The Star Wars saga is all about the battle between good and evil, leading to the creation of several Sith Lords and other dark side users for the Star Wars movies and TV shows. Although the Sith weren’t mentioned by name in the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas always intended for them to be the main villains of the saga. The Star Wars prequel trilogy revealed more about Sith customs and their dichotomy with the Jedi Order, and countless books, comics, and video games have delved into Sith history in Star Wars canon and Legends.
While the Sith may appear synonymous with the dark side of the Force, Star Wars features several dark side users who aren’t technically Sith. Many of them serve the Sith or have some connection, but others have their own history and unique ways of using the Force. While the movies and shows only feature a fraction of the dark side characters from other media, some of them eventually made their onscreen debut. From the original trilogy to the present, 53 Star Wars characters appear in the movies and shows that are Sith or another kind of dark side user.
53 Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
First Appearance: Star Wars (aka A New Hope)
Darth Vader was the first dark side user and Sith Lord introduced in Star Wars, even though he wasn’t labeled as the latter onscreen. He would go on to appear in the rest of the original trilogy, become the main character of George Lucas’ saga as Anakin Skywalker, and appear in several other Star Wars movies and TV shows.
52 Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine
First Appearance: The Empire Strikes Back
Referred to only as “The Emperor” throughout the original trilogy, Palpatine first appeared via hologram in The Empire Strikes Back. Palpatine was originally portrayed physically by Marjorie Eaton and voiced by Clive Revill, but Ian McDiarmid assumed the role for Return of the Jedi and all subsequent Star Wars films. For the 2004 DVD release, McDiarmid replaced the original Palpatine, making the character consistent across all his movie appearances. Palpatine appears in all three Star Wars film trilogies and many of the TV shows, both animated and live-action.
51 Darth Maul
First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
The first new Sith Lord introduced in 16 years, Darth Maul wielded a double-bladed lightsaber and set a new precedent for lightsaber duels. He and his master, Darth Sidious, established that “Darth” wasn’t exclusive to Vader but a title used by all Sith Lords. Despite apparently being killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul would return in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and make further appearances in Star Wars Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
50 Darth Tyranus/Count Dooku
First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
The second apprentice of Darth Sidious, Count Dooku was once a Jedi before turning to the dark side and becoming Darth Tyranus. He and Palpatine manipulated both sides during the Clone Wars to ensure the eventual rule of the Sith, only for Dooku to be betrayed by his master, who pushed Anakin Skywalker to execute Dooku and later become his new apprentice.
49 Asajj Ventress
First Onscreen Appearance: Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D Micro-Series (LEGENDS)
Asajj Ventress debuted in the Legends continuity in Star Wars: Jedi – Mace Windu by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema before making her first onscreen appearance in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series. She was raised by a Jedi named Ky Narec, but after he was killed, Ventress turned to the dark side and was later recruited as Count Dooku’s assassin.
In Star Wars canon, Dooku betrayed Ventress, leading to her becoming a bounty hunter and eventually faking her death. She resumed her work as a bounty hunter during the reign of the Galactic Empire.
48 Mother Talzin
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 12 “Nightsisters”
Mother Talzin led the Nightsisters of Dathomir, a matriarchal clan of witches who practiced dark magick. She was once an ally of Darth Sidious until he betrayed her and stole her son, Darth Maul, whom he raised as his apprentice. Talzin swore vengeance and put a long-term plan in motion, culminating in Maul’s return and a final confrontation with Sidious. Despite temporarily besting Sidious’s disciples, Talzin was later killed by General Grievous as Maul watched helplessly.
47 Savage Opress
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 13 “Monster”
Savage Opress was from the same clan as Darth Maul, handpicked by Asajj Ventress in a revenge plot against Count Dooku. However, Savage believed Ventress had betrayed him and returned to Mother Talzin, who revealed that he had a secret brother: Darth Maul. Savage sought out Maul and became his apprentice, and the two worked with Death Watch to take over the planet Mandalore. When Darth Sidious realized Maul had become a potential rival, he engaged the two in a lightsaber duel, killing Savage and taking Maul prisoner.
46 The Son
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 15 “Overlords”
The Son was one of the three Force gods of Mortis, ancient Force Wielders who each embodied a different aspect of the Force. The Son represented the dark side, the Daughter represented the light side, and the Father maintained the balance between them. When the Son fully gave in to the dark side, he killed his sister and attempted to leave Mortis, temporarily turning Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. The Father took his own life so Anakin could kill the Son, restoring balance to the Force and confirming that Anakin was the Chosen One.
45 Pong Krell
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 7 “Darkness on Umbara”
A Besalisk Jedi Master who wielded two double-bladed lightsabers, Pong Krell was a ruthless military tactician known for sacrificing clones to achieve victory. Captain Rex and the other clones discovered that Krell was secretly sabotaging the Republic forces of Umbara to gain favor with Count Dooku, hoping to become his apprentice and rule as part of the Galactic Empire he had seen in a vision. Despite Krell’s confidence in his future, he was shot by Dogma, the clone trooper who had blindly followed orders and trusted the Jedi Master more than anyone.
44 Barriss Offee
First Dark Side Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5, episode 17 “Sabotage”
Barriss Offee first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 2 as a model Jedi Padawan who obeyed her master and excelled during missions. However, when Ahsoka Tano was framed for bombing the Jedi Temple, Anakin Skywalker exposed Barriss as the true mastermind.
Barriss was recruited as an Imperial Inquisitor after Order 66 but later turned back to the light, and a final duel with the Fourth Sister left her survival ambiguous.
She believed the Jedi had lost their way and that the Republic would fail, which was proven true when Palpatine created the Galactic Empire. Barriss was recruited as an Imperial Inquisitor after Order 66 but later turned back to the light, and a final duel with the Fourth Sister left her survival ambiguous.
43 Darth Bane
First Onscreen Appearance: Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6, episode 13 “Sacrifice”
Darth Bane was the Sith Lord who created the Rule of Two, which established that there could only be one Sith master and one Sith apprentice at a time. He recognized that infighting between Sith Lords led to their downfall, so he chose to pass his knowledge onto one student and have the Sith conquer the Republic from within. 1,000 years after his death, the Grand Plan Bane had set in motion culminated in the Jedi Order’s destruction and the rise of the Galactic Empire.
42 The Grand Inquisitor
First Appearance: Star Wars Rebels season 1, episode 1 “Spark of Rebellion”
The Grand Inquisitor was once a Jedi Temple Guard who turned to the dark side and chose to serve the Sith. As the leader of the Inquisitorius, he was tasked by Darth Vader with hunting down Jedi survivors and any other children of the Force who could one day oppose the Empire. The Grand Inquisitor was eventually defeated by Kanan Jarrus, choosing to fall to his death rather than face Vader’s fury. However, Vader found a way to trap the Grand Inquisitor’s spirit, forcing him to guard an abandoned Jedi Temple filled with ancient artifacts.
41 The Fifth Brother
First Appearance: Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 4 “Relics of the Old Republic”
Another former Jedi who turned to the dark side, the Fifth Brother was considered next in line to lead the Inquisitorius after the Grand Inquisitor. He and the Seventh Sister were charged with hunting down the Ghost crew after the Grand Inquisitor’s death, ending with the Fifth Brother’s death at Maul’s hands on Malachor.
40 The Seventh Sister
First Appearance: Star Wars Rebels season 2, episode 5 “Always Two There Are”
The Seventh Sister worked alongside the Fifth Brother to hunt down the Ghost crew after the Grand Inquisitor’s death, using ID9 seeker droids for reconnaissance and combat. When Maul defeated the Seventh Sister on Malachor, he held her in place with the Force and told Ezra Bridger to kill her, but when the young Jedi couldn’t do so, Maul killed her himself.
39 Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ben Solo was the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa and was trained as a Jedi by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Supreme Leader Snoke converted Ben to the dark side, resulting in the destruction of Luke’s New Jedi Order. Ben became the leader of the Knights of Ren and took the name Kylo Ren, serving the First Order until he eventually killed Snoke and became the new Supreme Leader. Ben eventually returned to the light, standing with Rey against Emperor Palpatine and sacrificing his life to save hers.
38 Supreme Leader Snoke
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Snoke was a powerful being created by Palpatine’s dark science on Exegol, who eventually became ruler of the First Order. After decimating the New Republic and launching an invasion of the galaxy, he ordered Kylo Ren to kill Rey, only for his apprentice to activate the lightsaber on Snoke’s armrest and kill him. Kylo Ren later came across a vat of clones similar to Snoke while searching for Palpatine on Exegol.
37 Vicrul
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Vicrul was a member of the Knights of Ren, wielding a phrik scythe which he believed harvested the souls of his victims and increased his own dark side power. He was killed on Exegol alongside the other Knights of Ren by Ben Solo, who had turned back to the light side.
36 Cardo
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Cardo used an arm cannon and preferred firepower to precision, making him the second to fall when Ben Solo killed the Knights of Ren.
35 Ushar
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ushar wielded a war club with a charged end, but this didn’t help him or the Knights of Ren in the final duel with Ben Solo.
34 Trudgen
First Appearance: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Trudgen’s armor and vibrocleaver allowed him to defeat many enemies and collect trophies, but he was still slain with the other Knights of Ren.