Star Wars Sith Lords, Ranked
Ah, the Sith Lord. The scariest in the vast Star Wars universe. And what a huge universe it is. Not only does it include the nine films in the Skywalker Saga, but it also includes television series (animated and live-action), video games, and plenty of reading material in both novel and graphic novel form.
Throughout it all, fans have been treated to the many Dark Lords and Ladies of the Sith, some of the most fascinating characters ever put in print or film. These Sith Lords struck immediate fear with their code, “peace is a lie, there is only passion,” which put their followers in direct opposition to the Jedi Code.
The Sith Order has been home to many powerful Sith Lords and Ladies, each and everyone having mastered powerful Force techniques, some more so than others. Some of these Sith Lords and Ladies developed their own special brand of connection with the Force, yet they all had one important thing in common – they were all feared.
As time went on and their powers expanded, their philosophy and technology grew with it, becoming sophisticated to the point where some Sith Lords were actually revered for their power.
Let’s take a look at the top Sith Lords and Ladies. They are all unique in their own way and many have ties with each other being an apprentice or a master. See if your favorite makes the list and let us know how you feel about ours.
Top 10 Star Wars Sith Lords
10. Darth Malak
As a Sith Lord, Darth Malak, like many Sith Lords, began his training as a Jedi. He was born on the planet Quelii before fleeing to the Galactic Republic to start his training in earnest.
But Malak would eventually crossover to the Dark Side to become one of the more ruthless rulers of the Empire. To make it known just how ruthless he’d become, Darth Malak took on the title of Dark Lord of the Sith.
In the end, though, Malak would be caught in a battle with his old friend and former Sith Lord, Revan. For one of them, it wouldn’t be a happy ending.
9. Darth Plagueis
He called himself Darth Plagueis the Wise and wise he was. This Sith Lord was the master of Darth Sidious and the apprentice to Darth Tenebrous.
He called himself “the Wise” because of his fascination with knowledge and his unrelenting focus on his research. Darth Plagueis was an incredibly powerful Sith who could stop people from dying by manipulating midi-chlorians.
Eventually, Plagueis would end up tangling with his own apprentice, Sidious, and not fare well.
8. Darth Revan
Darth Revan is a Sith Lord whom you may recognize from the Bioware RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Again, like many of the eventual Sith Lords, Revan started off by fighting in the Mandalorian Wars as a Jedi.
He was very powerful with the Force, which made his turn to the Sith even more troubling. It was this knowledge of both sides of the Force that presented him with power most Sith Lords could only hope for. He was resurrected after his initial death and was able to master many of the Force techniques.
Although a powerful Sith Lord, Darth Revan would eventually turn back to the Light Side, forcing a showdown with his apprentice, Darth Malak. It was a battle Revan would be victorious in.
7. Darth Zannah
Not only was Darth Zannah a powerful Sith Lady, but she was also a very talented Sith sorceress. She was the apprentice of Sith Lord Darth Bane, which made her the very first Sith Rule of Two apprentice.
On top of all of her immense power and sorcery talent, Darth Zannah was also very skilled with a lightsaber. A skilled fighter, she mastered the Soresu form of fighting. She would often use her sorcery powers in battle, showing off just cunning and ruthless she could be.
6. Darth Vader
When it comes to Darth Vader, there is one thing for certain – he is by far the most popular of the Sith Lords. The reason for his immense popularity is based on the original Star Wars films where Vader was the big bad.
As a Sith Lord, he is extremely powerful, but he does have his limitations. The reason for this is because of his prosthetic limbs. With these, he is unable to harness the full power of a Sith Lord.
Powerful and ruthless, Vader was feared across the galaxy, but in the end, he was only a powerful pawn to Darth Sidious. Still, it doesn’t take away just how popular a character Darth Vader is in the Star Wars canon.
5. Darth Traya
Again, like many of the infamous Sith Lords, Darth Traya began as a Jedi before going Dark. As a Jedi, she was the Master to Revan and as a Sith, she was the Sith Master to both Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus. Together, they formed the Sith Triumvirate.
She was immensely powerful, having mastered many of the Dark Side techniques. One of her numerous powers would allow Traya the ability to use her Force to fight with lightsabers without using her hands. She was definitely a handful.
4. Marka Ragnos
Of all of the Sith Lords, Marka Ragnos was one of the very few who would become a Force ghost after he perished. This was a power that was mainly reserved for a Jedi, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker.
Marka Ragnos carried the Sith sword and became the Emperor of the Old Sith Empire. He was also the Sith leader as they entered their Golden Age. His talents included sorcery and being skilled as a fighter and is known as one of the most powerful Sith in the history of Siths.
3. Darth Nihilus
Just hearing the name of Sith Lord Darth Nihilus could render a person useless with fear. Nihilus’s hunger for power was so great that everything Dark Side just about fully consumed him.
The only way that he survived this hunger was to bind his consciousness to both his armor and mask. His hunger was even given a name – the Lord of Hunger – which fed into his legendary status of being a master of the Dark Side. Even after his eventual passing, his mask continued to house his power and spirit.
2. Darth Bane
Darth Bane was the creator of the Sith rule of Two. So powerful was this Sith Lord, he shaped what we know of the Sith Order. Powerful and ruthless, he became a Sith legend.
His ultimate goal was to wipe the galaxy clean of the Jedi, but in doing so, he felt it could only be accomplished through manipulation and cunning. Here he was not wrong. Darth Bane’s power and machinations brought about the eventual destruction of the Jedi order.
1. Darth Sidious
Darth Sidious, who would later become known as Emperor Palpatine, was the ultimate Sith Lord. His power was immense and inside the extended Star Wars universe, these powers became even more intense to where he was almost God-like in ability.
So extensive a power Sidious held, he was able to create a Force Storm which was the bending of the space-time continuum. He was a vicious lightsaber fighter and well-versed in Sith sorcery.
