Summary
- The Sith were founded during the Hundred-Year Darkness after a rogue Jedi embraced the dark side.
- Darth Bane redefined the Sith, creating the Rule of Two to maximize their power.
- Rey was guided by the spirits of all the Jedi, finally triumphing over the Sith and ending their long history.
The Sith embodied the dark side and were the bane of the Jedi Order, with a long history of important events that shaped the all eras of the Star Wars timeline, with some events carrying over from Legends.
The Sith took many forms over time, but a few crucial moments shaped their history the most. This includes how the Sith Order was founded, why there were so few Sith in the Star Wars movies and TV shows, and what led to their undoing. 10 Star Wars events defined the Sith on their path to mastering the dark side, creating the most powerful villains the galaxy had ever seen.
All 39 Sith Lords In Star Wars Canon
The greatest villains of Star Wars, the Sith are the Jedi's most fearsome enemies. Here are all 36 Dark Lords of the Sith revealed to date.
10 The Hundred-Year Darkness
C. 5,000 BBY
This Jedi schism led to a conflict known as the Hundred-Year Darkness, and although the Sith were defeated, they fled from the known galaxy and settled on a world called Korriban, later known as Moraband.
The Sith Order was founded when a rogue Jedi was cast out for embracing the dark side of the Force, and in time, this Jedi rallied others to his cause. This Jedi schism led to a conflict known as the Hundred-Year Darkness, and although the Sith were defeated, they fled from the known galaxy and settled on a world called Korriban, later known as Moraband. The Sith would wage many wars against the Jedi and the Republic over the next 4,000 years, at one point controlling the entire galaxy.
9 The Great Scourge Of Malachor
Unknown
At some point during the age of the Sith, a devastating superweapon was constructed on Malachor, and the Jedi attacked the Sith temple before it could be unleashed. The battle ended with the weapon going off and scorching the surface, killing Sith and Jedi alike but preserving the moment in ash. Malachor would eventually fade into legend, and Jedi were forbidden to return, though the Sith did not impose such limits. Palpatine later brought his apprentice, Darth Maul, and forced him to inhale the ashes, causing him to experience a vision of his Sith brethren being slaughtered by merciless Jedi.
8 Darth Bane Redefines The Sith
1032 BBY
The Sith reached the height of their power in 1032 BBY, but their greed caused them to turn on each other and be defeated by the Jedi. Darth Bane was the last survivor, but rather than rebuild the Sith to their former numbers, he went into hiding and created the Rule of Two. This doctrine stated that there could only be one master to embody the power and one apprentice to crave it. The Sith would operate from the shadows and corrupt the Republic from within, waiting for the right moment to destroy the Jedi and take over the galaxy.
- Created By
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Mark Hamill
- First Appearance
- Bane of the Sith
- Race
- Human
- TV Shows
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Description
- Darth Zannah (Apprentice)
7 The Rise Of Palpatine
32 BBY
A millennium after the supposed end of the Sith, Darth Plagueis and his apprentice, Darth Sidious, began putting the final pieces of the Grand Plan in place. In his guise as Senator Palpatine, Sidious engineered a crisis on his homeworld of Naboo, demonstrating the corruption and ineffectiveness of the Republic. He used this to manipulate the Senate into electing him as Supreme Chancellor, promising to end corruption and restore the Republic to its former glory. With his position secure and the Grand Plan underway, Palpatine killed his Plagueis in his sleep, inheriting the mantle of Sith Master.
6 "Begun The Clone War Has."
22 BBY
Palpatine and his new apprentice, Count Dooku, engineered and played both sides of a galactic conflict called the Clone Wars. Leading a new government allowed Dooku the freedom to advance the Sith's long-term goals, while the Republic Senate granted Palpatine more emergency powers to defeat the Separatists. The war also took a heavy toll on the Jedi, with many falling in combat as the Order gradually abandoned its traditional role of peacekeeping. Although the Clone Wars ended in a Republic victory, Palpatine had set everything in motion to ensure the end of the Jedi.
5 The Revenge Of The Sith
19 BBY
After the death of Count Dooku, Palpatine converted Anakin Skywalker to the dark side and christened him Darth Vader. He then issued Order 66, forcing every clone to execute the Jedi for treason, eliminating most of the Order in an instant. With the Jedi gone and the clone army at his command, Palpatine reorganized the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Over the next 19 years, the Empire held on to the skeleton of the Republic while secretly constructing a superweapon called the Death Star, which would allow Palpatine to disband the Senate and have absolute control.
4 The Return Of The Jedi
4 ABY
However, the Death Star was destroyed by none other than Luke Skywalker, the secret son of Vader, plunging the galaxy into a war between the Rebellion and the Empire. The Galactic Civil War came to a head at the Battle of Endor, where Vader redeemed himself by saving his son and throwing his master down a reactor shaft. Although the act cost Vader his life, Palpatine's defeat restored balance to the Force and fulfilled the Chosen One prophecy. With the Sith destroyed, Luke set out to build a New Jedi Order while the galaxy formed the New Republic.
3 The Birth Of Rey
15 ABY
Unbeknownst to the galaxy, Palpatine survived his apparent death by transferring his spirit into a clone body, but this new vessel began to decay. Palpatine created more clones, hoping to find one that could handle his dark power, one of which became Dathan, whom Palpatine considered a failure due to his lack of Force sensitivity. Dathan escaped from Palpatine's stronghold on Exegol and married a woman named Miramir, and the two had a daughter named Rey. Palpatine sought to capture Rey to use her as his vessel, but her parents hid her on Jakku, for which Palpatine ordered their execution.
Palpatine also survived in the Star Wars Legends timeline, where he sought to transfer his spirit into Anakin Solo.
2 The Dead Speak
35 ABY
With the galaxy locked in another war, Palpatine chose to reveal himself, preparing to unleash a massive fleet of planet-killing Star Destroyers. When Supreme Leader Kylo Ren arrived on Exegol to kill his potential rival, Palpatine revealed he was responsible for Snoke, the First Order, and converting Ben Solo to the dark side. He had amassed a legion of followers that would bring about a new Sith Empire, and each legion of troopers derived its name from an ancient Sith Lord. Palpatine convinced Ren to work with him and kill Rey, though he really wanted to lure her to Exegol.
1 The Final Word In The Story Of The Sith
35 ABY
Palpatine believed he had finally ensured the end of the Jedi, demanding Rey strike him down so his spirit could into her. Despite her attempt to stand with Ben Solo, Palpatine used the power of the Force Dyad to restore himself and attack the Resistance fleet. However, Rey connected with the spirits of all the past Jedi, and with them standing behind her, she destroyed Palpatine once and for all. After 5,000 years, the Jedi had finally triumphed over the Sith, bringing their history to a close and ushering in a new era for the Star Wars galaxy.
