For every good story, there is a recipe that needs to be followed. Sure, infusing it with original takes and divergences from the conventional ways of storytelling, are unique ways to put your work on the radar and achieve the popularity that so many creators aspire for. But some things are just set in stone, and there are very few ways you can fail if you keep those rules in mind. For example, take the protagonists. They’re the core of any tale and you can lose an audience’s interest from the beginning if there aren’t certain standards met. However, even though said standards dictate that the main characters of the story are supposed to represent morality and general goodness, there have been some series that took the risk of “corrupting” their protagonists, and got away with it. Take Death Note and basically every character from A Song of Ice and Fire, for example. How did they manage to get away with it, you ask? That’s because, in the past years, we’ve started to grow tired of typical goody-two-shoes characters more or less failing at reflecting the grey nature of humans. And with that reason behind, antagonists have met an incredible growth in popularity. Some creators even put equal amounts of effort, if not more, into their development as the protagonists. Star Wars has given us some of the most intriguing villains and, in order to honor those who embraced the Dark Side of the Force, we’ve constructed a list of Top 10 Best Sith Of All Time.
Oh, and before you proceed: beware of the unavoidable spoilers.
10. Lumyia
Shira Brie, as she was formerly known, was one of the most excellent Sith members. Not only did she play important strategic parts, serving as an Imperial double agent and as the Emperor’s hand, but later she became the bearer of the Sith legacy after the deaths of Palpatine and Vader. One of her most memorable moments was her mission to seduce Luke and dishonor him in the eyes of the Rebellion. Master of the rare lightwhip, a skilled manipulator and stealth worker, Lumiya was an important asset to the Sith, before she met her symbolic death at the hand of Luke Skywalker.
9. Darth Sion
An iconic and unique character, Sion was the walking reminder of the corruption the darkness lurking within the Force can bring. Born with an uncanny resistance to pain, Sion was able to bring himself from the dead supported by the wildfire that were his rage and hatred. He became a breathing corpse, kept together by the abhorrence that plagued him. Eventually, he was fortunately (for him and for the Jedi and Sith alike) able to finally meet his death when Meetra Surik managed to convince him to release the wrath that had cursed him.
8. Darth Malgus
Before Vader was “the one Vader to rule them all,” there was Malgus. He was truly a frightening villain, thanks to being both a brilliant leader and an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Under his command, the Sith managed to crumple the Jedi and leave the Order and the Temple in ruins, with many Knights and Masters having lost their lives to the lightsaber of Malgus himself. He met his death soon after stepping up to the role of Emperor, at the order of thought-to-be-dead Valkorion.
7. Darth Nihilus
A third of the legendary Sith Triumvirate, Nihilus was an intergalactic force to be reckoned. Pretty much literally a ghostly apparition, he was unique both in appearance and intentions. Unlike many on this list, he cared little for furthering the line of the Sith, his main goal being the consumption of the Force from beings and whole planets. Symbolically, his death was brought by the same person who was responsible for his creation: Meetra Surik.
6. Darth Plagueis
More than being one of the most influential Sith, Plagueis was the foundation of the Star Wars universe as we know it today, along with Palpatine himself. His real power came from his ability to work from the shadows, by living dual lives, and from his scientific approach to the Force that eventually led to an earthquake in the Balance that nearly left the Jedi Order extinct. He was killed by the arrogance of his own pupil, who wrongly believe he could achieve Plagueis’ level of knowledge on the Force.
5. Darth Andeddu
Andeddu’s name was widely known and revered as a King-God, and for good reason too. He is an ancient Sith, and one of the first to have emerged after the Hundred Year Darkness. He mastered the art of Essence Transfer in order to make himself immortal, a reputation that alone was sufficient for the Jedi Order to want to erase all information on him. His spirit eventually vanished for good from the galaxy, after having been slain by another fellow Sith.
4. Marka Ragnos
An ancient mix of human and Sith, Marka Ragnos was one of the most powerful masters of the Dark Side in history. He was the leader of the Sith Empire during a prosper Golden Era, and made good use of both his combat skills and his knowledge on dark magic and alchemy, unrivaled even today.
3.Naga Sadow
After the death of Marka Ragnos, the position of Sith leader and Dark Lord was assumed by Naga Sadow, who wrote history by raging war on the galaxy for the first time in centuries. He was well known for his cunning wits and his mastery of sorcery and illusions, although his dictatorship and suppressive ways eventually had him doomed at the hand of rival Ludo Kreesh.
2. Darth Bane
Initially nothing more than a miner, Bane was behind the famous Rule of Two and one of the most devastating falls of the Jedi. Although he turned to the Sith in order to polish his martial knowledge and potential, he eventually saw the errors in the ways of the Sith, something that resulted in a devastating blow for both the Brotherhood and the Jedi.
1. Darth Sidious
There are many things that have qualified Palpatine himself as the irrefutable king of best Sith of all time. Considered by both Jedi and the Sith as the perfect embodiment of the darkness, he was a master both on the battlefield and in the arts of manipulation. Perhaps his biggest asset, he managed to maintain a powerful public position, while secretly plotting the destruction of the Jedi, among the ranks of which he managed to draw many powerful names to the Dark Side.
And this is a wrap on our Top 10 Best Sith Of All Time. It’s very difficult to choose between so many excellent villains, especially with so many criteria being involved, but in this case, the most important question to ask yourself when trying to pick is: which one of them I really don’t want to anger?
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