Summary
TheSith, or the Sith Order, is one of two major religions followed by those capable of wielding the Force inStar Warscanon. The Sith is the dark side opposite of the Jedi, whose doctrine teaches the value of power, victory, and freedom, which can only truly be obtained by tapping into one’s raw emotions - most notably anger and hatred.
The Sith have a long, extensive history inStar Wars, one that originates with the Jedi themselves, then spirals out into galactic Empires, solitary fiefdoms, and shadowy operations. Along the way, theSith have given rise to some of the most powerful and influential Force-wielders in the galaxy, ones whose stories have major impacts on the widerStar Warsuniverse. Out of them all, here are the10 best Sith stories in the history ofStar Warscomics, ranked!
Star Wars: 10 Best Darth Vader Stories in Comic History, Ranked
Darth Vader has no shortage of incredible stories in Star Wars' comic book history, but some are better than others. Here are his 10 best, ranked!
10Star Wars Confirms the Sith Order Originated with the Jedi
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Force Stormby John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
The Sith and the Jedi may be cosmic opposites, but their origins are tied together with the original Order of Force-wielders: the Je’daii. Before there was even hyperspace travel in the galaxy (meaning before the age of any Galactic Republic), Force-sensitives were collected and brought to a system called Tython, where they were free to hone their skills and study in the ways of true balance. In those early days, there was no ‘light side’ or ‘dark side’ users exclusively, as everyone studying the ways of the Force had to understand true balance in both.
Of course, this didn’t last forever, as many felt the dark side alone was the path to true power, which gave rise to those who would only practice in the light side in order to combat their dark side brethren, and achieve cosmic balance.TheDawn of the Jediera is an integral chapter in the Sith’s longStar Warshistory, though it only serves to lay the groundwork for the eventual rise of the Sith, rather than being a story that highlights the Sith themselves.
9A Rogue Sith Fiefdom Rules a Primitive Planet in the Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars: The Lost Tribe of the Sith - Spiralby John Jackson Miller and Andrea Mutti
During the age of the Sith Empire, a rogue ship of lesser Sith Lords were transporting goods across the cosmos, when they crash-land on a planet totally cut-off from the rest of the galaxy, as it was a medieval society of more primitive people. After these Sith landed here, they decided to make the most of their situation and rule this world, as opposed to being little more than slaves to the Sith Empire. This gave rise to the Lost Tribe of the Sith, givingStar Warsfansa high fantasy adventure filled to the brim with Sith warriors of all sorts.
This Sith story is a fantastic standalone series, though its isolated nature is a bit of a double-edged sword. A small faction of Sith Lords taking over a more primitive planet is an awesome concept, but it does little to expand on Sith lore as a whole.
8Star Wars Details Exactly What Happens to a Kyber Crystal Bled by a Sith
Star Wars#43 “The Healing Force” by Charles Soule, Steven Cummings, and Jethro Morales
When Luke Skywalker is strengthening his power in the Force between the events ofThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, he attempts to purify a red kyber crystal, as doing so will prove that he can heal those who have been corrupted by the dark side - ie, Darth Vader. Skywalker metaphysically enters the red kyber to find an entire pocket-reality created from pure dark side energy, one that is ruled over by what remains of the essence of the Sith who bled this particular kyber crystal to begin with.
This storyline showsStar Warsfans exactly what it means to bleed a kyber crystal, revealing thata Sith has to leave a piece of themselves within the crystal to writhe in perpetual agony and darkness. This practice is much darker than fans initially thought, and it’s put on full display in “The Healing Force”. Plus, this story introduces a brand-new Sith toStar Warscanon, who’s effectively the first Sith Luke Skywalker ever beat as a Jedi.
7Star Wars Confirms the Sith Were Once a Species, Not Just a Religion
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sithby Tom Veitch, Kevin J. Anderson, and Chris Gossett
Before the Expanded Universe, the Sith Order was presented as a religion, of sorts, that anyone who practiced the dark side could join - like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. However, with the release of the Legends comic seriesDark Lords of the Sith, one character in particular explores the history of the Sith, and reveals to fans that the Sith was once a species. However, once dark siders flocked to the Sith homeworld of Korriban because of its connection to the dark side, the Sith species slowly became eradicated due to interbreeding.
The Sith culture was appropriated by dark siders across the galaxy, who effectively coopted an entire species for the sake of growing a galactic cult, one that would only serve to spread darkness across the cosmos. It’s an interesting piece of trivia inStar Warscanon, and while it’s something that would be explored in many other storylines, the Sith species' debut was inDark Lords of the Sith.
6The Rise and Fall of One of Star Wars' Most Terrifying Sith: Exar Kun
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith Warby Kevin J. Anderson and Dario Carrasco, Jr.
Exar Kun was a Jedi Padawan during an age that predates the Sith Empire. Kun becomes obsessed with ancient Sith knowledge (as detailed inDark Lords of the Sith), and he claims the title of ‘Dark Jedi’ inThe Sith War, using his newfound power to seduce other Jedi Padawans to follow him and usher in a new age for the Sith. Indeed, Exar Kun’s actions do, in fact, lay the groundwork for the eventual rise of the Sith Empire, but it’s what he did to strengthen his own power that truly makes his story an integral chapter in the wider Sith lore.
Within his temple on Yavin 4, as the full force of the Jedi Order was descending upon him from outer space,Exar Kun did a ritual where he used his power to force practically every sentient life form on Yavin 4 to sacrifice themselves, at which point he harnessed their life force to turn himself into an entity of pure dark side energy. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what Kun hoped for, as his spirit was tethered to his temple on Yavin 4 forever - leaving him in perpetual darkness.
5Star Wars Details the Horrific Power of the Most Terrifying Sith Lord: Darth Nihilus
Star Wars Tales#24 “Unseen, Unheard” by Chris Avellone and Dustin Weaver
One of the most terrifying and iconic Sith Lords inStar Warshistory is undoubtedly Darth Nihilus, though there are far too few storylines featuring this cosmic villain. Though one story in particular makes up for the lack of Darth Nihilus content in horrific fashion, as it puts his borderline unparalleled power on full display. “Unseen, Unheard” details howDarth Nihilus killed an entire planet with just the sound of his voice, before consuming the life essence of everyone who lived there.
While Darth Nihilus wouldn’t be the only Sith inStar Warscanon to destroy an entire planet, as both Darth Sidious and Darth Krayt did the same, Nihilus is the only Sith who did so with his raw power alone. Nihilus' feat in this story is a testament to how powerful a Sith can become, and is a terrifying reminder of how dangerous the Sith are in theStar Warsuniverse.
4Star Wars' Modern Sith Face a Threat Even Darker than the Dark Side
Star Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White, & Red#1 “Ghost Ship” by Benjamin Percy and Stefano Raffaele
In the more modern age ofStar Wars(while still predatingEpisode I), Darth Sidious sends his apprentice, Darth Maul, to investigate a prison vessel that has just been overrun by particularly dangerous prisoners: the three leaders of a cult called the Final Occultation. When Maul reaches the vessel,he faces the full might of the Final Occultation, and while he comes out on top, Darth Maul is utterly terrified to his core- not just for himself, but on behalf of the entire galaxy.
The Final Occultation was pulling energy from another dimension called the Netherworld (energy that is effectively the canon version of ‘Anti-Force’), and that power would have unleashed hellish chaos across all existence. This cult is something that even a murderous Sith learned to fear, which is an exciting addition to Sith lore.
3Star Wars Explores Sith Corruption and Evolution Through the Eyes of Darth Vader
Star Wars: Darth Vader#6-11 “Into the Fire” by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco
When Darth Vader wavers in his commitment to the Sith following the realization that Luke Skywalker is his son, the Emperor rips off his robotic limbs and leaves him on Mustafar before forbidding his apprentice from using the Force to survive. This is a test that acts as Vader’s Sith reeducation, whichallows fans to see Vader’s corruption all over again, and in greater detail. Sith corruption is always fascinating to witness, especially when it’s shown through the eyes of Darth Vader - as is the evolution of the Sith Order.
At the end of the “Into the Fire” storyline, Darth Vader travels to Exegol, which acts as the new ‘homeworld’ of the Sith under the rule of Emperor Palpatine. There, Vader discovers a Sith cult called the Sith Eternal (which fans saw for the first time inRise of Skywalker).The idea that one Sith rules over an entire society of lesser dark siders who worship them is a horrific evolution of the ways of the Sith, and “Into the Fire” brings that to the forefront of fans' attention.
2Star Wars' One Sith Takes Palpatine’s Sith Eternal to the Next Level
Star Wars LegacyVol. 1 by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
While Darth Sidious effectively created a Sith cult with the Sith Eternal, his future successor, Darth Krayt, takes that idea to the next level with the formation of the One Sith. The doctrine of theOne Sith dictates that there is only one all-powerful Sith Master who rules over an army of lesser Sith Lords, all of whom are trained in the ways of dark side manipulation and lightsaber combat. Every member of the One Sith could be a worthy Sith Apprentice in their own right (unlike the Sith Eternal) - and there was an army of them.
The One Sith rejects the Sith Rule of Two, and instead tries to usher in an age more closely resembling the Sith Empire of old. WhileStar Wars Legacyends with one of the last remaining Sith hunting down and killing his brethren in an effort to bring back the Sith Rule of Two - making the era of the One Sith decidedly short-lived - the One Sith was still an awesome addition to Sith lore that retrospectively builds upon the actions of pervious Sith Lords.
1Star Wars Details the Jedi vs Sith War, and the Establishment of the Sith Rule of Two
Star Wars: Jedi vs Sithby Darko Macan and Ramon F. Bachs
Before the Sith Rule of Two was established, there was a great war between the Jedi and the Sith, where armies of each fought like ancient warriors on a cosmic battlefield for ultimate supremacy in the galaxy. However, both sides felt the impact of this war. The Jedi could not curb the widespread destruction created by the Sith, and the dark side energy harnessed by the Sith was being stretched too thin to offer any one of them the level of power they crave.
In the end, Darth Bane orchestrated the use of a Thought Bomb that decimated both sides, leaving only himself and his new apprentice alive to usher in a new age for the Sith with his newly-established Rule of Two - which would remain through the modern era ofStar Warscanon.If fans are looking for a comic with the most Sith vs Jedi action, while also being perhaps the most impactful to Sith lore, then they need look no further thanStar Wars: Jedi vs Sith, which is why this is the bestSithstory inStar Warscomics history.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
