Auteme, ever the loremonger, had been working on a small side project for some time. When it was ready, she scanned her notes and sent copies to members of the Order of the Selab and other trustworthy Jedi and scholars.



NOTES ON THE SITH'ARI PROPHECY

Introduction

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.


This is the translation codified by Sorzus Syn, one of the original Jedi Exiles that landed on Korriban and went on to conquer the native Sith species. Circa 6900 BBY, Syn was researching Sith culture in hopes to learn more about her newest subjects. It had been considered too sacred to be put into writing by the Kissai (the Sith’s priest caste) and was thus passed down orally until Syn was told of it.

After translating it, Syn believed that the prophecy spoke of one of the exiles -- specifically herself or Ajunta Pall, the two most prominent members of the exiles. They had been freed from the grasp of the Republic, they had reshaped the Sith society with their power, and certainly made them stronger than before. Yet while the prophecy supposedly foretold the coming of a single being, so many powerful Sith claimed the title as their own.

For the past few weeks I have researched what it means to be a Sith, to better understand them and eventually uncover better ways to bring them to the Light. Though the Jedi have long banned this sort of study, knowledge is better than ignorance. Nonetheless the texts and ideological dive I have taken may be dangerous to some. Thus, I have compiled my notes here for easier access and easier digestion. I’ve also speculated on whether or not a true Sith’ari is currently active, or even possible in the future.

The bulk of my research follows, and my speculation comes after that. Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any addendums or questions.



King Adas

The title of Sith’ari translates roughly to ‘overlord’, and was originally claimed by the Sith King Adas, who supposedly existed around 28,000 BBY. He was marked at birth for greatness due to his obsidian complexion, a great deviation from the red skin of his people. He trained as a warrior and eventually ascended the ranks of his kingdom, soon leading his armies to conquer and unite the entirety of Korriban. His people hailed him as the Sith’ari, and believed him to be invincible. He was an unchallenged warrior and a master of Sith magic.

During his reign, the Rakatan Infinite Empire invaded Korriban in hopes of subjugating another race, but were repelled by Adas and his armies. Using the technology and ships taken from their victory, Adas and the Sith flew to the stars and pushed the Rakatans out of Sith space. During the conflict, Adas perished. It is unknown how -- it’s possible that the Sith were superstitious, and did not dare bring concrete evidence that their ruler had died in hopes that he might return to them.

In the wake of that conflict, the legend came to be of the Sith’ari: a perfect being, beyond limits and restrictions, who would come to the Sith in the future. Many Kissai believed that the prophecy actually foretold the return of Adas, because the title had been claimed by him alone -- this, of course, was untrue, but very interesting. Adas himself did not fit into all of the requirements of the prophecy; though he was arguably without limit and certainly led the Sith, he neither destroyed nor resurrected them. Granted, there is some leeway with the interpretation of destruction and resurrection -- we’ll touch on that later.



Historical Sith’ari

The prophecy was passed on among the Kissai for generations, until the Sith became more than a species -- their philosophy and scope expanded and evolved. Despite this, the prophecy of the Sith’ari retained enormous significance to the Sith Order. Nearly every major Dark Lord has claimed the title, and the vast majority of them arguably fit the bill. Beings of near-limitless power, those who killed their rivals and reshaped the order in their image, leading the Sith into the next age. And yet, there always seems to be something missing. Generous interpretations of destruction and resurrection would lead to the idea that every Dark Lord was, indeed, a Sith’ari; yet, that seems to rob the prophecy of its weight.

I believe this is best expressed by the Sith during the era of the Rule of Two. Each Sith Lord was at least as powerful as the last. Each destroyed the Sith, in the form of their master, before resurrecting the order by taking a new apprentice. Darth Plagueis, the Muun Sith Lord notable for his often scientific and materialist standpoint, supposedly stated, “...If the robes of the Sith'ari ["perfect being"] fit, I see no reason not to claim them.” It seems almost a convenience; as though a coming-of-age, that the great Sith Lord of the era declares themself Sith’ari.



Darth Bane

If there is one thing standing in the way of multiple claimants to the proverbial throne, it is Darth Bane. Though hardly known as the most powerful or most wise, Darth Bane is considered to have been the one the prophecy spoke of; the singular Sith’ari. Through his actions he brought about an end to the Sith of his time, destroying them and much of the Army of Light during the Seventh Battle of Ruusan through the use of the thought bomb. He then resurrected them by creating the Rule of Two, believing that by ensuring there were as few Sith as possible, the Sith would be stronger than ever (fitting that he might be the singular Sith’ari in a sea of others).

Though he is the most concrete example of destruction and resurrection, I believe his limitlessness is his most interesting trait. Discounting the other requirements, Darth Sidious was arguably the most unrestrained. He ruled the entire galaxy for twenty years, with few to oppose him -- yet still he was brought down (thrice) by the Alliance to Restore the Republic and Luke Skywalker.

There are many ways he may be considered restrained, but the most compelling to me seems to be the restraint put in place by his own dogma. He wished to be immortal, to rule the galaxy forever; yet he was still confined by death in some fashion, only exacerbated by his hunger and ambition.

Darth Bane simply believed himself beyond limit -- and, to some extent, it was so. Though the Republic still loomed he believed it had no power over him. Bane’s interpretation of the Sith Code was one of personal power and freedom; by living outside the Republic’s rule, he escaped the constraints that would have otherwise shackled the Sith. Without masters (in any sense of the word) he had no limits.

This leads me to believe that power is not the goal of a true Sith -- freedom is.



Existentialism

In the words of an ancient human existentialist, “[We] are condemned to be free.” This means that, ultimately, there is no greater controlling force, no higher power or great truth that will make all lives right. Darth Bane, I believe, recognized that his freedom came from no one else. Still, I think by choosing to destroy his ‘masters’ he also recognized the freedom of others -- those he did not know, who did not affect him, were paid no mind. Those who did could be seen as an infringement on his freedom.

To some extent the Sith’ari seems less of a checklist and more of an ideological frame required to achieve the true purpose of the Sith. Bane’s journey could be considered one of enlightenment and realization. While that may make him a sort of existentialist hero, he also created an Order that caused generations of pain and led to a number of mass genocides under the Galactic Empire. He was an evil man because he chose to do evil things despite his ultimate freedom. Free will and the lack of meaning can easily lead to terrible people doing terrible things.

Still, through his authenticity and focus of life, Bane’s existence was arguably a good one, despite the moral lenses we view it from today. Using his freedom to its fullest extent, embracing that he would die, and pushing onward nonetheless was a true expression of what a Sith was.



Contemporary Sith’ari

In our most chaotic of eras, a number of powerful Sith have deemed themselves worthy of the title. Though I don’t have an exhaustive list, here are a few I found notable:
  • Darth Carnifex: Certainly an immensely powerful Sith Lord. I must admit, I personally cannot remember a time without the looming presence of the Sith Empire in the Outer Rim (though, we can hope that it will soon come to an end), and I don’t believe I’m qualified to explore the differences between it and its predecessor, the One Sith. Still, he seems much more like a staple Sith Lord, with a lust for conquest and ‘order’ -- he has yet to destroy or resurrect the Sith. To some extent I believe his (outward) disappearance from the affairs of the Empire was him removing some of his chains in search of freedom, but this means he is no longer leading the Sith. Despite this, my personal encounter with Carnifex showed an almost whimsical side of him. He cared little for my or my allies’s attempts to stop him. Perhaps there is some freedom in that.
  • Kascalion Giedfield: Though I admit I do not know much about Giedfield, I am told he is very powerful. In triumvirate with Darth Voyance and Vora Kaar, he is a warlord at the fringe of the Sith Empire’s space, ruling with a seemingly unflinching belief that he is, indeed, the Sith’ari. His belief in his own power and godhood push him to more reckless feats. Though Giedfield has yet to destroy (though he is working towards the end of the Empire) or recreate the Sith, Darth Bane’s power came from his ideology and ultimate belief of his own freedom -- perhaps The Devil realizes that, to some extent, no one can tell him he is not the Sith’ari.
  • The Worm Emperor: The newest of the claimants. Like the others, immensely powerful; in line with Giedfield, the Worm Emperor adamantly believes himself to be the Sith’ari. Unlike Giedfield, the Worm’s ideology revolves around the idea of shackles, specifically the will of the Force. Curiously he assumes -- despite his ubiquitous use of it -- that he is somehow beyond that will. He is free, and yet also somehow not free; in some way, the epitome of one interpretation of the Sith Code. Beyond my misgivings about the validity of his preachings, he’s certainly a leader of Sith, and has made some small moves to weaken the Sith Empire.
  • Ashin Varanin: Despite her previous prominence in the Sith Empire (predecessor to the One Sith), I do not believe that Varanin truly fits the role. As with Giedfield, though, I do not know enough about the woman to ensure the most accurate analysis. I will research further.


Alternative Sith’ari

Though Bane may be the sole one spoken of in the prophecy, it is entirely possible that the Sith’ari is more of a generational title; a name to be passed on to the strongest successor.

A more outside-the-box interpretation of the prophecy led me to believe that some combination of Luke Skywalker and his father, Anakin, may have been the Sith’ari -- to some extent, making the New Jedi Order (and most current Jedi Orders) a sort of successor to the Sith. Anakin, as Darth Vader, defeated Sidious, which arguably made him leader of the Sith and their destroyer. Obviously most Jedi do not follow the Sith Code, but the changes brought about by Luke Skywalker to the Jedi Code do bring it closer -- emotions are not repressed, and there are no doubts of the passion contained within compassion.

There is also not a restriction that the Sith’ari must be a Force-sensitive, or even a Sith Lord -- perhaps even someone such as Irveric Tavlar might be considered a Sith’ari in some twisted way. He was a leader of Sith in the early days of the New Imperial Order, and is certainly in the attempt of destroying them.

Scribbled in the margins, there’s another note.

Or, perhaps, it is a Jedi who seeks to end the Sith and give them a rebirth into the Light. Who knows?