Editor’s Note: The following contains light spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 of The Acolyte.
The Big Picture
The Sith hid for centuries, biding their time to strengthen and plot against the Jedi in secret.
Darth Bane’s Rule of Two ensured that the Sith always had a Master and Apprentice to continue their legacy.
The Acolyte
series explores the Sith’s hidden existence during the High Republic era, setting the stage for upcoming conflict.
Star Wars has long focused on the conflict between the light and dark sides of the Force, and though the franchise is rapidly expanding and changing, that fact remains the same. But there is one problem: the Jedi’s ancient enemies, the Sith, are not a constant presence in the galaxy’s history. Though the servants of the dark side have existed throughout the Star Wars timeline, they disappeared for many years. In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the Jedi are shocked when Darth Maul (Ray Park) reveals himself, having previously believed the Sith had been extinct for a millennium. The new enemy is a shock. After all, even Yoda (Frank Oz) was not around the last time the Jedi and Sith openly fought. The Sith were seemingly inactive, so it’s no wonder the Jedi let their guards down. But the Jedi’s enemies were never actually gone, as proven by Maul’s sudden appearance and Darth Sidious’ (Ian McDiarmid) subsequent plot.
Before The Phantom Menace, the Dark Lords were hiding for generations, concealing their presence from the Jedi for a thousand years and growing stronger, all the while. Their apparent extension allowed for an extended time of peace known as the High Republic Era, where the Jedi thrived. The Acolyte is set during this time, but, of course, there are still Sith, as the title suggests. The newest Star Wars series will bring audiences back to a time when the Sith were largely forgotten, but the conflict between the light and dark is still present. With the two likely to clash in The Acolyte, this secrecy may be threatened, begging the question, how did the Sith stay so hidden for so long?
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
Release Date June 4, 2024
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 1
Studio Disney+
Franchise Star Wars
Expand
Why Did the Jedi Think the Sith Were Gone?
At first glance, it seems shortsighted of the Jedi to believe their enemies were so fiercely and utterly defeated that they would never reemerge, but they had good reason to believe the Sith were gone. The two groups of Force users battled in the Jedi-Sith Wars, but the Sith were weakened by their tendency to fight for power among themselves. However, the Jedi struck a nearly final blow in 1032 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), killing all the Sith but one. Having come so close to destroying the ways of the Sith, the Jedi were confident in their victory, but it was not as complete as they believed.Darth Bane survived, continuing the Sith but changing the way they operate.
The infamous Dark Lord plotted against the Jedi, but he first needed to strengthen the Sith. Studying the ancient Sith texts, Bane established the Rule of Two, which limited the number of Sith to a Master and Apprentice, requiring any aspiring dark side user to kill a Sith Lord to gain their title. This not only limited the infighting but ensured that each new Sith would be stronger than the last. He also began making his self-titled “Grand Plan,” in which he planned for the Sith to get revenge on the Jedi by corrupting the Republic, destroying the Jedi Order, and conquering the galaxy (which may sound familiar). The Jedi learned of Bane’s survival, but after his death at the hands of his apprentice, the Jedi believed themselves safe as the apprentice was never identified. So, for the next thousand years, the Sith stayed quiet, strengthening themselves and plotting until Sidious enacts Bane’s revenge.
Where Were the Sith During the High Republic Era?
Image via 20th Century Fox
To conceal themselves for so long, the Sith were talented at remaining hidden, but they can be traced to a few places. Darth Bane himself was buried on the Sith world of Moraband, which appears in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 6 episode, “Sacrifice,” when Yoda (Tom Kane) travels to the planet in his quest to learn about the power of immortality. There, he is confronted with a vision of Bane (voiced by Star Wars’ own Mark Hamill). Yet Bane’s final confrontation with his Apprentice is rumored to have occurred on Ambria, a planet connected to the dark side, so both Bane and his Apprentice (who presumably buried him) had to have spent time on these planets. Certainly, there are other Sith worlds in Star Wars. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith shows the planet Mustafar, where Sidious has a base, and Star Wars: Episode IX – Rise of Skywalker introduces Exegol, where the revived Palpatine hides. To keep themselves secret, the Sith must have traveled between hiding places to throw their enemies off the scent, and meanwhile, they kept busy.
In the time they were hiding, the Sith were not totally cut off from the galaxy. They spent that time setting up Bane’s Grand Plan, embedding themselves in the Galactic government. This Grand Plan is the basis for Sidious’ actions throughout the prequels, though as a millennia-worth of Sith Lords contributed, it’s impossible to know who accomplished what. The only thing we can know for sure is that as a Sith, Sidious spent time on both Naboo and Coruscant and likely took a trip to Dathomir to recruit Maul as his Apprentice. Basically, during the one thousand years they were supposedly extinct, the Sith were everywhere, but they were never discovered.
Related ‘The Acolyte’s Best Twist Was Right in Front of Us the Whole Time
But what other surprises are still in store?
Where Are the Sith in ‘The Acolyte’?
The Acolyte is set during the Sith’s hiding, so no epic duels between a Jedi and Sith Lord can occur — or not one where the Jedi lives to tell the tale. However, the title of the series suggests that the problem isn’t the Sith Lords themselves but rather the Sith Acolyte. This seemingly small distinction allows the true Sith to remain secret and ensures the continuity of Maul’s appearance in The Phantom Menace as the first sighting of a Sith in a thousand years.
Whoever is responsible for killing the Jedi, the Sith are certainly alive and plotting from the shadows. In the series, the Sith have been a secret for 900 years, so they are well hidden, having had plenty of practice. Though they are undoubtedly working on their plan to destroy the Jedi, the story is set a few decades before Darth Sidious is even born, meaning that they are not ready to enact it. Where the Sith are during The Acolyte is as mysterious as who they are, but that doesn’t mean they are incapable of manipulating the situation against the Jedi.
Watch Episodes 1 and 2 of The Acolyte on Disney+. New episodes debut Wednesdays.
WATCH ON DISNEY+