Summary
WhileStar Wars’s new Sith focused seriesThe Acolytepremieres on June 4th, we already know quite a bit about the series' mysterious Sith Lord villain. Taking place during theHigh Republic era,The Acolytehappens at the tail end of the golden age of the Jedi Order and the Republic. During this time, the Sith as an order were in hiding, only making scant appearances – especially to Jedi.
But withThe Acolyte’s trailersrevealing a being who wields a red lightsaber facing down against an entire group of Jedi, speculation about the Sith has begun. This dark-cloaked Force sensitive person wears a distinct yet familiar toothed helmet, and clearly strikes fear into the Jedi who oppose them. Who is this dark sider, and what do we already know about them and the Sith during this era?
4The Sith Have Been Believed Extinct For 900 Years
The Jedi Defeated During The Old Republic
The Acolytetakes place in 132 BBY, 100 years before the events ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.That film gives us a lot of the knowledge we have about the Sith during this era, and is the basis for the High Republic era in general. InThe Phantom Menace, the Jedi Council makes some very specific remarks about the Sith when presented with Qui-Gon’s testimony.
When Darth Maul’s existence is brought to the Council’s attention, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi says,“The Sith have been extinct for a millennium.“He claims this because of events that happened during the Old Republic era. Taking place before the High Republic, the Old Republic was characterized by its wars between the Jedi and Sith. At the end of this era,the Sith were defeated, and the Jedi incorrectly believed them to be extinct.
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.
3Darth Bane Established The Rule Of Two To Sustain Them… & It’s Worked
From Bane To Darth Plagueis, The Sith Survived
After the Sith’s defeat at the hands of the Jedi, there was a single survivor: Darth Bane. Darth Bane is one of the most important characters in the entireStar Warstimeline, as he began a new order of Sith that actually managed to survive. Darth Bane then founded the Baneite Sith, a tradition that involved only two Sith at a time.
Darth Bane’s “Rule of Two” is based around the fact that the Sith will always be competing with each other, to their own detriment. Bane’s rule makes it so the Sith train each other up in their dark side abilities, before the apprentice eventually rises up, kills the master, and recruits a new apprentice. This direct line eventually led up to Darth Plagueis, Darth Sidious, and Darth Vader during the era of the Empire – which only existed because of amassed Sith power and plotting.
Darth Bane
One of the most important ancient Sith Lords, Darth Bane became convinced in-fighting among the Sith was the real reason they would inevitably lose - again and again - to the Jedi. He formulated the Rule of Two, a dogma that means there can only ever be two Sith at any time: one to wield power, and the other to crave it.
2We Know Of One Sith Stronghold Around During The High Republic Era
The Cerberon System’s Sith Base
TheStar WarsnovelShadow Fallby Alexander Freed may take place afterReturn of the Jedi, but it actually includes a hint toward the Sith’s history in the galaxy. The book takes us to the Cerberon system, where it is strongly implied the Sith engineered the economic downfall of the planet Troithe during the High Republic Era. In fact, the Sith had a stronghold on an asteroid in the Cerberon system, one in a decaying orbit around a black hole.
The Cerberon system’s Sith base is very similar to Darth Vader’s tower on Mustafar. It appears to be situated at a horrific dark side vergence, and can only be accessed through pain and suffering.Presumably there are similar Sith strongholds scattered across the galaxy during the High Republic Era.
1Two Sith Are Known To Be Active In The High Republic Era
Star Wars Legends Sith Are Pretty Much Canon
But the most important clues about the Sith in the High Republic actually come fromStar WarsLegends, and the broad-strokes of its lore that have been transplanted into canon. Legends gave a lot of information about the Sith underDarth Bane’s Rule of Twoleading into the prequel era, and a lot of that information has been soft-canonized in various sources. Two main Sith Lords are present during this period, and could very easily tie intoThe Acolyte.
Darth Tenebrous
The Bith Sith Lord Darth Tenebrouswas born firmly in the High Republic era, though in the Legends timeline. He was incredibly powerful, and accumulated a lot of wealth through his public front as a famous starship designer. He was the master of Darth Plagueis, Palpatine’s master, and was killed in 67 BBY inLegends, well afterThe Acolyte’s timeline slot in canon.If the Sith Lord of this period needed to appear during this series, it would technically have to be Tenebrousto line up with Legends.
Darth Plagueis
Another prominent Sith Lord of the era isDarth Plagueis– one of the best known Sith. InLegends, Plagueis was born around the time ofThe Acolyte, and he would eventually kill his own master, Darth Tenebrous, after a lifetime of training. Plagueis then picked an apprentice of his own, Darth Sidious, or, Palpatine. Plagueis’s presence is not as likely as Tenebrous', but is still a possibility, especially when considering how popular and iconic the character is – and how Plagueis is much more canon than Tenebrous is.
The Sith’s history, especially during the time of the High Republic, is largely a mystery incanonStar Wars. But there are definitely small hints all over the saga that can lead new lore in the right direction. Because of the specificity of some of these established tidbits, though, it will be interesting to see how seamlesslyThe Acolytedeals with the complicated task of fitting into an already established part of theStar Warstimeline.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
