- "One who has freed themselves from all restrictions has reached perfection, their potential fulfilled. Perfect strength, perfect power, perfect destiny. Imagine it."
- ―Yuthura Ban
Sith'ari was a title that, in the ancient Sith, meant "Lord" or "Overlord," first claimed by King Adas. After Adas's death, the term became the subject of a legend prophesying the coming of a being that would lead and destroy the Sith, but in doing so would make the Sith more powerful than ever before. In this context, the term came to mean "perfect being" or "god."[2] The prophecy, which was in many ways similar to the Jedi prophecy of the Chosen One,[2] retained its significance for the Dark Lords[1] up until the time of the Order of the Sith.[3]
The Sith'ari Prophecy[]
The Sith'ari Prophecy was considered too sacred to be put into writing by the Kissai, who passed it on verbally from generation to generation. Sorzus Syn recorded it thus[2] c. 6900 BBY:[4]
The Sith'ari will be free of limits.
The Sith'ari will lead the Sith and destroy them.
The Sith'ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before.
The legend[]
- "Prophecies are generally wishful thinking ... The fact that the Sith created their own savior myth is predictable ... [Yet these predictions] seem uniquely specific to the actions I am taking now ... I am not a creature of superstition. But if the robes of the Sith'ari ["perfect being"] fit, I see no reason not to claim them. "
- ―Darth Plagueis
Sometime during the early history of the First Sith Empire, the coming of the Sith'ari was foretold. Inspired by the legend of Adas, the Sith'ari, referred to sometimes as "the prophesied one," was to be a perfect being, free of all restrictions—the ultimate Sith. The Sith'ari would rise to power to lead the Sith and, according to the legend, destroy them—yet, through their destruction, make them stronger than ever.
Some of the students at the academy on Korriban thought Sirak was the Sith'ari. However, Sirak was killed by his nemesis, Bane. Darth Bane, eventually becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith, finally fulfilled the prophecy in many ways, first by providing Skere Kaan with the thought bomb, which caused the annihilation of the Brotherhood of Darkness, and then by instating the Rule of Two, leading to a powerful line of Sith by reducing their numbers to only two at a time. This allowed the dark side to distill in two vessels only; whereas Bane believed that its power in the past had been spread far too thin among the vast numbers of Sith 'lords'. This concentration of strength also made it easier to hide the Sith until they built up enough power to destroy the Jedi, and thereby open the way for the Sith to rule the galaxy.
Acording to Darth Tenebrous, Darth Bane was the foretold Sith'ari.[3] Although Darth Plagueis, due to being a creature of logic and not superstition, never believed in the Sith'ari prophecy, or any prophecy since he considered prophecies "wishful thinking", he nonetheless saw no reason to not claim the title figuring that it ultimately fit him.[2] Almost a century later, Darth Sidious proclaimed himself to be the perfect being of ancient Sith prophecy while killing his master, Darth Plagueis, in his sleep.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Ever since its first mention, fans have speculated who the Sith'ari was. Some of the most notable candidates among this speculation were Darth Revan, Darth Bane, Darth Sidious, and Darth Vader. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, however, establishes Bane as being the looked-for Sith'ari, confirming the assumptions of many fans. But the title has also been interpreted as having multiple holders throughout galactic history. Giving credence to this, the 2012 publication Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side featured a number of references to the prophecy of the Sith'ari in what was intended by the book's author, Daniel Wallace, to be a running joke, whereby each in-universe writer of the Book of Sith came to the conclusion that he or she was the Sith'ari.[5]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (Codex entry)
- Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (Mentioned only)
- Darth Bane: Path of Destruction audiobook (Mentioned only)
- Darth Plagueis (Mentioned only)
- Darth Plagueis audiobook (Mentioned only)
- Legacy of the Force: Betrayal (Indirect mention only)
Sources[]
- The New Essential Chronology
- Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties on Hyperspace (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
- "KOTOR Campaign Guide Web Enhancement 5: Karnak Tetsu, Sorcerer of Tund" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
- Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire, Part 3 on StarWars.com (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Darth Plagueis
- ↑ Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- ↑ Official Endnotes for Star Wars Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side — The Official Star Wars Blog on StarWars.com (backup link)