The dark side of Star Wars

There’s a new dark side power in Star Wars that could shed light on the Sith’s ability to evade discovery by the Jedi. In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine says, “The dark side of the Force offers a gateway to many powers some perceive to be unnatural,” a last line of dialogue used to justify his own resurrection in the sequels. Deceit and manipulation are the Sith’s way of life; hence many of these abilities entail force, manipulation, and deception.

The Sith have searched the galaxy for the teachings of all the various dark-side religions. When the Sith population was much larger before the implementation of the Rule of Two, they dispatched agents known as “Darkseekers” to multiple parts of the galaxy to discover new powers and eliminate any possible threats.

For example, these Sith were at war with the Nightsisters of Dathomir because they wanted their magic. Palpatine’s decision to have them exterminated when the Empire was created is instructive. However, a new organization with abilities the Sith would have coveted has been developed thanks to Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia venture.

The Brothers of the Ninth Door were unmatched when it came to dark-side illusion-casting.
Author George Mann On the planet Jedha, 350 years before the events of the prequel trilogy, takes place in the epic battle known as “The Battle of Jedha” (which was seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Though droids and recording devices may be tricked, this new Force power appears to be psychic in nature and involves an entrance into another person’s psyche. The Brothers of the Ninth Door appear to be able to effortlessly weave their illusions into the brains of even renowned Jedi Masters, making the psychic side of their power all the more remarkable. This allows the Brothers to complete tasks while in disguise and evokes the Force magic practiced by the Night sisters of Dathomir.

Darth Plagueis knew the Sith would covet the brothers’ Force might.
As the Rule of Two reinterpreted the Sith Code, this kind of authority would have been highly sought after by the Sith. The Baneite Sith worked covertly, hiding their activities from the Jedi; therefore, a Force illusion powerful enough to fool a Jedi would have been invaluable to them.

This ability would have been instrumental in training new Sith apprentices, who must prove their mettle by murdering a Jedi, stealing their lightsaber’s kyber crystal, and bleeding it until it becomes crimson. That custom could quickly get out the Sith. Still, a master might keep an eye on their apprentice from the shadows, eliminating any potential witnesses by destroying the Jedi if they were defeated.

We will never know if the Sith mastered the Force abilities shown by the Brothers of the Ninth Door. In any case, if they had, it would have been a step toward masterminding Palpatine’s Force concealment, which was so strong that it permitted the Dark Lord to utilize the Force in the Jedi Temple without being detected. Perhaps the history of this extraordinary Sith power was only hinted at in Star Wars.

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Aviva Smadja

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The dark side of Star Wars

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There's a new dark side power in Star Wars that could shed light on the Sith's ability to evade discovery by the Jedi. In Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine says, "The dark side of the Force offers a gateway to many powers some perceive to be unnatural," a last line of dialogue used to justify his own resurrection in the sequels. Deceit and manipulation are the Sith's way of life; hence many of these abilities entail force, manipulation, and deception. The Sith have searched the galaxy for the teachings of all the various dark-side religions. When the Sith population was much larger before the implementation of the Rule of Two, they dispatched agents known as "Darkseekers" to multiple parts of the galaxy to discover new powers and eliminate any possible threats.

For example, these Sith were at war with the Nightsisters of Dathomir because they wanted their magic. Palpatine's decision to have them exterminated when the Empire was created is instructive. However, a new organization with abilities the Sith would have coveted has been developed thanks to Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia venture. The Brothers of the Ninth Door were unmatched when it came to dark-side illusion-casting. Author George Mann On the planet Jedha, 350 years before the events of the prequel trilogy, takes place in the epic battle known as "The Battle of Jedha" (which was seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Many diverse Force religions, including the Jedi, made pilgrimages to Jedha to meditate in its temples, making the planet a crossroads for the good and bad sides of the Force. The Brothers of the Ninth Door were a sect of the evil side with remarkable abilities. They were masters of deception, able to alter others' perceptions of themselves through the power of suggestion. This new dark side power is invaluable for the Brothers of the Ninth Door because it allows them to function openly without drawing attention to themselves. The mind of a Jedi is not safe from this. Though droids and recording devices may be tricked, this new Force power appears to be psychic in nature and involves an entrance into another person's psyche. The Brothers of the Ninth Door appear to be able to effortlessly weave their illusions into the brains of even renowned Jedi Masters, making the psychic side of their power all the more remarkable. This allows the Brothers to complete tasks while in disguise and evokes the Force magic practiced by the Night sisters of Dathomir. Darth Plagueis knew the Sith would covet the brothers' Force might. As the Rule of Two reinterpreted the Sith Code, this kind of authority would have been highly sought after by the Sith. The Baneite Sith worked covertly, hiding their activities from the Jedi; therefore, a Force illusion powerful enough to fool a Jedi would have been invaluable to them.

This ability would have been instrumental in training new Sith apprentices, who must prove their mettle by murdering a Jedi, stealing their lightsaber's kyber crystal, and bleeding it until it becomes crimson. That custom could quickly get out the Sith. Still, a master might keep an eye on their apprentice from the shadows, eliminating any potential witnesses by destroying the Jedi if they were defeated. We will never know if the Sith mastered the Force abilities shown by the Brothers of the Ninth Door. In any case, if they had, it would have been a step toward masterminding Palpatine's Force concealment, which was so strong that it permitted the Dark Lord to utilize the Force in the Jedi Temple without being detected. Perhaps the history of this extraordinary Sith power was only hinted at in Star Wars.