Sith

• Core Identity: The Sith are an ancient monastic and militaristic organization of Force-sensitive super-villains who are the primary antagonists of the Star Wars franchise, a property whose comic book adventures are currently published by Marvel Comics, but they do not canonically exist within the mainstream Marvel Universe of Earth-616 or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Within their native Star Wars galaxy, the Sith are the antithesis of the heroic Jedi Order. They seek power through passion, aggression, and the dark side of the Force, aiming for galactic domination. Their connection to Marvel is strictly as a licensed property; Marvel publishes their stories but does not integrate them into its own superhero continuity.
• Primary Impact: The Sith's most significant impact on Marvel is through the highly successful line of Star Wars comic books published since 2015. These comics, which are considered official canon to the Star Wars saga, explore the stories of iconic Sith Lords like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, generating significant revenue and creative prestige for Marvel Comics as a publisher.
• Key Incarnations: The primary distinction for fans is between the two eras of Marvel's Star Wars publishing. The original run (1977-1986) is now part of the non-canon “Legends” timeline, while the modern series (2015-present) is part of the official Disney/Lucasfilm “Canon” timeline, aligning with the films.

The presence of the Sith within a Marvel encyclopedia is a topic of frequent inquiry, primarily because Marvel Comics has been the publisher for Star Wars comics during two distinct and highly influential periods. This has led to a common but incorrect assumption that the Sith, Jedi, and the broader Star Wars galaxy are part of the Marvel multiverse. This section clarifies the publishing history and the strict separation between the two fictional universes.

In 1977, a then-fledgling Marvel Comics, under the editorial leadership of Roy Thomas, took a significant gamble on a science-fiction film that few predicted would succeed. They secured the license to publish a comic book adaptation of Star Wars. The first six issues, written by Thomas and illustrated by Howard Chaykin, adapted the events of the film A New Hope. Crucially, after the adaptation was complete, Marvel began producing entirely new stories set in the Star Wars galaxy, starting with issue #7. These comics were, for millions of fans, the only source of new Star Wars adventures between the films. This series, which ran for 107 issues and three annuals, introduced new characters, planets, and concepts. While Sith lore was not as deeply explored as in later works, the presence and menace of Darth Vader were central to the entire run. This era established Marvel's first connection to the Sith, positioning them as the publisher that brought the iconic dark lords of the Force to the comic book page. After the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983, interest began to wane, and Marvel concluded the series in 1986. These stories are now categorized under the “Legends” brand, meaning they are not part of the current official Star Wars canon.

From 1991 to 2014, the comic book license for Star Wars was held by Dark Horse Comics. During this time, the “Expanded Universe” flourished, with countless series that deeply explored the history and philosophy of the Sith, introducing a vast number of ancient and modern Sith Lords. Following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 and its earlier acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2009, the decision was made to consolidate the publishing licenses. In 2015, the Star Wars comic license returned to Marvel. This new era began with a “tabula rasa” approach. All previous Expanded Universe material (including the old Marvel and Dark Horse comics) was rebranded as non-canon “Legends.” Marvel launched a new, interconnected line of comics that were fully integrated into the official canon established by the films and new television series like The Clone Wars and Rebels. This modern era is where the Sith's presence at Marvel is most pronounced. Marvel has published multiple long-running and critically acclaimed series centered entirely on Sith characters, most notably the flagship Darth Vader ongoing series. These comics provide canonical, in-depth psychological portraits and unseen adventures of figures like Vader and Maul, and explore the machinations of Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious). It is this deep, canonical exploration of Sith characters under the Marvel banner that solidifies their place in any comprehensive discussion of Marvel's publishing history, even if they remain separate from Earth-616.

For readers primarily familiar with Marvel's pantheon of heroes and villains, understanding the Sith requires a shift in perspective from superpowers to a more philosophical and spiritual form of cosmic energy. This section provides an overview of the Sith as they are presented in the comics published by Marvel.

The core philosophy of the Sith Order is a direct inversion of the Jedi Code. It is an embrace of passion and emotion as the true source of strength. While the Jedi preach peace, serenity, and selflessness, the Sith believe these are weaknesses that hold individuals back from their true potential. The Sith Code, though varying in its wording across different sources, is fundamentally summarized as:

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.

This mantra guides a Sith's actions. They use emotions like anger, hatred, and fear to fuel their connection to the Force, a metaphysical energy field that binds the galaxy together. By tapping into the “dark side” of the Force, they can achieve incredible power, but at the cost of their morality, compassion, and often their physical bodies.

Sith Lords wield the dark side of the Force to accomplish a range of devastating abilities, many of which have been depicted in spectacular fashion within the pages of Marvel's comics.

• Telekinesis: The most basic Force ability, allowing a Sith to move, push, pull, and choke objects and individuals with their mind. Darth Vader's use of Force Choke is one of the most iconic and feared abilities in the galaxy.
• Force Lightning: A signature ability of the most powerful Sith, like Darth Sidious. This is a pure manifestation of the dark side, projecting arcs of electrical energy from the user's fingertips to torture, incapacitate, or kill their victims.
• Enhanced Physical Attributes: Sith use the Force to augment their speed, strength, and agility to superhuman levels, allowing them to perform incredible acrobatics, leap great distances, and react with precognitive speed in combat.
• Mental Domination: Powerful Sith can invade the minds of others, reading their thoughts, implanting suggestions (a more aggressive version of the Jedi Mind Trick), or shattering their sanity with visions of fear and despair.
• Lightsaber Combat: The chosen weapon of both Jedi and Sith. The Sith lightsaber is distinguished by its synthetic kyber crystal, which is made to “bleed” through the dark side, resulting in its iconic crimson blade. Sith train in aggressive and lethal forms of lightsaber combat designed to overwhelm and destroy their opponents.

A central tenet of the modern Sith Order, established by the ancient Sith Lord Darth Bane, is the “Rule of Two.” This doctrine states that there can only be two Sith Lords at any given time: a Master, who embodies power, and an Apprentice, who craves it.

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

This rule was created to prevent the in-fighting and betrayal that had historically torn the Sith Empire apart. In theory, it ensures a smooth and brutal succession of power. The apprentice is meant to learn everything from their master until they become powerful enough to kill their master and take their place, subsequently taking on an apprentice of their own. This Darwinian cycle is meant to ensure that the Sith are always led by the strongest. The relationship between Darth Sidious and his apprentices (Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and finally Darth Vader) is a central theme in many of Marvel's Star Wars comics.

While a vast number of Sith have been created in the “Legends” continuity, Marvel's modern canon comics have focused primarily on the most iconic figures from the Skywalker Saga, providing them with unprecedented depth.

The central figure of the Star Wars saga is also the most prominent Sith in Marvel Comics. Marvel has published multiple volumes of an ongoing Darth Vader series, each set in a different era.

• Darth Vader (2015) by Kieron Gillen: This series picks up immediately after A New Hope. It masterfully details Vader's fall from grace in the Emperor's eyes after the Death Star's destruction. The series shows Vader ruthlessly rebuilding his power base, hunting down rivals, and secretly investigating the identity of the Rebel pilot who destroyed the battle station. It is in this series that Vader learns he has a son, Luke Skywalker, a moment that redefines his motivations. The series introduces new canonical characters like the rogue archaeologist Doctor Aphra, who became a breakout star.
• Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (2017) by Charles Soule: Set immediately after Revenge of the Sith, this series is a brutal and harrowing look at Vader's earliest days. It depicts him “bleeding” his kyber crystal to create his red lightsaber, hunting down and exterminating Jedi survivors of Order 66, and brutally cementing his reputation as the Emperor's fist. This series is essential for understanding the transition from the fallen hero Anakin Skywalker to the monstrous Darth Vader.
• Darth Vader (2020) by Greg Pak: This run takes place after The Empire Strikes Back. It explores Vader's rage and conflict after his son rejected his offer to rule the galaxy. The story delves into his quest to uncover the secrets of his master, Palpatine, and his confrontation with the dark, hidden side of the Emperor's power, including the Sith redoubt on the planet Exegol.

While often a background manipulator, Darth Sidious is the ultimate evil in the galaxy and the true master of the Sith. His machinations are the driving force behind the events in nearly every Marvel Star Wars title.

• Role as Master: In the Darth Vader comics, Palpatine is a cruel and demanding master, constantly testing Vader's loyalty and punishing his failures. He is shown to be a master of manipulation, playing Vader against other Imperial agents to ensure his own absolute control.
• Hidden Power: Comics like Darth Vader (2020) and the Rise of Kylo Ren miniseries allude to Palpatine's vast, hidden resources and his research into unnatural abilities like essence transfer, which foreshadows his eventual return in The Rise of Skywalker. He is less a physical combatant in the comics and more a terrifying force of pure, corrupting evil whose influence is felt everywhere.

Once the apprentice of Darth Sidious, the Dathomirian Zabrak known as Maul was believed to have been killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. His canonical survival, established in The Clone Wars animated series, has been extensively explored in Marvel's comics.

• Darth Maul (2017) by Cullen Bunn: This miniseries is set before the events of The Phantom Menace. It portrays a young, rage-filled Maul, chafing under the restrictive leash of his master, Sidious. Forbidden from revealing himself to the Jedi, Maul secretly hunts down criminals and other dangerous targets to satisfy his bloodlust. The series provides a deep psychological look into his hatred and his desperate need to prove himself as a true Sith Lord, culminating in a forbidden confrontation with a captured Jedi Padawan. This story adds tragic depth to his character, showing him as a weapon forged by hate, yearning for a true challenge.

The modern era of Marvel's Star Wars comics is built around interconnected storylines and major crossover events, many of which heavily feature the Sith as central players.

The first major crossover event of the new canon. After Darth Vader learns the name “Skywalker,” he single-mindedly pursues his son. He single-handedly corners a Rebel fleet and, through sheer power and piloting skill, forces Luke Skywalker to crash-land on the planet Vrogas Vas. Vader follows, and the combined forces of the Rebel Alliance descend on the planet to try and eliminate their greatest foe. The event showcases Vader's immense power, as he takes on entire battalions of Rebel soldiers, tanks, and starfighters alone. It is a stunning depiction of why a single Sith Lord is a threat on par with a natural disaster, cementing his status as the Rebels' ultimate nemesis.

This sprawling crossover event is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The story revolves around the carbonite-frozen body of Han Solo, which is stolen from Boba Fett. This act incites a galactic war between criminal syndicates, the Hutt Cartel, and the Empire, all vying for possession of the famous smuggler. Darth Vader is a central figure, as his obsession with capturing Luke Skywalker leads him to pursue Solo, whom he sees as the ultimate bait. The storyline shows Vader's political maneuvering within the Empire and his brutal confrontations with criminal leaders like Qi'ra of the Crimson Dawn. It highlights the Sith's influence not just through direct force, but through fear and political manipulation across the galactic underworld.

The culmination of a trilogy of stories (following War of the Bounty Hunters and Crimson Reign), this event focuses on the resurgence of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, led by Qi'ra. Her ultimate goal is to assassinate Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, thereby liberating the galaxy from the Sith's tyranny through chaos. The story is a masterclass in espionage and shadow wars, as Qi'ra unleashes ancient, dark side-adjacent technology to challenge the Sith. The Emperor and Vader are forced to confront a threat that operates outside the normal rules of engagement, a war fought with spies, ancient artifacts, and assassinations. It serves as a powerful testament to the sheer scale of the Sith's power that even a galaxy-spanning criminal empire's ultimate plan is simply to kill the two of them.

For fans navigating the Sith's history in comics, the single most important concept to understand is the distinction between “Canon” and “Legends.”

• Legends (The Original Expanded Universe): This category includes all Star Wars stories produced before the 2015 canon reset. This encompasses the original Marvel Comics run (1977-1986) and the entirety of the Dark Horse Comics era. In “Legends,” the history of the Sith was vastly more detailed, spanning thousands of years with countless Sith Lords, a grand Sith Empire, and multiple galactic wars against the Jedi. Characters like Darth Revan, Darth Malak, and Exar Kun are titans of this continuity but do not exist in the current official canon. When reading an older Marvel Star Wars comic, it's essential to recognize it as a “Legend,” an epic but alternate tale.
• Canon (The Modern Marvel Era): This category includes the six original films, the prequel and sequel trilogies, television shows like The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian, and all of the Marvel comics published from 2015 onwards. The Sith history in the new canon is more focused and mysterious. While ancient Sith are mentioned, the lore primarily revolves around the lineage of Darth Bane's Rule of Two, culminating in Sidious and Vader. Marvel's modern comics are a cornerstone of this new canon, providing official, in-continuity stories that fill in the gaps between the films. Answering questions like “What was Darth Vader doing after A New Hope?” is the primary mission of these canonical comics.

This distinction is crucial. Searching for “Sith history” can lead to two very different, and often contradictory, timelines. The modern Marvel comics are the definitive source for the current canonical adventures of the Sith.

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