The Sith are part of the most important elements of theStar Wars saga. As in any morality tale that discusses the importance of good triumphing over evil, the Jedi adversaries are important to the key appeal of the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.
The Jedi operate on a principle focused on peace and justice throughout the galaxy, and the greater good for all. The Sith, meanwhile, operates on principles fueled by greed, jealousy, and an unquenchable desire for unlimited power at all costs.
Despite these shortcomings,Star Wars fans see them as the arbiters of cool. And, in fairness, they may have a point.
The galaxy has more than its fair share of Sith Big Bads, but top 15 Dark Side users loom largest over the galaxy far, far away.
And number one is not Darth Vader — it is, in fact…
1. Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine
He was and remains the puppet-master, and the singular reason behind the destruction of theStar Wars galaxy.
Darth Sidious's quest for unlimited power, destruction of some of the finest Jedi (including Anakin Skywalker), and his sociopathic experimentation on even the most innocent of beings made him the best — and the worst — Sith of all time.
2. Darth Plagueis
“Have you ever heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” This creepy sentence was first uttered by Emperor Palpatine inStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and his origin story triggered Anakin Skywalker's downfall.
Plagueis's ultimate goal was to conquer death itself, and he believed he could do it through science. He experimented on Force-sensitive beings in this quest and became Sidious's Master. Ultimately, Sidious betrayed and murdered his Master, despite Plagueis's desire to form a dyad with his Apprentice. Sidious's quest for immortality ultimately failed, as it could only be achieved through the Light Side of the Force.
3. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader isn't just a Sith icon, or aStar Wars icon. He's a cultural icon, and even people who haven't seenStar Wars (they exist?) recognize him simply from his appearance.
The rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker sits at the core of the first six Star Wars films, and fans can't get enough of Darth Vader to this very day.
4. Darth Maul
Star Wars fans thought Maul perished inStar Wars: The Phantom Menace, but they were wrong. It was Maul, not Sidious, that was the first Sith who rose from the dead, and many animated series — includingStar Wars: Rebels — was all the better for it.
Maul's motive for returning from the dead was, quite literally, rooted in his blinding hatred of Obi-Wan Kenobi. That hatred, though, would also be his demise.
5. Count Dooku/Lord Tyrannus
Sir Christopher Lee brought Count Dooku to life in theStar Wars pantheon, and many fans thought Lee didn't have to do much acting for the role.
Dooku's conversion to the Sith was rooted in his disillusionment with the Jedi Council, which he felt had become corrupt in the Republic era. As revealed inTales of the Jedi, Dooku became Lord Tyrannus after he killed Jedi Master Yaddle at the behest of Darth Sidious.
6. Exar Kun
Sith Lord Exar Kun made being a bad guy hot. This fallen Jedi turned evil several millennia before the Battle of Yavin on the Yavin 4 moon, where he earned the nickname “Force Demon.”
Though his body died, his spirit did not, and it dwelled on the forest moon for several millennia before it was vanquished by Luke Skywalker's new students. Though Exar Kun only exists in Legends books, he is still one of the baddest of the bad boys.
7. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Kylo Ren, originally Ben Solo, was a Sith lord who followed his grandfather, Darth Vader, to the Dark Side. As Kylo Ren, Han Solo and Princess Leia's son wore many hats, including Master of the Knights of Ren. But he was also both a love interest and an adversary to Rey, confirmed as Palpatine's granddaughter (or daughter of his clone, or however that works) in The Rise of Skywalker.
This relationship created a “Force Dyad,” leading to Ren's redemption to the Light and self-sacrifice to both save Rey and defeat Palpatine.
8. Darth Bane
Bane's first canon appearance was inStar Wars: The Clone Wars. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, voiced the legendary Dark Side user. Darth Bane survived the Brotherhood of Darkness's destruction at the hands of the Jedi, where he realized the Sith were vulnerable due to infighting.
To prevent this, he instituted the Rule of Two (that is, there can be only a Master and an Apprentice).
9. Darth Krayt
Few Sith had the ability to be great philosophers, but Darth Krayt — nicknamed the “Dragon of the Sith” — was the exception to the rule. Krayt was born A'Sharrad Hett on Tatooine, and was a commander of the much-loathed Tusken Raiders before becoming a Jedi.
Originally following in the footsteps of his Jedi father, Sharrad, the younger Hett became Darth Krayt after the Yuuzan Vong captured and tortured him. Incidentally, Krayt took his name from the Krayt dragon, not the other way around.
10. Savage Opress
Dathomirian Nightbrother Savage Opress knows a thing or two about dysfunctional families. His mother was the Nightsister Mother Talzin, and his brothers were Feral and the notorious Darth Maul. Asajj Ventress hand-picked Opress as a “mate” after he demonstrated his aptitude in the Dark Side of the Force.
ThenSavage murdered his brother Feral as an offering of loyalty to Ventress and received supernatural abilities from his witchy mother as part of Ventress's revenge plot against his other brother, Maul. Not even Jerry Springer would know what to do with this messy Sith family.
11. Darth Traya
Before she was the fearsome Sith lord Darth Traya, Kreia was a Jedi in the Legends' Old Republic era who wanted freedom for herself, and other beings, from the shackles of the Force. But this triggered the rebirth of a whole new Sith Empire under the reign of Darth Revan, resulting in her expulsion by the Old Jedi Council.
From this, she became Darth Traya, and had the singular mission of destroying the Force at all costs. Her disdain for all Force users, both Light and Dark, directly contributed to the ongoing wars between the Jedi and the Sith that extend to the currentStar Wars timeline. If that's not an influential Sith, nothing is.
12. Darth Caedus/Jacen Solo
WhenStar Wars fans speak of beloved Legends characters, the name Jacen Solo — later to become the Sith lord Darth Caedus — frequently bandies around.
The Legends son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, and the twin brother of Jaina Solo Fel, Jacen Solo's fate as Darth Caedus was short-lived and inspired, in part, by the death of his brother Anakin Solo (as explained in the Legends book, Star by Star). In the Legends books, Darth Caedus leaves behind the legacy of Alanna Solo. Though he doesn't appear, officially, in canon, the characters of Jacen Syndulla and Ben Solo are both a tribute to him.
13. Asajj Ventress
Another popular Legends character who becameStar Wars canon, Asajj Ventress was a bounty hunter, a Nightsister, a Dark Jedi, and a military commander.
Asajj Ventress became Count Dooku/Lord Tyrannus' personal assassin while competing against the fearsome General Grievous for his approval during her tenure as a Sith lord. Her drawling Eartha Kitt-like voice and lithe appearance made Asajj Ventress seductive and scary, which made her both intimidating and appealing to fans.
14. Darth Revan
Revan was such a popular villain that he was one of the few who moved from Legends to canon. Known as the namesake of the Sith Eternal legion inThe Rise of Skywalker, Darth Revan's name was chanted on the planet of Exegol by Dark Side devotees, making him one of the creepiest characters inStar Wars.
InKnights of the Old Republic, Revan was responsible for disfiguring his former apprentice Darth Malak, as well as defeating the renowned Mandalorian leader, Mandalore the Ultimate.
15. Darth Malak
One of the most ruthless Sith in the Old Republic, Darth Malak first appeared in the belovedStar Wars video game, Knights of the Old Republic.
He started his life as Alek from the Outer Rim planet of Quelii. But Malak was involved in the Jedi Civil War, where his whole bottom jaw was sliced off by Darth Revan's lightsaber and replaced with a steel prosthesis, giving him a fearsome look.His powers as a Dark Side user included Force-choking more than one person at a time, using Force lighting on anything and everything, and creating ripples in the Force by amplifying his screams.
