In the instances where they succeeded, they were often granted Feudal-styled control
over the area they freed by their grateful populaces. These Jedi Lords eventually became so
popular and powerful that they created their own council to oversee their affairs, completely
ignoring the Jedi High Council. In an attempt to regain their authority and popularity, the High
Council fielded their own champion, the charismatic and powerful Skere Kaan. However, Kaan
believed that the Jedi were responsible for the chaos that plagued the galaxy, and defected with a
group of like-minded Jedi to the Sith cause. However, unlike his fellows who were more
concerned with establishing personal dominance, Kaan focused on bringing down the ailing
Republic. To this end, he set about uniting the various factions of the Empire under a single
banner.[13]

Kaan's plan to unite the Empire was unique in Sith history. Rather than individually challenge
each of the Dark Lords to gain possession of their forces, Kaan instead acquiesced to their
vanity, naming them all Dark Lords of the Sith and declaring them equal within the Empire.
Advocating cooperation and unity within the Sith, Kaan ended the age-old power struggle and
gained the backing of all the Dark Lords, who swore loyalty to him.[13]
Thanks to Kaan's efforts, the Sith Empire was reorganized into the Brotherhood of Darkness, and
in a political sense, was now more united and stronger than before. Under Kaan's leadership, the
Brotherhood set about destroying the Republic, securing the galaxy for the Sith.[13]

Sith Campaigns
"This victory sends a message to the Republic and the Jedi. Now they will truly know and fear the
Brotherhood."

―Kaan[src]

Now united under a single banner and with a common goal in mind, the Sith onslaught was
vicious and inexorable. Gaining a startling victory at Korriban, the Sith reclaimed the Sith
tombworld and reopened the Sith academy. Kaan installed several of his lieutenants as the
leaders, with Lord Qordis serving as headmaster.[13]

Soon after, Kaan moved on to his next target; Ruusan. This world was largely insignificant save
for its strategic placement. Kaan planned on using Ruusan as the staging area for the Sith
invasion of the Core worlds. The first battle of Ruusan was a total Sith victory, with the Republic
forces routed and annihilated thanks to Kaan's battle meditation. As they prepared to launch their
invasion, Kaan easily repelled the Republic counter-attack.[13]

However, in the subsequent battles of the war, Kaan noticed a disturbing absence of Jedi. This
absence was explained when Ruusan was suddenly attacked by the Jedi Army of Light, led by
Lord Hoth. The Sith forces were driven off-planet, though Kaan quickly moved to retake the
world. Thus began the protracted Ruusan campaign.[13]

During this series of battles, both the Jedi and the Sith began to unravel, members of both groups
beginning to lose faith in their leaders. It was into this hostile climate that Darth Bane
emerged.[13]
The Rise of Darth Bane

Darth Bane

Bane's emergence

The man who would eventually become Darth Bane was born on the Republic mining world of
Apatros. Dessel was born to an abusive father and cortosis miner named Hurst. Bullied by his
father and the other miners, Dessel became a highly aggressive though cunning individual,
fighting back until they left him alone. Known by the derogatory nickname "Bane", given by his
father to the "bane of his existence", Dessel eventually learned to ignore the jibes and insults
directed at him by the other miners.[13]

However, Dessel was challenged to a fight one day by one of his now dead father's friends;
Gerd; Dessel bit off the drunken miners thumb. Suspended from work, Dessel went to the local
cantina a little earlier than usual, beating the crowds. There, he got into a game of Sabacc with a
group of off-duty Republic officers. Offended by his casually veiled insults, and enraged that
Dessel won, they attacked him as he left. Dessel killed one of them in the ensuing fight.[13]

Knowing that the Republic officials would imprison him for killing the officer even though he
was the aggressor, Dessel fled the planet and joined the Sith army. Rising to the rank of Sergeant
in the Gloom Walkers unit, Dessel's skill as a soldier, along with his unconscious use of the
Force, caused the unit to become one of the most famous in the military. However, during the
Battle of Phaseera, the unit was sent on a suicide mission. The unit's CO, Ulabore, was too
terrified of the Sith Lords to consider questioning the order, so Dessel incapacitated him and took
command.[13]
Though the mission was successful, Ulabore had Dessel taken to be court-martialed. However,
he was intercepted by the Sith Lord Kopecz, who had him sent to the Sith academy on Korriban
instead. Presented with an offer to join the ranks of the Dark Lords, Dessel accepted. As a sign
that he had cast off his old identity, Dessel took on the derogatory nickname his father had for
him, becoming Bane.[13]

Training on Korriban

Bane

Bane immediately began his training under the masters of the academy. On his own initiative, he
studied the academy archives for ancient lore, something discouraged by the current masters,
who emphasized their difference rather than attempted to continue the old ways. Eventually,
Bane began to abandon his studies in the archives to focus on physical and mental exercises.
Challenging one of his fellow students; Fohargh; to a sparring bout, Bane was beaten, though he
killed his opponent with the Force in a blind rage.[13]

However, his killing of Fohargh caused him to think back on the death of his father, and Bane
suddenly realized that he had unconsciously killed his father. This revelation caused him to
doubt his ability, and Bane began losing his connection to the Dark Side. This caused his
progress to slip, and after a disastrous failure in a sparring match, Bane was denied the right to
train with the other students.[13]

As he could no longer attend classes, Bane resumed his studies in the archives. As he learned of
the ancient Sith and their ways, Bane began to question the edicts of the Brotherhood of
Darkness. However, he continued to despair in his own abilities, and it was only the intervention
of Githany that kicked him out of his stupor.[13]

Githany was a Jedi deserter who had provided the Sith with intelligence on the Jedi movements
in exchange for membership. Taking her place at the academy, her Jedi training provided her
with an edge over the other students, and she became one of the foremost apprentices. A primary
obstacle towards her advancement, however, was Sirak. Sirak was the top student at the
academy, and the only individual skilled enough to cause her worry.[13]

Githany saw the opportunity to destroy Sirak in Bane, and approached him. The two formed an
alliance, and Githany began providing Bane with the training he was forced to miss out on,
helping Bane regain his connection to the Dark side, though he continued to play the weakling to
keep Sirak's guard down. While receiving training in Force techniques from Githany, Bane also
met with the Academy swordmaster; Kas'im; receiving lightsaber instruction from him. Thanks
to the efforts of these two teachers, whom Bane kept secret from one another, he gained
sufficient power and skill to challenge Sirak. The bout was an unprecedented victory for Bane,
and Sirak suffered his first defeat. However, Bane allowed Sirak to live, shaking Githany's and
Kas'im's faith in him.[13]

Despite this, Bane was now the top student at the academy.[13]

Rebellion

After his bout with Sirak, Bane was approached by Lord Qordis. The headmaster revealed that
he had been aware of the secret training Bane received from Ka'sim and Githany for some time,
and saluted Bane's progress. However, he also ordered Bane to cease studying the Sith archives,
citing the Brotherhood's efforts to "seek a new path" rather than continue the old ways.[13]

Enraged by this, Bane travelled to Valley of the Sith Lords and began inspecting the tombs,
looking for some way to prove Qordis wrong and validate the old ways. Finding nothing, he
determined that the current Sith were too weak to deserve the wisdom of the ancients, and the old
Sith spirits had abandoned them. Returning to the academy, he was ambushed by a vengeful
Sirak, along with Sirak's two lackeys, and Githany. However, Githany changed allegiances
halfway through the fight, aiding Bane in killing Sirak.[13]

Shortly afterwards, the academy received word of the disastrous Ruusan campaign. As the Sith
forces were in dire need of reinforcements, all the students immediately graduated and granted
the rank of Dark Lord. However, Bane refused to accompany his fellow students, abandoning his
mentors and rebelling against the Brotherhood.[13]
As a sign of his difference, Bane claimed the forbidden and defunct title of Darth. Darth Bane
proceeded to steal Lord Qordis's ship and left Korriban.[13]

The Holocron of Darth Revan

The Temple of the Ancients on Lehon

Following coordinates he discovered in the Korriban archives, Darth Bane travelled to the
Unknown Regions, to Lehon. Landing on the Unknown World, Bane dominated a Rancor beast
through Force persuasion, travelling to the Rakatan Temple of the Ancients. Entering, Bane
began combing the structure for relics and artifacts. Eventually, his search led him to the
sublevels. There he discovered a secret compartment in the central chamber containing the
holocron of Darth Revan.[13]

Opening the device, Bane was given access to a plethora of information on the ancient Sith and
their abilities. Bane managed to create a personal library of handwritten records of the
information before the holocrons power cell depleted, receiving a final message from Darth
Revan. Using Revan's knowledge and teachings as inspiration, Bane came to believe that the
Force, specifically the Dark Side, was finite, and that the Brotherhood of Darkness, in addition to
disregarding traditional Sith beliefs, was spreading the Dark Side too thinly. Bane became
determined to destroy the Brotherhood and reform the Sith, in accordance with his own
philosophy; the Rule of Two. This new edict reduced Sith numbers to merely two individuals;
the master and the apprentice. To ensure a line of secession, the apprentice would eventually
assassinate and replace the master after learning all he could, before taking an apprentice of his
own, continuing the Sith.[13]

While Bane made his revelations, the Brotherhood of Darkness was worried by his absence from
their ranks, as he had been one of their most powerful members. Kaan, fearful of Bane's
intentions after Githany told him of a vision she experienced, dispatched Kas'im to Lehon with
an ultimatum, "join us or die".[13]

Kas'im followed the homing beacon in Bane's ship, which Bane had not bothered to deactivate,
finding the "wayward" Dark Lord's landing site. Confronting Bane in the Temple of the
Ancients, the two had a brief, heated discussion, which ended in conflict. In the ensuing
lightsaber duel, Kas'im almost managed to defeat Bane with his knowledge of dual-saber
combat, which Bane had not received training in. However, in the end, Bane prevailed,
demolishing the Temple of the Ancients with a massive Force blast while Kas'im was still
inside.[13]

Using Kas'im's death as the excuse, Bane began playing the weakling again, using this facade to
deceive the Brotherhood into believing that he was ready to rejoin them, sending some of his
records from Revan's holocron as proof of his sincerity. Meeting with Githany on Ambria, Bane
was almost killed by her, being poisoned by a sample of the toxin synox Githany covered her lips
with when they shared a kiss. Too weakened to heal himself, Bane rushed across the Ambrian
desert to the hut of the healer; Caleb. Taking Caleb's daughter hostage, Bane forced the man to
treat him. Cured by the healer, Bane allowed him to live, feeling that he could be a useful contact
in the future.[13]

With that, Bane departed for Ruusan.[13]

Destruction of the Brotherhood of Darkness

Darth Bane leading the Dark Side ritual during the sixth battle of Ruusan

Arriving on Ruusan during the aftermath of the fifth battle of the campaign, Darth Bane stormed
in on the Dark Lords during a strategic briefing. Disgusted by Kaan's mindset, Bane accused him
of thinking like a dirt general rather than a proper Sith Lord. Kaan decided to accept Bane's
tactical advise, and the Dark Lords gathered together in a ritual led by Bane, unleashing a Dark
Side fuelled wave of destruction upon the Jedi forces.[13]

While the attack itself was a total success, the Dark Lords sensed Darth Bane's intention, and
broke the ritual, attacking the Jedi personally while their forces were in disarray. Bane, though
enraged by their initiative, took advantage of the situation to thin their number. While the Dark
Lords led the assault, Bane went to Kaan's tent and used his communication equipment to order
the Sith fleet to attack the Jedi fleet, breaking the Sith blockade and allowing the Jedi to send
reinforcements. The Sith were unexpectedly attacked and forced to flee. Before the Sith arrived
back at camp, Bane was approached by Qordis, who sought to join Bane. Bane flatly refused and
killed Qordis.[13]

Confronted by Kaan, Bane pretended to be dominated by Kaan's Force persuasion, and

manipulated Kaan into preparing the Thought Bomb. The Thought Bomb was an ancient Sith
weapon of terrible power, a massive focus of Dark Side energy that when detonated would cause
mass devastation across a wide area, and kill any powerful Force-sensitives in the area.
However, Kaan was unaware that the weapon would also kill the creators, namely the Sith Lords
of the Brotherhood.[13]

The Thought Bomb in the aftermath of the Seventh battle of Ruusan

The Sith forces and the Dark Lords all retreated to a massive network of caves and gathered in
the central chamber. Kaan, using Bane's records, led the ritual, creating the Thought Bomb.
When confronted by a group of Jedi led by Lord Hoth, Kaan detonated the bomb.[13]

The Brotherhood of Darkness was destroyed.[13]

Rule of Two

Darth Bane's reign

Early Actions

One of Bane's first actions in the aftermath of Ruusan was to search out an apprentice. He found
his disciple in the form of the young girl Zannah. After terrorizing a group of surviving Sith
mercenaries to create easily discredited rumors of a surviving Dark Lord, allowing the Sith to
remain hidden, he tasked Zannah with finding a way to Onderon, on her own, as a test.
Abandoning her on the Ruusan battlefield, Bane departed for the planet himself.[12][13]
Darth Bane's body is colonized by the orbalisks while he retrieves Freedon Nadd's holocron.

However, along the way, he was suddenly accosted by the spirits of Qordis and Kaan, both of
whom had somehow found a way to escape the Thought Bomb. Provoked by them, Bane
accidentally crippled his ship and crash-landed on the Onderonian moon; Dxun. Wandering
through the wilderness, Bane came upon the Tomb of Freedon Nadd. Investigating it, he
managed to gain entry, procuring Nadd's holocron. However, before he could exit the tomb, he
was attacked by a swarm of orbalisks that had colonized the tomb. They latched themselves to
his body, but instead of parasitically feeding on it, they instead fed upon his Dark Side energy.
The two formed a symbiotic relationship, the orbalisks got to feast on Bane's energy, sustaining
themselves, while they formed a set of nigh-impervious bio-organic armor for him, and they
served as repositories of Dark Side energy that he could draw on at will.[12][14]

Using their power, he dominated one of the Dxun beasts to serve as his steed. Thanks to virtue of
season, Bane had arrived on Dxun during the period where the atmospheres of the moon and
Onderon overlapped. Pushing his steed to the limit, Bane made for Onderon.[12]

While Bane fought through his ordeal on Dxun, Zannah made her way to Onderon by hijacking a
Republic vessel and killing the crew with a stolen blaster. Crash-landing on Onderon, she was
ambushed by a clan of beast-riders. Before they could kill her, Darth Bane arrived. The beast-
riders were slaughtered. Bane was impressed by Zannah's ability, and officially made her his
apprentice.[12]

Zannah's apprenticeship
Darth Bane and his apprentice, Darth Zannah

Darth Bane and Zannah settled on Ambia on the shores of Lake Natth, a focus of Dark Side
energy on the planet. Over the next decade, Bane trained Zannah in the arts of patience, secrecy
and deception. Zannah herself developed a talent for Sith sorcery, becoming a skilled illusionist.
Bane's abilities as a duelist also rubbed off on Zannah, and she developed into a formidable
combatant in her own right.[12]

While he trained Darth Zannah, Bane utilized records stolen from the Brotherhood of Darkness
to gain access to Lord Qordis's bank accounts, making off with the late Sith Lord's considerable
funds. Using these credits, Bane began manipulating galactic politics, working through a variety
of intermediates and middle-men. Bane began stirring up a variety of anti-Republic terrorist
organizations, in order to distract the Jedi from investigating Sith rumors and keep the Republic
united, ensuring that the Sith only had a single target to focus on, and to set the stage for the
eventual Sith takeover.[12]

Bane also dispatched Zannah to infiltrate the Anti Republic Liberation Front, one of the more
prominent terrorist groups, based on Serenno. Zannah's mission was successful, and she brought
about the group's destruction. However, she also gained the attention of the group's reclusive
leader; Hetton. Hetton was a Serenno nobleman and self-taught Sith acolyte. When he
discovered Zannah's identity as a Sith Lord, he immediately begged her to make him her
apprentice.[12]

Zannah seemingly agreed, and took Hetton and his entourage of Sith assassins to Ambria,
supposedly to assassinate Darth Bane. Bane easily held off the attack, and killed Hetton. Zannah
then revealed to Bane that the assassination attempt was a manipulation to eliminate Hetton and
test Bane, and that the ultimate goal had been gaining the possession of Hetton's collection of
Sith artifacts.[12]

While they gained a massive number of Sith equipment, Bane was still unsatisfied. He had been
seeking to create a holocron, but had been repeatedly undone supposedly by the effects of the
orbalisks, who enhanced his rage but inhibited his concentration. Bane dispatched Zannah to
infiltrate the Jedi temple and gain access to the archives, so he might find a way to remove the
orbalisks. While Zannah did this, Bane departed for Tython to search out Belia Darzu's fortress,
and her holocron.[12]

Near Disaster on Tython

Darth Bane landed on Tython and successfully infiltrated the fortress of Belia Darzu, evading the
still active defenses. Making his way to the central chamber, he fought his way through her
hordes of remaining technobeasts and retrieved her holocron. Studying the artifact, he discovered
that his failure at creating a holocron had been due to design flaws on his part, rather than the
orbalisks hindering his efforts. While Zannah sought out information on orbalisks in the Jedi
archives, Bane began to rethink his decision to remove them.[12]

Darovit defecting to the Sith during the war

While Zannah successfully found the information she was looking for, she also encountered her
cousin; Darovit. As children, Zannah and Darovit had been recruited by the Jedi to help in the
Ruusan campaign. However, their ship was shot down as they came in to land, and the two were
separated. Darovit had been found by the Jedi, though he shortly afterwards defected to the Sith,
while Zannah had wandered the wilderness for several days before being found by Bane. In the
aftermath of Ruusan, Darovit became the Healing Hermit, devoting himself to helping Ruusan
recover from the war as a penance for his own actions.[12]

When a Republic construction team led by Johun Othone arrived on Ruusan to construct a
memorial to the battle, Darovit was enraged, seeing this action as opening an old wound.
Sabotaging their efforts, Darovit gained the attention of Othone, who pursued him back to his
dwelling. Knowing that the game was up, Darovit surrendered. As the two spoke, Darovit
revealed the survival of the Sith. After the battle of Ruusan, Darovit had encountered Bane and
Zannah after the Thought Bombs detonation before they left. Zannah, as a final act of mercy,
used the Force to destroy Darovit's right hand, disarming him, but indirectly sparing his life, as
Bane no longer saw him as a threat. Bane allowed him to live, feeling that no one would believe
the word of a traitor if Darovit tried reporting the Sith Lord's existence.[12]
Othone brought Darovit to the Jedi Temple to testify before the Jedi Council. However, while
Othone set up an appointment with the Council, Darovit encountered Zannah in the archives
while researching herbal lore. Zannah, having found the information she needed, abducted him
and fled the planet. However, Darovit's absence was immediately noticed, and Othone managed
to convince several Masters to accompany him in pursuit of Zannah. However, they had no time
to inform any others of Darth Bane's survival.[12]

Zannah met Bane on Tython, with Darovit in tow. Convincing Bane to allow Darovit to live, as
his abilities as a healer could aid them in removing the orbalisks, they prepared to confront the
Jedi. Retreating to a large chamber deep in Belia Darzu's fortress, they stashed their artifacts and
information in a small side room, along with Darovit, and prepared to meet the Jedi.[12]

Darth Bane in his orbalisk armor

Valenthyne Farfalla and Raskta Lsu took Bane, and Othone and Sarro Xaj attacked Zannah,
while Master Worror Dowmat held back and reinforced them with Battle Meditation. Despite
Dowmat's aid, the Jedi were unable to bring down the Dark Lords, Bane's orbalisk armor
protecting him from their lightsaber strikes, enabling him to focus solely on offense, while
Zannah's defensive technique proved adequate to hold off Xaj, whose efforts were being
hindered by Othone's rusty skills. However, when Othone broke off to attack Bane, Xaj was able
to take full advantage of his skills, gaining ground on Zannah.[12]

Bane, attempting to halt the Jedi's advance, attacked Dowmat. While Farfalla managed to save
Dowmat from Bane, he also disrupted his Battle Meditation, distracting the Jedi and allowing
Zannah to slay Xaj. Freed up to help Bane, Zannah impaled Lsu while Bane decapitated Farfalla
and gouged out Dowmat's throats. As Bane prepared to execute Othone with a blast of Force
lightning, Worror used the last of his strength to encase the Dark Lord in a Force shield, causing
the lightning to backfire upon Bane.[12]
This revealed a major weakness in the orbalisks; they were unable to withstand electrical bursts,
and were killed by the lightning. As they died, they released a toxic excretion into Bane's body
that would leave him dead within days unless treated. Finishing Othone herself, Zannah quickly
loaded Bane's dying body onto their ship, along with Darovit and their gathered artifacts and
information and rushed to Ambria.[12]

Meeting with the healer, Caleb, whom Bane had earlier relied on when Githany had poisoned
him, Zannah attempted to extort him. However, Caleb was unconcerned with any of Zannah's
threats, as his daughter was all that mattered to him, and he had already sent her away. While
Zannah despaired, Darovit convinced Caleb to heal Bane, on the condition that Zannah allow
them to send a message to the Jedi informing them of Bane's existence, his location, and his
helpless state. While Darovit hoped the Jedi would take Zannah and Bane into custody, and
allow Zannah to redeem herself, the Sith apprentice had other ideas.[12]

Allowing them to send the message, which was written and delivered by message drone, Zannah
waited until they healed Bane and then struck. Zannah dismembered Caleb and used her abilities
to drive Darovit insane before hiding herself and Bane. The Jedi arrived soon after and found
Caleb's remains. Attacked by the maddened Darovit, they quickly brought him down. Assuming
Darovit to be the Dark Lord, they believed that he had brought down the masters on Tython
single-handedly, but was wounded, and his attempts to heal himself through the Dark Side
backfired. They believed that Caleb had been killed by "Bane" when he sought treatment and
discovered that Caleb had sent the message to the Jedi. Collecting Caleb's remains for burial, the
Jedi departed, satisfied that the Sith were finally defeated, and glorified the encounter as the "Fall
of Darth Bane".[12][15]

Later Actions

Darth Zannah during the latter stage of her apprenticeship

Bane's efforts to construct a holocron would eventually come to fruition, this artifact eventually
finding its way into the possession of Darth Krayt, though it would be of little use to him.[16]

However, as ten years passed, Zannah failed to make an attempt on Bane's life, and the Dark
Lord began to become concerned with her worthiness. Worried that she might be unable to
succeed him, Bane set about searching for the long lost holocron of Darth Andeddu, and the
means for achieving immortality.[17]
However, when Bane gained the holocron and studied its immortal ways, it was stolen by Set
Harth, who was once the apprentice of Zannah while trying to help her kill Bane. Bane then took
an Iktotchi assassin dubbed Darth Cognus, but destroyed his own body from what he had read
from Andeddu's holocron and seemingly himself in Zannah's body. Cognus then apprenticed
herself to Darth Zannah, who was now the official Dark Lord of the Sith. Eventually, Cognus
would rise to take her mistress' place and the rank of Sith Master.[17]

Darth Cognus's reign

Darth Cognus was a member of the Sith Order who attained power from her mentor, Zannah. As
Sith Master, she took as her apprentice an individual named Millennial, a three-eyed mutant
human and a powerful Force-sensitive.[8]

Millennial's Rebellion

Darth Cognus

Millennial proved to be an able apprentice, trained as a Shadow Hand by Cognus and possessing
powerful precognitive abilities. However, Millennial and Cognus disagreed on several points,
most notably on the continued application of the Rule of Two.[8]

Cognus was a staunch believer in the philosophy, training Millennial accordingly. The mutant
apprentice, on the other hand, believed the doctrine to be too restrictive, instead supporting the
more martial Rule of the Strong, which tolerated the presence of numerous Sith Lords, the leader
being the strongest. The two clashed many times over this issue, and tensions eventually reached
a boiling point.[8]

Cognus ended Millennial's training and cast him out. Whether this was a brutal execution attempt
or a simple expulsion remains unknown, but either way, Millennial fled. While Cognus took a
new apprentice and continued the Rule of Two, Millennial settled on Dromund Kaas and
founded the Sith splinter cult known as Dark Force.[8]

Darth Vectivus's Reign

The man who eventually became Darth Vectivus started out as a simple businessman, a shrewd
but fair-minded individual. Taking control of a mining operation near Bimmiel, he discovered
that he was a latent Force-sensitive, and began feeling Dark side energy permeating the mine. As
he researched and learned from these energies, they also began adversely affecting the miners
and contaminating the ore, forcing him to close the facility.[18]

As he was now freed up without needing to manage his business operation, the man began
journeying the galaxy seeking knowledge on the Force. He eventually came into contact with the
Order of the Sith Lords, and was apprenticed. Becoming Darth Vectivus, he managed to keep
control of himself, relying on his staunch ethical code to prevent becoming corrupted by the
Dark Side. Becoming the Sith Master, Vectivus returned to the mine, building a mansion on the
sight and living out his life happily surrounded by family and friends.[18]

Vectivus remained an oddity among Sith, as he was not a power-hungry, rage driven schemer,
but just an ordinary man.[18]

Darth Plagueis's Reign

Darth Sidious trains under Darth Plagueis.

The Muun Plagueis reigned around the time of 60 BBY. Born on Mygeeto as Hego Damask,
Darth Tenebrous, known as Rugess Nome found him actually before he was born. Though it is
also known that he was a mystic obsessed with immortality. Thanks to the longevity his species
possessed, he spent over a lifetime searching for such secrets. They came in the form of the
ability to manipulate the midi-chlorians within a being to prevent death, and create life, in the
form of a spontaneously generated pregnancy.[7][19]

Sidious's Apprenticeship

Darth Plagueis was eventually ambushed by a Bith who claimed Sith Lordship, calling himself
Darth Venamis. Trained by Darth Tenebrous in violation of the Rule of Two, Venamis engaged
Plagueis in a lightsaber duel and was defeated by the Muun Dark Lord. Having appropriated the
Bith's available resources, Plagueis discovered a list of Force-sensitives whom Venamis was
scouting as potential apprentices. He sought them out himself, and in the course of his search he
took an interest in the teenage son of a nobleman on the planet Naboo, an intelligent but arrogant
young human of extraordinary Force potential named Palpatine. Plagueis was superficially
motivated by a desire to exploit Naboo's wealth of plasma, but in Palpatine he saw a far greater
opportunity. After realizing the boy's Force-sensitivity and cultivating his interest in the dark
side's power, Plagueis manipulated him into murdering his own family, thereby initiating him
into the fold of the Sith. Darth Plagueis dubbed Palpatine Darth Sidious and began the youth's
training in earnest. At last, the Muun Dark Lord had found a satisfactory implement for setting
the Grand Plan of the Sith in motion: Palpatine was actively involved in politics already, being
that public service is mandatory for Naboo youth, and as such, Darth Plagueis saw an
opportunity to dismantle the Galactic Republic from within. The young Palpatine would slowly
climb the political ladder until absolute power was eventually his, and all who stood in his way
would be eliminated. The Grand Plan was now underway; nevertheless, the Muun never
abandoned a pet project of his, an experiment in midi-chlorian manipulation engendered to
preserve his reign indefinitely.

Aside from his own immortality, he also planned to create a pregnancy within a woman that
would result in the most powerful Force-sensitive ever known. But unfortunately for Plagueis,
Sidious suspected that his master was creating a replacement, the ultimate Sith apprentice. Many
years later, having never lost sight of these suspicions, Sidious (now the newly elected Supreme
Chancellor of the Republic) murdered Plagueis in his sleep, having plied his master with
intoxicants on the pretext of celebrating his new chancellorship. After decades of learning from
Darth Plagueis the Wise, the man who would become known as Palpatine the Great was now
Dark Lord of the Sith.
Darth Sidious's Reign

Maul's Apprenticeship

Darth Maul training under Darth Sidious

Sometime during his young adulthood, while still apprenticed to Darth Plagueis, Darth Sidious
was given custody of an infant Zabrak named Maul by the baby's mother, a Nightsister of
Dathomir who sought to spare her son the ordeal of his Nightbrother obligations. Sidious
reluctantly took the infant into his charge, planning to train the child as an apprentice of his own.
It was not altogether surprising; due to the martial prowess and Force sensitivity common to the
Zabrak species, they were long a subject of interest to the Sith empires of old, these groups often
spending ridiculous sums of money to hire Zabrak mercenaries. However, nothing could have
prepared Maul for the brutal treatment he received from Sidious.[7][19]

Maul was subjected to numerous physical tests and training regiments, many of which bordered
on torture. The goal of this vicious treatment was to strip Maul of his compassion and humility,
turning him into a rage-fueled Sith killer. In the end, Sidious achieved his goal, and Maul
became a powerful Sith Lord who demonstrated great martial prowess.[7]
As a final test, Sidious abandoned Maul on a remote and isolated world, where he was
relentlessly hunted by his assassin droids. After leaving him to survive for a month, Sidious
confronted the Zabrak and challenged him. Despite Maul's best efforts, he was defeated, and
Sidious taunted that he had trained a new apprentice during the interim period, a replacement for
Maul. The enraged Zabrak resumed fighting with renewed vigor, and even though he was
defeated, he still passed Sidious's test.[20]

Darth Sidious declared his apprentice's training complete and dubbed him Darth Maul, Dark
Lord of the Sith. Though this could be construed as a violation of the Rule of Two, Darth Sidious
had informed Darth Plagueis of Maul's impending lordship, and indeed, had trained the Zabrak
with Plagueis's permission. Moreover, Maul was never trained as a true Sith Lord, but rather as a
Sith assassin, used for assignments deemed too risky for Sidious to undertake himself, lest he
endanger his political ascension. Despite his success with Maul's training, Sidious regarded him
as little more than a placeholder for his eventual target.[7][19][20]

The Phantom Menace

Senator Palpatine.

While Sidious trained Maul, he also set about preparing for the ultimate revenge of the Sith.
Using his alter ego; Palpatine; Sidious infiltrated the halls of power, starting as a relatively low-
level politician on his native Naboo, and worked his way up. Sidious ensured that his rise was
relatively slow, rather than an alarming meteoric rise to power that would attract his enemy's
attention.

In 52 BBY, Palpatine had the current Chommell sector Senator; Vidar Kim; assassinated. His
complicity in the killing was never discovered, as the assassin committed suicide while being
interrogated by Kim's Jedi son; Ronhar. In a demonstration of his cunning, Palpatine befriended
Ronhar Kim during the late-Senator Kim's funeral, gaining a contact, and an unwitting pawn.
Palpatine would use Ronhar Kim in a scheme that resulted in the creation of the Red Guard, and
Kim's death during the Clone Wars would be used as propaganda to further Palpatine's power
grab.[21]

With Vidar Kim out of the way, Palpatine assumed his place in the Galactic Senate of the
Republic. Many of the power-brokers and Coruscanti politicians looked down on provincial
delegates like Palpatine, believing such hopefuls would be overwhelmed by the complexity and
enormity of galactic politics. Palpatine encouraged this opinion, as it made him harder to notice,
and thereby less threatening.

However, Palpatine's quiet position gained him many friends within the Senate, and he became
increasingly popular. He was also an avid writer, and many of Palpatine's publications and
theories about political science were taught at leading universities. However, despite Palpatine's
fame and popularity, he remained unassuming, devoting all his time to his work, and to
furthering his Sith agenda.

Part of the preparation for his ultimate rise was to engineer the assassination of the Trade
Federation directorate. Thanks to his contact and ally, Wilhuff Tarkin, the directorate was
destroyed in a pirate raid on Eriadu, where they had gathered for a summit. This allowed for the
Neimodians to take advantage of the situation and take over the Federation. The new leader of
the corporation was the Viceroy; Nute Gunray.

Once this was done, Palpatine supported the Senate resolution BR-0371, which caused many of
the Galactic trade routes to have taxes levied on them. The Trade Federation was outraged, and
was approached by Darth Sidious in short order. Sidious encouraged the Neimodians to retaliate,
having them blockade Naboo in protest.

The Naboo Crisis

"At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge."

―Darth Maul — Listen (file info)[src]

All the pieces were now in place; Palpatine heavily influenced both the Supreme Chancellor of
the Republic; Finis Valorum; and the current monarch of Naboo; Padmé Amidala, and Sidious
had direct control over the timid leaders of the Trade Federation. Everything that transpired did
so according to his design. The Blockade of Naboo kick-started uproar in the Senate, but as the
Trade Federation had broken no laws, the Judicial department could not act. The Senate's stalling
weakened Valorum's hold on power. However, surprisingly, Palpatine was unable to completely
rein in Amidala as he had expected, and she contacted Valorum directly, holding him personally
responsible for the crisis.[22]

Valorum panicked, backed into a corner by his own morality and desperate to shore up support,
he contacted the Jedi Council. The Council sent Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice;
Obi-Wan Kenobi; to Naboo as ambassadors to resolve the issue. The Jedi landed aboard the
Trade Federation flagship in orbit above Naboo and waited to meet with Gunray and his aides.
Darth Sidious was enraged by this new development, ordering them to proceed with the invasion
and have the Jedi killed, as the Neimoidians could simply deny the Jedi's presence. However,
Jinn and Kenobi managed to escape the dioxis-flooded conference room. Fighting their way to
the bridge entrance, they attempted to force their way in, but were driven off by the Trade
Federation Destroyer Droids. The Jedi managed to escape the ship aboard the Trade Federation
invasion craft.[22]

Darth Maul confronts Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine.

While the invasion itself proceeded splendidly, the Jedi managed to make contact with Amidala
and her entourage, spiriting them off-planet. However, as they escaped, their ship was damaged,
and they were forced to detour to Tatooine to make repairs. Sidious was truly alarmed by this,
sending Maul to Tatooine to retrieve the Queen, and also to prevent the Jedi from interfering
with his potential replacement; Anakin Skywalker. However, despite Maul's efforts, he was
unsuccessful, Amidala and the Jedi managed to escape Tatooine, taking Anakin Skywalker with
them.[22]

The continued existence of the Sith, and their involvement in the crisis, was revealed.[22]

The Jedi and the Queen managed to make it to Coruscant, where Amidala met with the Senate,
while Anakin Skywalker was taken before the Jedi Council. Palpatine manipulated Amidala into
calling for a vote of No-Confidence in Chancellor Valorum, bringing about a Senate election. In
accordance with his plan, Palpatine used the blockade of Naboo to take advantage of the
sympathy vote, backing up his own popularity. While Palpatine went about his political
machinations, the Jedi debated over whether or not to accept the incredibly potent but drastically
over-aged Anakin Skywalker for training, a heated issue that added to the tension caused by the
revelation of the Sith's continued existence. Ultimately, the issue was stalled when Queen
Amidala rashly decided to return to Naboo in an attempt to wrest control back from the Trade
Federation. Jinn and Kenobi were sent to accompany her, with Skywalker in tow.[22]

The Battle of Naboo

When Amidala arrived on Naboo, she used the Gungan exile Jar Jar Binks who had joined her
entourage before they fled the planet to make contact with the Gungan leadership. Making
amends with the Gungans, whom the humans on Naboo had been tense with for centuries, she
convinced them to mobilize their army to attack the Trade Federation droid forces. While the
Battle of Naboo commenced, Amidala and the Jedi led a strike team into the Naboo capital to
abduct Viceroy Gunray, and dispatch Naboo's air force to attack the Trade Federation flagship in
orbit, as it controlled the droid armies that made up the corporations entire force.[22]

Darth Maul's defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi

However, as the team prepared to exit the hangar after rallying the air force, they were
confronted by Darth Maul. As the Jedi broke off to take the Sith Lord, the team took an alternate
exit. As this all took place, Anakin Skywalker took refuge in the cockpit of one of the Naboo
fighters, accidentally activating the autopilot and going off to join the space battle.[22]

It seemed that the Trade Federation and the Sith were going to be victorious in the struggle;
Amidala was captured and taken before Gunray, the Gungan forces were routed and captured,
the Naboo air force suffered heavy casualties, and Maul managed to kill Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan
Kenobi fell on the Sith Lord in a blind fury, but was ultimately brought down by him, though not
killed. However, Amidala managed to gain access to a hidden weapons cache in the throne room,
taking Gunray hostage, Anakin Skywalker managed to land within the Trade Federation flagship,
destroying the reactor before escaping, and Kenobi managed to get hold of Jinn's lightsaber and
use it to defeat Maul with a timely sai tok maneuver, bisecting the Sith lord at the waist.[22]

Ultimately, none of these events proved to be setbacks; Palpatine's ultimate goal of gaining the
Chancellorship was achieved. Even Maul's apparent death was of little importance; Sidious sent
him to Naboo with full knowledge of his eventual fate, thanks to his own precognitive powers.
Maul had been a capable apprentice, but he had outlived his usefulness and was ill-suited to the
coming tasks.[7]

Unknown to Sidious and the Jedi, Maul had survived and had been hiding in Lotho Minor for
over a decade, succumbing to madness until his brother, Savage Opress, found him[23] and
brought him home to Dathomir to be cured.[24]
In the aftermath of the battle, the Trade Federation leaders were taken to Coruscant for trial,
though Sidious's manipulations ensured that they never came to a verdict; relations between the
Naboo humans and the native Gungans improved considerably, with the two cooperating on
numerous projects and public works; and Anakin Skywalker was accepted for Jedi training, his
actions in the battle convincing the Jedi Council that he had the Force on his side.[7]

Consolidation

Chancellor Palpatine.

Sidious was quick to eliminate any evidence of his involvement in the battle. Republic
investigators claimed Maul's ship and equipment, but their bungled efforts to examine them
resulted in their self-destruction. After the burned out wreck received a more careful examination
by Jedi Master Saesee Tiin, he recommended that it be placed in the care of the Jedi Council.
However, representatives from Kuat lobbied for the opportunity to study it, and the ship
disappeared on its way to a Kuat facility.[7]

With these loose ends tied up, Sidious set about laying the foundations for the coming Clone
Wars, and enacting several other minor schemes to whittle away the Jedi ranks little by little.
Moving into the Chancellor's Suite in the Republic Executive Building, Palpatine redecorated the
office to suit his own tastes, hiding many priceless Sith artifacts in plain sight, as many were too
obscure to be recognized.

Also, Palpatine required a personal detachment of body guards, but he could not be seen actively
creating one. So he instead created a situation where they were apparently forced on him. While
speaking with his unwitting pawn; Ronhar Kim; he had several members of his Senate Guard
detachment attempt to assassinate him. Kim fended them off, and the survivors committed
suicide on the spot. However, the damage was done, and the Red Guard was created.[21]
When his first term ended, Palpatine ensured that no opposing candidates rose up while keeping
his own image spotless. This would be the last election in the history of the Republic, with a
constitutional amendment near the end of his second term allowing him to serve indefinitely.

The New Apprentice

Sidious's new apprentice.

While Darth Maul was ill-suited for the tasks needed, Palpatine still required an apprentice.
However, he could not simply train a new one from infancy as he had done with Maul, as
neglecting his political career for his Sith duties could prove disastrous, and Anakin Skywalker
was not yet a viable option. He examined several potential candidates, such as the Jedi Vergere
and Dooku. After Vergere attempted to assassinate him and fled, Palpatine settled on Dooku.

Dooku proved best-suited for what Sidious had in mind. A powerful Jedi master and a highly
skilled duelist, Dooku was also known as a maverick and a political activist. Having left the Jedi
Order in the wake of the Battle of Naboo, Dooku was also a free agent. Sidious approached him,
and after long hours of discussion, convinced the ex-Jedi to join him. As a test of Dooku's
commitment, Sidious set him after his old friend and colleague from the Jedi, Master Sifo-Dyas.
Dyas, anticipating the coming chaos, had contracted the cloners on Kamino to create a clone
army. While Sidious planned to seize control of this army, he couldn't allow Dyas to survive.
Dooku killed him.[25]

Dooku was officially brought into the Sith fold, bestowed with the name Darth Tyranus.[25]
Instigating The Clone Wars

The Clone Army, an important factor of Sidious's plan.

Darth Tyranus subsequently infiltrated the Jedi Archives and erased several star-systems from
the maps, most importantly Kamino, stealing information about several hyperspace lanes in the
deep core, as well.

The next thing Darth Sidious needed to settle was whose DNA would be used to produce the
new clone army. At the same time, another problem had presented itself, for the Bando Gora cult
had returned, and Sidious believed they had enough influence to endanger his plans. Sidious
ordered Tyranus to deal with these problems, and Dooku obliged, putting a bounty of five
million credits over the leader of the cult, Komari Vosa, and leaving the job to the bounty hunter
to finish her off. Dooku also planned to ask the successful bounty hunter to be the model for the
new clone army, knowing that several powerful mercenaries would seek to achieve the
considerable bounty. Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, was able to defeat Komari Vosa
at the moon Kohlma and was going to spare her life when Dooku appeared and killed her
himself. Dooku then told Jango Fett that he wanted him to be the basis for the clone army.

At a later meeting, Dooku tried to make Jango speak more about his past. The bounty hunter, not
trusting Dooku because he was once a Jedi, tried to increase his payment by infecting the Sith
Lord with a biological weapon. Dooku pretended to be defeated, but convinced Jango to tell the
rest of his story. After Fett finished, Dooku healed himself with the force, eliminating Jango's
advantage. Jango finally submitted, allowing himself to be cloned on the condition of having an
unaltered clone to be his son.

Later, Dooku supported Kh'aris Fenn when he tried to take power on planet Ryloth. He did this
believing that under Kh'aris, Ryloth would secede from the Republic when the Clone Wars
began. In order to gain leverage, Fenn kidnapped Nat Secura, son of Lon Secura, who was
Kh'aris's enemy. A Jedi Master named Tholme attempted to rescue Nat, but was captured
himself, and was only spared because Dooku believed he could use Tholme at a later date.
Unfortunately for Dooku, two more Jedi arrived, Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura, and they
managed to rescue Nat and stop Kh'aris Fenn from gaining control of Ryloth. Although Dooku's
plans failed, the Jedi had absolutely no clue he was involved.

Dooku also assisted the Trade Federation when they tried to eliminate the army that served the
Wookiee Trade Guild, since the Guild refused to pay taxes to the Federation. Because no
Wookiees survived the battle, Dooku's involvement was unknown to the Jedi.

Dooku and his master continued to plot the war against the Republic, and decided to use the
Trade Federation and other corporations in order to make a large enough rift in the galaxy. Darth
Sidious decided that the general to be behind the Separatist army should be the Kaleesh warrior
Grievous, and sent Dooku to retrieve him.

Creating the Confederacy and Stirring the Senate

Grievous, general of the Confederacy

Dooku spoke to San Hill of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, for he knew that Grievous was last
hired by them. Together they made a plan to cripple the commander and rebuild him as a cyborg.
An ion bomb was planted on Grievous's shuttle, and his seat rigged so that when the bomb went
off, the Kaleesh would be ejected.

After the craft crashed, Dooku found a gravely injured Grievous and transported him to
Geonosis. There, the Kaleeshan was made into a cyborg that would be perfect for the Clone
Wars, with the combined power of his tactical genius.

The Sith were very happy with the new Grievous, and only more so after Dooku trained him to
be an expert lightsaber duelist. The droid armies now had a general, a position that Dooku did
not want for himself.

Dooku then commandeered a communications station and delivered a speech that greatly
criticized the Republic. He then asked several systems to secede from the government, and to
join his Separatist Movement. Some planets did indeed listen to his speech, and in some cases
they built up private armies against the Republic, though it had not yet reached open war.
Because of this, Darth Sidious, as Chancellor Palpatine, was allowed to keep his position, which
canceled the next election. He then offered to make a fake peaceful meeting with Dooku, but it
had been planned beforehand by the Sith. Dooku did not reply, which made the Separatists look
like they could not be bargained with.

Palpatine then tried to make an army for the Republic, and set out to get the Military Creation
Act approved. He used a number of debates and even assassinations to show the inadequacy of
the Jedi and the need for an army, although he publicly looked as if he had taken no side on the
issue.

The Clone Wars Begin

Jango Fett, the clone template, and the clone army behind him.

Although everything was prepared for the Clone Wars, Dooku had run into a few complications.
The Fondor Shipyards were critical to the Sith's plans, but three conspirators, Groodo, Rodd, and
Hurlo Holowan sought to destroy them. Dooku managed to stop them by once again hiring Jango
Fett, and after the trio was brought to him, they agreed to work for the Sith Lord.

Count Dooku then recruited scientist Jenna Zan Arbor to the Separatist cause, and she became
one of the leading scientists for the CIS.

Dooku then tried to bolster the Separatists by trying to make the planet Ansion secede from the
Republic, for it was the basis of several minor alliances, including the Malarian Alliance. If
Ansion left the Republic, other systems would follow suit. Dooku left this to be done by
Commerce Guild Shu Mai, who gave a considerable amount of support to Ansion's government,
The Unity of Community, making it consider joining the Separatist. The plan failed due to the
intervention of Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli, as well as their Padawans Anakin
Skywalker and Barriss Offee. Dooku later explained to Shu Mai that the secession of Ansion was
not necessary to the Confederacy's success.

Although Darth Tyranus had gathered a large number of allies around him, he had only a pledge
of support from the Trade Federation. Viceroy Gunray demanded the assassination on Senator
Amidala as recompense for his defeat at her hands on Naboo before he would commit his droid
armies to the Separatist cause. Dooku gave the order to Jango Fett who, in turn, collaborated
with former ally Zam Wesell. After failing to kill the Senator upon her arrival on the Republic
capital, she tried again by sending a remote droid with two lethally toxic insects to Amidala's
apartment. This plan was foiled by the Senator's newly appointed Jedi protectors: Obi-Wan
Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. After chasing Wesell across the city, they eventually cornered
her in a bar and she lost her arm to Obi-Wan's lightsaber. During her interrogation, just as she
was about to reveal Jango's involvement, she was killed by a toxic dart fired (unbeknownst to the
Jedi) by Fett himself.

The Jedi Council then assigned Anakin to escort the Senator home to Naboo - his first solo
assignment - whilst Obi-Wan was to discover the nature of the threat to Padmé's life. Obi-Wan
searched through the Jedi archives for information on the toxic dart, but was forced to seek
advice from an old acquaintance. This friend identified the weapon as a Kamino saberdart, used
by the cloners of the planet Kamino. Obi-Wan returned to the archives and searched for the
planet but was unable to find it, earning him a rather harsh rebuke from the archivist when he
theorized that the archives were "incomplete". Finally seeking insight from Master Yoda, Obi-
Wan discovered that the planetary data had been erased from the archives - a cause of great
concern to both himself and Yoda.

Traveling "to the center of gravity's pull" as advised by Yoda, Obi-Wan found Kamino exactly
where it should have been. After landing, he was escorted to the Prime Minister who proudly
displayed the 100,000 strong Clone Army and promised that a million extra troops were almost
ready for deployment. After reporting this information back to the Council, Obi-Wan was order
to return Fett to them for questioning. While attempting to capture the bounty hunter, he was
forced to place a tracking device on the hull of Slave 1.

Jango fled Kamino to Geonosis, where a meeting between Dooku and all of the Separatist
leaders was taking place. They were finally forming the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a
government that would stand against the Republic. This would be made up an alliance between
the Corporate Alliance, Geonosian Industries, the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union, the
InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the Trade Federation. Obi-Wan had pursued Fett to Geonosis,
and witnessed the meeting. He then attempted to contact the Jedi Council, but was captured by
the Geonosians, and was imprisoned in a containment field, which kept him totally incapacitated.

The Senate had indeed received Obi-Wan's message, but Palpatine planned to use it for his own
purposes. He showed the message to the Jedi, who agreed he should be given emergency powers.
Representative Jar Jar Binks then volunteered to speak his mind to the senate, and his speech to
the many senators was shocking, for they had believed him to be a total buffoon. The majority of
the Senate instantly agreed with the Representative, and the power to make a military was finally
given to Darth Sidious.
Arena Bloodbath

The Jedi, attempting to hold off the droid ambush.

Chancellor Palpatine finally enlisted the Clones to be the Grand Army of the Republic. Jedi
Master Yoda himself went to retrieve the clones, while a Jedi taskforce was sent to rescue Obi-
Wan Kenobi.

At the same time, Count Dooku decided to interrogate Kenobi himself. Dooku used Drain
Knowledge on the captive Jedi, searching for areas for him to be turned to the Dark Side. The
Sith Lord attempted to turn Obi-Wan by saying the Republic was corrupt and that Kenobi's old
master, Qui-Gon Jinn would have joined him if he was still alive. Kenobi denied him, and said
that Dooku was a traitor. Darth Tyranus finally gave up, and left the Jedi in his cell.

Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala arrived in an effort to rescue Obi-Wan, but were then
captured themselves. Count Dooku offered the senator freedom if she supported the Separatists,
but she refused. The two Jedi and Amidala were then sentenced to death in the arena.

The Petranaki arena was packed with Geonosian spectators, and Count Dooku Jango Fett, and
other Separatist leaders watched from a high balcony. Three monsters, an acklay, a reek, and a
nexu were released to devour the victims.

Finally, the Jedi Geonosis strike team arrived. Jedi Master Mace Windu confronted Darth
Tyranus, but was chased off by Jango, who fought down in the arena.

Dooku was not surprised by the Jedi's ambush, and revealed that the captives he had were just
bait for a trap. 10,000 battledroids were waiting for the attack, including a large number of
Geonosian warriors. The new Separatist Droid Army quickly overwhelmed the Jedi, and many of
them would die while Lord Tyranus watched from the balcony.

The Clones Attack

Yoda and Darth Tyranus dueling.

Count Dooku did not join the battle, but Jedi master Coleman Trebor attempted to challenge the
Sith Lord. He was unable to actually engage Dooku, for Jango managed to kill the Jedi before a
duel commenced. After the Jedi had taken significant losses, Darth Tyranus ordered his droids to
cease fire. He then asked Mace Windu to surrender, which was refused.

Suddenly master Yoda arrived with the Clone Army in tow. The Jedi had taken control of the
clones, without knowing that was exactly what Darth Sidious had wanted. The battle droids
attacked again, but the reinforcements allowed the Jedi to escape from the arena.

Outside of the arena, an even larger force of clones was engaging the Separatist army. The Battle
of Geonosis was heavily tipped to the side of the Republic, and the Separatists were in full
retreat. The Confederacy's leaders regrouped at the Geonosian command center, and decided to
abandon the planet. Tyranus pretended he knew nothing of the Clone Army, and Poggle the
Lesser ordered his Geonosian warriors to hide underneath the Stalgasin hive, but not before
handing the plans to the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station to his master.

Dooku was now free to leave the planet, and retreated to his hangar, where he prepared his solar
sailor. He was then attacked by the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, but managed
to defeat both of them. Before he was able to either kill them or to fly away, a last Jedi
confronted him…Yoda.

Although Dooku used both his Force abilities and his dueling skills, he was unable to do more
than hold off the Jedi Grandmaster's onslaught. In an attempt to distract Yoda, he tipped a
massive column with the force, which fell towards Kenobi and Skywalker, who were still unable
to move. Yoda broke off the battle to save the two, allowing the Sith Lord to escape in his Solar
Sailor.

Darth Tyranus then arrived on Coruscant, where he met with Darth Sidious himself at the Works.
Dooku informed Palpatine that the Clone Wars had begun, and gave his master the Death Star
plans to the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station.

Early Conflicts in the Clone Wars

"I have good news for you, my Lord. The war has begun."
"Excellent. Everything is going as planned."

―Darth Tyranus and Darth Sidious[src]

After reporting to his master, Dooku traveled to his secret base on Bakura, hoping to regroup the
Separatist forces. Unfortunately for him, this move was expected by Jedi Tholme and Sora Bulq.
The pair confronted Dooku, hoping to defeat a Sith still tired from the attack on Geonosis.

The trio began a vicious duel, in which Dooku used force lightning to defeat Bulq. He then
attempted to bring Tholme over to the dark side, but the Jedi refused. Dooku then brought down
the roof on Tholme, presuming him dead. The Sith Lord then left with the unconscious body of
Sora.

Dooku healed Bulq and persuaded him to turn to the Dark side of the force, becoming one of the
first Dark Acolytes. Sora returned to Tholme and rescued him from the rubble. Both of them
returned to Coruscant, allowing the Sith to have a spy within the Jedi order.

Public approval was high for Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars.

Because of the Clone Wars, Palpatine was able to consolidate his power as Chancellor. Several
amendments were made to the constitution that handed more power to Palpatine, including
Statute 312b, which gave more weight to votes cast by Core and Inner Rim worlds, who were
more dependable on supporting the Chancellor than those of Rim Worlds.

Dooku had also begun the excavation of the Force Harvester on Raxus Prime, so he could
recreate the Sith weapon the Dark Reaper. While on Raxus Prime, Dooku put a live bounty on
Jango Fett's son Boba, who had escaped during the Battle of Geonosis. The bounty hunter Aurra
Sing captured Fett and brought him to Dooku, who held him on Raxus Prime so that the Sith lord
could find out how much Boba knew about his Sith identity.

Fett ignored Dooku's instructions and instead investigated the excavation. Dooku became
irritated at Boba's actions, and ordered the boy to be killed. But due to a sudden Jedi attack on
Raxus Prime, Dooku left his new bodyguard Cydon Prax to kill Fett. Boba evaded Dooku's
enforcers and escaped.

During the Battle of Raxus Prime, Dooku and Cydon Prax found the Force Harvester just as a
Clone Army, led by Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, arrived to attack the
Separatists. As the Clones overwhelmed the Separatists, Dooku and Prax boarded a cruiser with
the Harvester on board, but Skywalker spotted them and boarded the cruiser. Dooku and
Skywalker dueled in the cargo bay of the cruiser, but Prax ended it by shooting Skywalker with a
tranquilizer dart.

Dooku imprisoned Anakin on Alaris Prime, one of Kashyyyks moons. Dooku was going to test
the harvester there, but Skywalker escaped and free the Wookiees, causing the battle of Alaris
Prime. Dooku fled the moon, taking the harvester with him. The Sith lord used the harvester to
drain the life-force from inhabitants of Aargonar, Bakura and Mon Calamari before retreating to
Thule to prepare the rest of the Dark Reaper for use.

Battle of Thule

The Jedi attacked Thule to destroy the Dark Reaper, which Dooku soon tried using on the
Republic forces. But Skywalker broke through the Separatist lines to reach the weapon, killing
Prax in the process. Skywalker had learned from a hologram of Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma of how to
resist the effects of the Dark Reaper, so he was able to destroy the weapon and its harvester.
Dooku fled, and later made a public statement that Raxus Prime and other worlds were only
temporary bases, while the important Separatist planets were secure.

Dooku later ordered his Dark Acolyte Sevrance Tann to capture the Republic world Sarapin. She
did, but the Republic soon took it back during the Battle of Krant, killing Tann.

Two months after the Battle of Geonosis, Dooku traveled to The Cauldron, a gladiatorial arena
on Rattatak. He was greeted by his host and taken to watch the contest. He soon realized that
Asajj Ventress, a Dathomirian warlord, had assassinated Dooku's guide, seeking to impress the
Sith. Dooku complimented her skills, but told the warlord that he was not looking for a spy.

Ventress then jumped into the arena, killing all of the gladiators. Dooku congratulated her, but
then Ventress claimed that she was a Sith. Dooku refuted that statement, and Asajj attacked him
in anger. The Sith Lord easily incapacitated her with force lightning before she could reach him.

Asajj Ventress, one of Dooku's dark acolytes

Dooku brought the unconscious Ventress to a room on Rattatak, and attacked her when she woke
up. They duelled, and Ventress was so skilled that so proved difficult for Dooku to defeat, but he
managed to disarm her and destroy her lightsabers. But Dooku did not kill Asajj, and instead
introduced her to his master, Darth Sidious, who sent her on a mission to find an kill Anakin
Skywalker.

Tyranus believed that Ventress would defeat Skywalker, but Sidious said that the outcome did
not matter. Ventress did not succeed in killing Skywalker, but she continued to serve Dooku as a
dark acolyte and commander.

The First Battle of Kamino

The two Sith lords soon developed a plan that would leave the Confederacy and the Republic
locked in conflict. Commander Merai, a Mon Calamari and one of the Confederacy's best
tacticians, planned the First Battle of Kamino to wipe out the Republic's cloning facilities. The
Jedi Knight Aayla Secura discovered the planned attack, and warned the Republic, but when
Dooku's agent Tookarti warned the Sith, Dooku said it did not matter.

The battle went exactly as planned. The Republic ambushed the Confederacy's ships, and Merai
was killed while his fleet routed. Dooku regretted Merai's death, but Sidious was pleased with
how the battle had ended any quick ending to the war. Losses on both sides maintained the
balance between the Republic and CIS.

Dooku was prevented by the Rule of Two from having a Sith apprentice, but he still made his
own group of Dark Acolytes. These included Asajj Ventress and Sora Bulq, and then Tol Skorr,
Kadrian Sey, Trenox and Saato. He did train them, but taught them little of Sith teachings.

Dooku also enlisted the Gen'Dai mercenary Durge to aide the Separatists, and used Sora Bulq to
create strife in the Jedi Order. Bulq tried to convince some Jedi to join the Confederacy, but this
was foiled by Mace Windu, who revealed Sora as a traitor.

Later History

 20 BBY–Darth Maul returns to the known galaxy. He takes Savage Opress as his apprentice. The
brothers form an alliance with Death Watch and aid them in conquering Mandalore. Darth
Sidious subsequently kills Savage and captures Darth Maul.
 19 BBY–Darth Sidious betrays Tyranus and orchestrates his execution. Darth Vader becomes
Sidious's new apprentice. The Republic falls and the Galactic Empire is established by Darth
Sidious, now known as Emperor Palpatine. The Sith rule the galaxy once more, from the Core
Worlds to Wild Space.[26]
 (19–1 BBY)–Darth Sidious eradicates most of the Jedi in the Great Jedi Purge.[26]
 4 ABY–Vader is turned back to the Light side of the Force by Luke Skywalker, resulting in the
deaths of both Sidious and Vader, presumed extinction of the Sith Order, thus fulfilling the
Ancient Jedi Prophecy of the Chosen One.[27]
 11 ABY–The resurrection of Palpatine, who nearly overthrows the New Republic before dying
one last time. Another presumed extinction of the Sith order. Exar Kun's spirit is revived on
Yavin IV and turns Kyp Durron into a Sith Lord. Exar Kun is later defeated by the New Jedi Order
and Kyp turns back to the light side of the Force. [source?]
 (11 ABY+)–Rumors abound of a last Sith, an Emperor's Hand, named Lumiya. Three decades
later, these whispers would prove true. [source?]
  14 ABY–A Sith cult, the Disciples of Ragnos, attempt to resurrect Marka Ragnos, but are
thwarted through the efforts of the New Jedi Order. [source?]
 30 ABY–Darth Krayt begins to rebuild the Sith Order on Korriban. [source?]
 40 ABY–Lumiya appears in the galaxy again, and seduces Jacen Solo to join her. Jacen slowly
attempts to lead his cousin Ben Skywalker toward the Sith ways, in order to make him his
apprentice but instead later takes Tahiri Veila as his apprentice. Jacen eventually becomes a Sith
Lord, taking on the title of "Darth Caedus" and becomes a co- Chief of State of the Galactic
Alliance. However with his death Lumiya's Sith, the last surviving remnant of the Order of the
Sith Lords had perished. Another presumed extinction of the Sith Order.[28]
 43 ABY–Following their meeting with Ship on Kesh, the isolated Lost Tribe of Sith had assembled
an armada and sent a team to kill the Jedi Grand Master Skywalker. But after a failed attempt,
the Tribe made an alliance with Skywalker and his son, Ben Skywalker in order to destroy a
powerful entity named Abeloth.
 44 ABY–Abeloth and her new ally, the lost tribe of Sith were defeated by the New Jedi Order.
Despites its defeat, the tribe survived on its still hidden homeworld, Kesh.
 130 ABY–The One Sith, led by Darth Krayt, return to prominence in the galaxy by sabotaging the
Ossus Project, causing mass secessions from the Galactic Alliance to the second Galactic Empire,
and nearly eliminating the Jedi Order once again. [source?]
 137 ABY–Darth Krayt dies at the hand of his spokesman, Darth Wyyrlok, who hid the truth to his
fellow Sith Lords and took the title of regent. Krayt is resurrected and pursues to reclaim his
rightful throne with his loyal followers.
 138 ABY–Cade Skywalker kills Darth Krayt, and the Sith go into hiding under the leadership of
Darth Nihl.

Organizations
"There is a faction of meatbags called the Sith. They want what any rational meatbag would
want—the power to assassinate anyone they choose at any time."

―HK-47[src]

Many of the incarnations of the Sith order began with a Sith holocron and an overly curious Jedi.
The term Sith referred to numerous disparate dark side organizations that rose and fell over
thousands of years of galactic history. No single entity long survived the vigilance of the Jedi
Knights, but even in defeat the ancient Sith teachings proved difficult to suppress. Each time the
Jedi Order grew complacent, a Sith cult, brotherhood, order, or empire would arise from the
ashes to threaten the galaxy once more. New iterations of the Sith would be linked only
tenuously to past traditions through a shared ideology.

Sith (species)

The Sith were a species of red-skinned humanoids native to Ziost and Korriban that were
enslaved by exiled Dark Jedi. Prior to their discovery, the Sith were divided into a meek and
lowly slave class, a skilled and intelligent engineer class, and the warlike Massassi class. Over
time, the Sith interbred with the Human Dark Jedi through the practice of Sith alchemy, and the
two peoples became one.

Massassi

The Massassi were a Sith subspecies. Under the rule of the exiled Dark Jedi, many Massassi
captives were subject to Sith Alchemy, which resulted in them being more deadly and easier for
their Sith masters to control. They were distinguished by bone spurs which erupted from their
skin and by their abnormally giant size. They would serve as soldiers for the Sith Empire.

Sith Empire

Naga Sadow's invasion fleet

The Sith Empire was a rich and powerful empire that was established by Dark Jedi banished
from the Galactic Republic after their defeat at the Battle of Corbos during the Hundred-Year
Darkness. After developing in complete isolation for thousands of years, the Sith eventually
rediscovered the Republic. The Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow led the Empire in an invasion
during the Great Hyperspace War, but he was defeated. The Sith Empire was believed to have
been utterly destroyed by Republic forces in the aftermath of the second battle of Korriban.
However, one Dark Lord to escaped in the Unknown Regions with a group of dark-siders and
rebuilt the Empire. Using the dark secrets he managed to survive for many centuries and
eventually attacked the Republic. After a Great Galactic War that lasted for many decades, the
Sith and the Republic signed a treaty and from that moment existed as two separate governments.

Lost Tribe of Sith

In 5000 BBY, a Sith starship, the Omen, crashed-landed on the planet of Kesh. The survivors of
the crash eventually formed the Lost Tribe. Over thousands of years, this Lost Tribe had
multiplied into a substantial force, and shortly after the Second Galactic Civil War they were
ready to fulfill their destiny, and take on a weakened galaxy.

Sith Empire

This Sith Empire was an obscure order of adherents to the dark side of the Force, who survived
the Great Hyperspace War and the eventual collapse of the Sith Empire. Darth Traya told the
Meetra Surik that the order had been in existence for tens of thousands of years and were silently
waiting in the Unknown Regions during the time of the Jedi Civil War.

According to Darth Traya, a Sith Empire had existed for millennia prior to the rise of the ancient
Sith Empire. She and Revan believed that it was they who had goaded the Mandalorians into
attacking the Galactic Republic, starting the Mandalorian Wars. Kreia stated that both Malachor
V and the graveyard planet, Korriban, had once been planets at the edges of that mysterious
Empire, and that while these Sith had forgotten those ancient worlds of the dark side, they would
remember. And they did remember. Under the leadership of their Sith Emperor, they restored the
Sith Empire and invaded the Republic.

Brotherhood of the Sith

The Brotherhood of the Sith was a group of Dark Jedi founded by Exar Kun who broke away
from the Jedi Order to study Sith techniques. During the Great Sith War, the Brotherhood
attempted to conquer the Republic with the aid of the Krath and the Mandalorian Crusaders. The
Brotherhood was defeated and virtually exterminated during the Battle of Yavin 4.

Krath

The Krath was a Sith secret society founded by Aleema and Satal Keto, the bored heirs to the
Empress Teta system. Following a Krath attack on a Jedi conclave, Ulic Qel-Droma attempted to
infiltrate the group, but he failed. He was seduced to the dark side and eventually became the
leader of the sect. During the Great Sith War, the Krath became the military arm of Exar Kun's
Sith Order and fell with it on Yavin 4.

Revan's Sith Empire

"You think the corrupted remnants of the republic the machines spawned by technology that
Revan lead into battle were Sith…you are wrong. The Sith is a belief."

―Kreia[src]

The Sith Empire was temporarily resurrected by the fallen Jedi Revan and Malak. Built upon a
hardened core of veterans from the Mandalorian Wars and a host of Jedi converts, the fledgling
new galactic power very nearly succeeded in conquering the Republic during the Jedi Civil War.
After the redemption of Darth Revan and the death of Darth Malak, their Empire splintered into
factions and eventually collapsed.

Sith Triumvirate

The Sith Triumvirate was a brief but deadly Sith Order founded by the former Jedi Kreia, now
known as Darth Traya, she took two apprentices of unknown origins and trained many new Sith
at the Trayus Academy on Malachor V. After her exile from the Triumvirate the two remaining
Sith Lords; Darth Nihilus, and Darth Sion executed the First Jedi Purge. The Sith Triumvirate
was a loose alliance of what remained of Darth Revan's Sith Empire. It was solidified sometime
after the Battle of Rakata Prime. This organization comprised several, if not hundreds of Sith
apprentices, Sith Masters and most importantly, Sith Assassins. The members were eventually
defeated by Meetra Surik.

New Sith Empire

The New Sith Empire was founded by Darth Ruin, and was the vast area of galactic territory
formed out of the Fourth Great Schism, which the Sith ruled over with an iron fist. Its capital was
the planet Roon. At its height during the New Sith Wars, it was almost as good as the old Sith
Empires of Naga Sadow and Darth Revan; following the Battle of Mizra and during the Republic
Dark Age, it encompassed a great percentage of the known Galaxy.

Sometime between 1010 and 1006 BBY the New Sith Empire collapsed in a civil war. From the
ashes, Skere Kaan established the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Brotherhood of Darkness

Founded by Lord Kaan, the Brotherhood of Darkness (sometimes referred to as the Dark Army)
was the last mass gathering of the Sith for nearly 1200 years. An army of over twenty thousand
Sith Lords and their followers, its destruction on Ruusan heralded the beginning of a new order.

Order of the Sith Lords

Under the last surviving Sith Lord of that army, Darth Bane, a new Sith Order was created as a
result of the devastating Seventh Battle of Ruusan, which saw the annihilation of the previous
Sith Order. Bane's Sith Order, known formally as the Order of the Sith Lords, was founded upon
the principles of Darth Revan's Holocron, where from he formed the Rule of Two, utilizing
stealth tactics and treachery to achieve their means. The Rule of Two would allow his eventual
successor, Darth Sidious, to finally triumph over the Jedi and the Galactic Republic nearly 1,000
years later.

Disciples of Ragnos

The Disciples of Ragnos was a Sith Cult under the leadership of Tavion Axmis, who sought to
resurrect the spirit of Marka Ragnos through ancient Sith sorcery and take control of the galaxy.
The cult was closely related to the Empire Reborn movement of which Tavion had herself been
part with the Dark Jedi Desann. The cult was ultimately defeated by Jaden Korr and the New
Jedi Order.

Lumiya's Sith

Lumiya's Sith were a loosely collected group of individuals associated with Lumiya, self-
proclaimed Dark Lady of the Sith after the final death of Darth Sidious. Even with Palpatine's
final death, the Sith continued to survive. Their next Sith Lord was an Emperor's Hand named
Lumiya. Darth Vader had passed on to Lumiya some Sith teaching secretly from his master, and
the woman adopted the title "Dark Lady of the Sith" upon her master's death at Endor. She
trained two apprentices: Flint, who was redeemed by Vader's son Luke Skywalker, and Carnor
Jax, who was killed by Palpatine loyalist Kir Kanos.

Soon afterwards she succeeded in convincing Vader's grandson Jacen Solo to join the ranks of
the Sith, thus calling himself Darth Caedus. Darth Caedus later corrupted the Jedi Tahiri Veila
and took her as his apprentice. However, following the death of Caedus and the redemption of
his apprentice, the war Lumiya had started was over; and Lumiya's Sith had perished.

One Sith

By the year 130 ABY, a new Sith Order had risen to take the place of Darth Bane's order. A Sith
known as Darth Krayt began the order on Korriban, the ancient Sith burial world, around 30
ABY after studying the teachings of XoXaan. In this new Sith cult, many of the followers
sported a red-and-black tattooed appearance and used lightsabers with an yorik coral-styled hilt
design. This Sith Order was considered heretical by some Sith of the past such as Darth Bane,
who disapproved of the training of larger numbers of Sith. Krayt spent over a century growing
and strengthening the new order, planning to unify the galaxy once more under Sith rule. He and
his new order made their presence known around 127-130 ABY by initiating the Sith–Imperial
War, and then launching an attack on the Jedi on Ossus. In 138 ABY Darth Krayt fell and Darth
Nihl claimed control of the Order, sending the One Sith into hiding.

Ranks
"We take what we desire because we can.
"We can because we have power.
"We have power because we are Sith."

―Sith proverb[src]

The Sith had a clearly defined hierarchy which divided the strong from the weak, but because the
Sith order existed in numerous disparate incarnations, the Sith hierarchy did not maintain a
single continuous ranking system throughout its history. The Sith hierarchy remained much the
same for almost 6,000 years - through the ancient Sith Empire, Exar Kun's Brotherhood of the
Sith, and Darth Revan's Sith Empire - until Lord Kaan declared that all of his highest ranking
followers in the Brotherhood of Darkness were Dark Lords of the Sith. Like the Jedi and the Old
Republic, the Sith underwent a great reformation after the apocalyptic final Battle of Ruusan.
The Sith order's destruction inspired Darth Bane to reform the order and decree that there would
be only two Sith at a time from that point forward: a Master and an apprentice. Both would bear
the title "Dark Lord of the Sith," which would become synonymous with the term "Sith Lord."

Sith Empire

These were the ranks of the Sith Order before Darth Bane instituted the Rule of Two.

Dark Lord of the Sith

Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith

Dark Lords of the Sith were the greatest and most powerful of the Sith Lords. Up until the reign
of Kaan, it was a title that was only given to those that were acknowledged as the leaders of their
order, but by the end of the New Sith Wars the title was held by many Sith Lords simultaneously.

Sith Lord

Sith Lords were the leaders of the Sith. They commanded armies of Sith Minions, Acolytes and
Warriors during wartime and ruled through a governing body known as the Sith Council. Sith
Lords used the dark side of the Force to inflict misery, suffering, and corruption. They were also
tasked with preserving the lore of the Sith by passing all their knowledge on to their acolytes.
While they did not enter combat as often as lesser Sith (preferring to use pawns, servants, or
proxies), they were the most fearsome of the Sith as they were the keepers of the Sith's greatest
secrets and wielders of its most potent sorceries.

Sith Marauder

Sith Marauders, a variant of the Sith Warriors, were often responsible for the most brutal acts
carried out by the Sith. Their training emphasized the aggressive use of a lightsaber rather than
the Force. A Sith Marauder's berserk physical prowess was a dark side technique fueled by
hatred, rage, and cruelty. Thus, most Marauders could duel an average Jedi toe-to-toe and win
easily. Caring little for the subtleties of manipulating others and lacking a deep understanding of
the Force, Marauders were often burdened with carrying out the wishes of the Sith Lords.

Sith Warrior

Sith Warrior was a rank of the Sith order before Darth Bane's reform of the Sith Order. They
were mid-ranking Sith who generally focused their energies and skills towards battle, spending
little time on actual dark side philosophy or other concerns of the "purer" Sith.

Sith Acolyte

Sith Acolyte were Force-sensitive apprentices who had only just started down the dark path
under the tutelage of a more experienced Sith.

Sith adept

Sith Adept was a Sith rank during the New Sith Wars, similar to Sith acolyte. The Brotherhood
of Darkness trained them in the Dathomir Academy and Iridonia Academy.

Sith assassin

A Sith assassin
Specialized Sith minions included Sith assassins, who preferred to ambush targets from the
shadows rather than engaging them in standard combat. Almost always working solo or in small
groups, they utilized stealth field generators and the rare art of Force camouflage to launch
surprise attacks on their Jedi victims. While some used a lightsaber, most fought with more
conventional melee weapons such as force pikes. Darth Traya, Darth Sion, and Darth Nihilus
commanded legions of Sith Assassins during the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War, causing the
near-extermination of the Jedi Order. The Sith Assassins drew their powers from the Force
power of their enemies.

Sith Minion

Sith Minions were the lowliest members of the Sith. Some were not even Force-sensitive, and
often worshiped the Sith Lords as gods. Sith Cultists, Sith assassins and Sith Marauders can be
considered examples of Sith Minions. However, the Sith also used soldiers, mercenaries, and
conscripts to work for them.

Post-Bane
"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."

―Darth Bane[src]

The post-Bane Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader.

To ensure the continued survival of the Sith, Bane was forced to put them on the brink of
extinction. He instituted the Rule of Two. In Bane's order, both Sith held the title Dark Lord of
the Sith. The rule of the two instituted that a master train an apprentice. Once the apprentice was
fully trained, he would kill the master and take on the mantle himself and repeat the process. The
death of the master is either a ceremonial killing or an assassination.

Sith Master

Sith Masters were Sith Lords that had an apprentice serving beneath them. Other than Bane,
notable Sith Masters include Darth Zannah, Darth Cognus, Darth Plagueis and his successor;
Darth Sidious.

Sith apprentice

Sith apprentices were Sith neophytes that were studying under the tutelage of a Sith Master.
Notable Sith apprentices include Darth Millennial, Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus and Darth Vader.

Dark Side Adepts

Dark Side Adepts were not technically Sith. These Force-sensitives were chosen and honed by
the Sith apprentice. Essentially, adepts were candidates to replace the Apprentice when he or she
was killed or ascended to mastery. Notables included Darth Tyranus's Dark Acolytes, whose
numbers included Sora Bulq and the infamous Asajj Ventress, or Darth Vader's secret apprentice
Galen Marek.

Palpatine Era
"Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy…and we shall have peace."

―Darth Sidious, to Darth Vader[src]

The Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Vader.

When Palpatine declared himself Galactic Emperor, the Sith controlled the known galaxy, in a
political sense, for the first time. With this new, far-reaching authority came a need for
functionaries throughout the Empire who were, to one extent or another, supporters if not
adherents of the dark side. Though not Sith in any strict sense, these quasi-Sith minions were
known generally as Dark Side Adepts. As Force-sensitive individuals serving the Emperor, they
supported his Sith rule by working in the roles of servants, agents, intelligence operatives,
military officials, etc. Dark Side Adepts were particularly important when Palpatine was reborn
into his clone bodies, six years after his death.

Inquisitorius

The Inquisitorius was a secret division of Imperial Intelligence consisting of dark side Force-
sensitive agents known as Inquisitors (sometimes also as Inquisitioners), or "truth officers".

Under the control of Darth Vader, these Inquisitors were considered the highest ranking of the
Dark Side Adepts, outranking the Emperor's Hands, Prophets of the Dark Side, and lesser Dark
Jedi. They reported directly to Emperor Palpatine.

Prophets of the Dark Side

Darth Vader in his armor

The Dark Side Prophets were an ancient Outer Rim renegade Sith order founded by Darth
Millennial. Darth Sidious rediscovered the group and brought them once again under his control,
renaming them the Emperor's Mages.

Emperor's Hands

Emperor's Hands were top-secret special operatives trained in the Force by the Emperor himself.
They were so secret they usually had no knowledge of each other. Mara Jade was one of the
best-known Emperor's Hands.

Together with the Emperor's Mages, the Emperor's Hands were called the Dark Side Elite.

Emperor's Royal Guard

These were hand-picked elite stormtroopers assigned to protect and serve the Emperor directly.
Force sensitivity was by no means a requirement. Those with advanced talents, however, were
assigned as Sovereign Protectors, and those with even more advanced talents underwent Force
training under Dark Jedi tutors.

Dark Jedi

Although the name might imply otherwise, Dark Jedi were not synonymous with Sith, although
Darth Vader among others used techniques drawn from the traditions of both the Dark Jedi and
the Sith. Dark Jedi were distinguished from the Sith in the fact that Dark Jedi just used the dark
side, whereas the Sith abided by the religion and codes passed down through the holocrons. It
was much more likely for Dark Jedi to return to the Light (e.g. Kam Solusar). Other notable Dark
Jedi included Joruus C'baoth and Jerec.
Legacy Era

Lost Tribe of Sith

Vestara Khai, Sith apprentice of the Lost Tribe

In 5000 BBY, the Sith warship Omen who had a human crew, member of the Sith Empire, crash
landed on Kesh. Spurred on by the ship's captain, Yaru Korsin, the Sith conquered the Keshiri
indigenous population and became the undisputed rulers of the uncharted planet. But, the planet
isolated and devoided of the materials needed to repair the ship, imprisoned these Sith for nearly
five thousand years. Forgotten by the rest of the galaxy and by the Jedi Order, the Lost Tribe
members developed their society, growing in number and deepening their knowledge over the
dark side. And when a Sith Meditation Sphere seeking for new masters to serve, arrived on their
adoptive homeworld in 41 ABY, they were ready to conquer the galaxy.

Very many and very organized the Lost Tribe of Sith was a hierarchical society based on merit,
not birth, which allowed all Force-sensitive inhabitants of Kesh, Human or Keshiri, climbing the
rungs of the prevailing order of the Sith. This order included seven ranks, ranging from
apprentice without master to the Supreme Head of the Order: Sith Tyro, Sith apprentice, Sith
Saber, Sith Master, Sith Lord, High Lord and Grand Lord.

Grand Lord

Grand Lord was the title of the ruler of the Circle of Lords, the ruling council of the Lost Tribe
of Sith in the capital city of Tahv on the planet Kesh. The first Grand Lord was Yaru Korsin,
who was appointed to the position in 5000 BBY by Izri Dazh. As of 43 ABY the Grand Lord
was Darish Vol.

High Lord

A High Lord was a presiding member on the Circle of Lords. There were seven High Lords on
the Circle; they ranked above the thirteen Lords that sat on the Circle, but below the Grand Lord.

Sith Saber
A Sith apprentice was promoted to the rank of Sith Saber after they had completed their formal
training under a Master, making the rank equivalent to that of a Jedi Knight. When a member of
the Tribe obtained the rank of Saber, they were allowed to customize their robes and acquire
possessions.

Sith Tyro

A Sith Tyro was an apprentice of the Lost Tribe, who had not yet been chosen to become a
formal Sith apprentice. It can be considered roughly equivalent to the Jedi rank of Initiate.

One Sith

Some of the most prominent Legacy era Sith with their leader, Darth Krayt (armored)

By the year 130 ABY a new Sith Order had risen to take the place of that of Darth Bane's order.
Krayt abolished Darth Bane's Rule of Two. Instead, there would be the Rule of One—that One
being the Sith Order itself as directed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, under which there would be
many Sith who serve.

Ruled by Krayt, the new Sith Order flourished and a chance for Galactic domination presented
itself. The reverse Vong-forming of worlds was sabotaged and when the galaxy at large blamed
and persecuted the Yuuzhan Vong, the GA and Jedi Order were split down the middle. In the
midst of the New Galactic Civil War the Fel Empire joined forces with the Legacy Sith and
brought the galaxy to its knees. The new Sith, however, betrayed the Empire and deposed the
Emperor. Darth Krayt assumed the throne of the Empire. But the deposed Emperor, Roan Fel, set
up a rival faction of the Empire that remained loyal to him. Each side tried to dominate the
Galaxy in the years to come.

It is known that a Sith known as Darth Krayt began the order on Korriban, the ancient Sith burial
world, around 30 ABY. In this new Sith cult, many of the followers sported a red and black
tattooed appearance.

Fist
The Fist was a Sith Lord who served as the supreme military commander for the new Sith Order.
The Fist was appointed to the position by Darth Krayt. As of 137 ABY Darth Stryfe served as
Krayt's Fist. At the Massacre at Ossus, Darth Nihl was the Fist, but was made a Hand when his
predecessor was killed during the battle.

Hands

The Hands were Darth Krayt's most able servants, trained and existing to carry out his will. They
took only his orders, and reported only to him.

By 137 ABY, Krayt's only Hand was Darth Nihl, having been given the post when his
predecessor died unexpectedly. That year, he made Darth Talon into his second Hand, a fact that
displeased Nihl.

Sith Intelligence and Assassination

Sith Intelligence and Assassination was an agency of the new Sith Order of Darth Krayt. It was
in charge of spying, political murder, and torture. Around 130 ABY, it was headed by Darth
Maladi. Jor Torlin was one of its ranking agents.

Darth Maladi's laboratory, in the Temple of the Sith, was a location of Sith Intelligence and
Assassination.

Voice

The Sith Lord who held the ranks of Voice was the second in command of the One Sith, serving
as advisor to the Dark Lord of the Sith and as his caretaker and mouthpiece during Lord Krayt's
periods in stasis. This title was held by the line of Chagrian Sith Lords known as Darth Wyyrlok.
By the time of the Second Imperial Civil War, there had been three Darth Wyyrloks, while the
fourth in line, Saarai underwent Sith training in Korriban.

After the disappearance of Darth Krayt's body, Darth Wyyrlok promoted Darth Nihl as the new
Voice so as to keep his loyalty after his self-proclamation as Emperor.

Loremaster

The Loremaster was a Sith Lord who kept the number of Sith artifacts and records attained by
the Order. The third Darth Wyyrlok also held this position, and was an expert in the history of
the Sith and the Order's many incarnations throughout the millennia.

Inquisitor

Inquisitors were Sith Lords responsible for extracting information of enemy prisoners. They
employed a number of techniques, ranging from imprisonment and interrogation to torture. Darth
Havok was an Inquisitor within the order.
Order of Revan

"You must walk the path of Revan on your own. The path to power—the path neither Jedi
nor Sith."
―Tari Darkspanner[src]

The Order of Revan, also known as the Revanites, was a secret society within the Sith Empire
that adhered to the teaching of the powerful Force-user Revan. Balancing the light and dark sides
of the Force, the Order sought to change the Empire from within, and they accepted members
from all levels of Imperial society and even alien species, just as Revan had done. The Order was
founded by Tari Darkspanner, who discovered records of Revan on Korriban while training to be
Sith in the decades before the Empire's Cold War with the Galactic Republic, and the Order was
headquartered in a compound in the jungles of the planet Dromund Kaas. However, Revan
himself took control of the Order during the Galactic War and transformed into a fanatical cult
with members in the upper echelons of both the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire.

Organization and philosophy Edit

"We learn to be better, more powerful. Even though the Empire may not publicly support us, we
believe in the Empire's ways. Revan mastered the light side and the dark side—war and peace.
We seek to walk the same path."

―Dzoun[src]

Revanites believed that the path to power could not be followed by either Jedi or Sith.[1] The idea
of rebirth was of particular import to the Order, as they knew of how Revan had been Jedi, Sith,
and then reborn as something new when he was betrayed by both. Though the Order of Revan's
members were of the Sith Empire, the Order taught that one should not rely only on the dark
side: Revan achieved greatness because he relied on both the light and the dark, using the Force
as a whole.[3] The Order was also patriotic; they did not seek to destroy the Empire, but instead
change it from within.[4]

The Revanites welcomed members of all alien species, as they knew how many of Revan's
companions and allies had been droids and aliens—but they believed that Revan had done so
because he thought servants were more useful when they were powerful. Because Revan
accepted allies from many different walks of life, the Order did the same: the Order included
members from every level of the Empire's society, from high-ranking Sith and military officers
to commoners and even slaves. The Order also included Mandalorians of Clan Farr, who served
the Order as a matter of honor, as Ceta Farr sought to ensure that Revan's name would be
remembered.[4] Tari Darkspanner, the Master of the Order, believed that Revan had defeated the
Emperor and taken his throne, but she also believed that the Emperor's silence during the Cold
War meant that the Dark Council had imprisoned Revan.[1]

Those who sought to join the Order would have to undergo an initiation, in which they would
complete various tasks for different members that would test their knowledge of the Order's
ideals and their devotion to them.[3] During the initiation, prospective members would visit the
Revanite Cave and meditate before the Order's altar there, where many would receive visions of
Revan.[6] Every initiation also included a trial of the past, which would bind the initiate to Revan
and help them understand the Order's history.[8]

Since Revan himself came to directly control the Order, the Revanites had expanded to include
Republic individuals in their ranks. The Order had forgotten their roots, now fanatically devoted
to the former Jedi. Having agents in high-ranking positions in both galactic superpowers enables
the Order to pull strings and covertly falsify information, similar to the Star Cabal. The Order's
current purpose is to wipe out both Empire and Republic.

Force harmony

"One Jedi cannot conquer the dark side alone…I guess we've proved that. Together, we
were a Jedi fire that outshone his evil."
"Two are more powerful than one…three are more powerful than two."
―Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo — Listen (file info)[src]

Force harmony was a light side Force power that allowed several Force-users to join their Force
energies together in a pure and powerful manifestation of the light side. Bathing them in light
side energies, the ability protected users from dark side powers and could sever opponents from
the dark side entirely. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, and the unborn Anakin Solo used this
ability to separate the reborn Emperor Palpatine from the dark side, causing the Force storm he
had summoned to go out of control and consume him.

Force speed

"You can use the Force to speed up, both physically and mentally, allowing you more
time to make decisions."
―Kyle Katarn[src]
Force speed, also known as burst of speed or Force sprint, was a core Force power that
allowed the user to maintain sprinting speeds for a brief time. Greater aptitude granted greater
boosts to speed and/or greater duration. The increased speed of the Force-user enabled the
individual to see the world and the entities around them in slow motion, allowing them to dodge
attacks easily and attack quicker with greater accuracy.

The technique was commonly used by many Force-users throughout history, including Jedi, Sith,
and the Matukai order, an organization of Force adepts who used the physical body to channel
the Force. During the Clone Wars, many Jedi used the ability to great effect on the battlefields. It
was also commonly used to increase speed during lightsaber duels as well as in unarmed combat.
According to Jedi Master Tionne Solusar's tome regarding the Force, there was a drawback to
using this power; using Force speed had a draining effect on a Force-user's energy and
metabolism, and required a longer recovery period.