'Star Wars’ Finally Gives Some Canon Origins Of The Sith

The Sith is the ancient enemy of the Jedi. The yin to their yang. Their rivalry lasted for millennia, resulting in countless deaths and many wars. When did this all begin? Well, those secrets are to be revealed in Lucasfilm's latest tie-in book Star Wars: Secrets of the Sith. The Sith ultimately wants power, so much so that they strive for total galactic domination. A grand plan was put into motion by the Dark Lord Darth Bane millenia ago. Through the Rule of Two, the Sith would wait in the shadows, growing in power and corrupting the Republic from within and bring an end to the Jedi Order. This grand plan was finally fulfilled by Darth Sidious. Ironically, Sidious would also be the last Sith Lord. Soon after his resurrection on the Sith homeworld of Exegol he was defeated and killed by his own granddaughter, Rey, ending the Sith once and for all. If that is where the Sith ends, where does it all begin?

Star Wars is huge. The films are just the tip of the iceberg. The games, books and comics help flesh out the universe, filling in so much more backstory. This is something that cannot be covered in a period of two or three hours. That is exactly what Secrets of the Sith aims to do. The book is written as if by Darth Sidious himself prior to the events of Rise of Skywalker. Can you imagine an auto-biography by the man? He recounts the events he has witnessed, and perhaps caused himself, along with the evil the Sith has inflicted across the galaxy. He also tells their rich, blood-soaked history, and how it all started.

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"Legend has it the Jedi Order suffered a deep schism millennia ago. An opposing sect dedicated to the glory of the dark side arose from the ashes. The Sith did not share the Jedi's myopic view of the Force. They embraced the dark side as a means to personal gain and ultimate victory. And, for a time, that great victory would be achieved. The Sith Order grew, spreading its might across the galaxy. But the Jedi became jealous. They would not tolerate a challenge to their authority. After thousands of years of war, the Sith were pushed to the edge of extinction. From the darkness, those who survived laid the foundations for our Order's return... and my rise to power."

There was a schism. Once Jedi, these Force wielders craved power, and wanted more. They turned their backs on the Jedi Order, embracing the Dark Side of the Force. Thus began millennia-long feud between the two Orders. While the individual or individuals who left during the schism have not been named, it does leave the door open for future media to flesh out the era in future books, games, films, or even television series. Imagine that, a film of the first ever Dark Lord of the Sith.

This canonical origin does share some similarities with that of the Sith Order's "humble" beginnings in Legends. These Dark Jedi who broke away from the Jedi Order refused to stay loyal to the Light Side of the Force. They challenged the Jedi by giving into the temptations of the Dark Side. They lost this war and was exiled far from the core worlds. These defeated Dark Jedi would encounter a Force sensitive species called the Sith. After hundreds of years of interbreeding between the Dark Jedi and the Sith species, the Sith would no longer be identified by their race but rather the philosophy they had created. Thus began the first incarnation of the Sith Order.

The book also goes on to describe origins of the Jedi Order. This was the first Jedi, the Prime Jedi which is alluded to in The Last Jedi in the mosaic found in the first Jedi Temple on Achc-To. Both the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force are in balance. One cannot exist without the other. However, something tipped that balance with some choosing the Light side and others choosing the Dark Side, resulting in rival Orders.

As Star Wars begins to explore times and eras before (and after) the Skywalker Saga, this part of the lore would be interesting to see in film. Who would not want to see the genesis of the Force, the dawn of the Jedi, and the birth of the Sith? (Hey, here are your titles!)

How would you like to see this previously unknown time period in Star Wars history?

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Written By Conner Heggie

Source(s): Screen Rant, Wookieepedia

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