Sith Troopers Explained: How Star Wars Made the Force Into the Ultimate Killing Machine
There is no shortage of ‘Trooper’ variations in the Star Wars universe, from Clone Troopers to the Clones’ Imperial successors, Stormtroopers. But, what about Sith Troopers? Indeed, this variation of a ‘Star Wars Trooper’ certainly stands out from the rest, not just because they work exclusively for their Sith Lord as opposed to a body of government, but because they are literally the Force weaponized.
In Star Wars: Legacy #50 by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, fans are introduced to the Sith Troopers by the Sith Lord who created them himself: Darth Krayt. At this point in the Star Wars: Legacy timeline, Darth Krayt has returned from the grave and has taken over as Emperor, with his dark side cult, the One Sith, acting as the ultimate power in the galaxy. However, he only became Emperor after he murdered his former right-hand man, Darth Wyyrlok, who claimed the throne after Krayt’s initial death, and refused to give it back after Krayt returned. And that’s where the Sith Troopers come in.
As Darth Krayt explains to his most loyal One Sith disciples, Darth Talon and Darth Nihl, in Star Wars: Legacy #50, the Sith Troopers are Force-sensitive individuals whom Darth Krayt kidnapped over the course of several years. Krayt then mutilated their bodies, fixed them with cybernetic enhancements, and implanted inhibitor chips in their brains that made them fiercely loyal to Darth Krayt - and only Darth Krayt. Indeed, when Krayt met his ultimate end in Star Wars: Legacy - War #6, every one of his Sith Troopers made suicide runs against the enemy, as they were not designed to outlive their master.
Darth Krayt Created the Ultimate Sith Soldiers with the Sith Troopers
There Has Always Been 1 Problem with Sith that Krayt Eliminated
With his Sith Troopers, Darth Krayt didn’t just create the ultimate army - one where each individual soldier has the power to wield the Force - but he also created the perfect Sith ‘apprentices’, as he eliminated the one problem all Sith share: betrayals. The natural lifespan of a Sith is to be taken in by a Sith Master as their apprentice, grow in strength in the dark side of the Force, and then challenge their master to lightsaber combat (or, simply assassinate them any way they can). At that point, the apprentice becomes the master, and starts this vicious cycle all over again.
Darth Krayt eliminated that problem - and not just with the Sith Troopers. Establishing the One Sith and doing away with the Sith Rule of Two was the first step in ensuring that Krayt would be the ultimate master of all Sith, mitigating any potential betrayals. However, Darth Wyyrlok is proof that his dark side cult wasn’t enough. So, Darth Krayt implemented his Sith Troopers, which were Force-sensitive, mind-controlled cyborgs who couldn’t betray him even if they wanted to. Krayt’s Sith Trooper is the ultimate solution to the ‘Sith betrayal’ problem, with the added benefit of having a nearly unbeatable army.
Darth Krayt’s Sith Troopers Builds on the Idea of Another Sith Lord: Emperor Palpatine
Sith Troopers are an Advanced Version of the Clone Troopers (in 1 Major Way)
Interestingly enough, Darth Krayt’s Sith Troopers seems to be an idea that is built off the idea of another Sith Lord: Emperor Palpatine. During the Clone Wars (and, indeed, some time before it), Palpatine ensured that the Clone Troopers were implanted with inhibitor chips, which forced them to carry out Order 66 when it was executed. These Clone Troopers were mind-controlled into following Palpatine’s orders against their will, which resulted in the near-extinction of the Jedi. Darth Krayt’s Sith Troopers are similarly void of free will, though they’re infinitely more powerful.
There are armies of Sith Troopers fighting in the battles shown in the pages of Star Wars: Legacy - War, and each individual soldier has the power to manipulate the Force, not to mention all of them have red lightsabers as well. Even when the Jedi fought as generals in the Clone Wars, there weren’t this many Force-sensitive individuals on the battlefield. And all of them were completely committed to Darth Krayt, the same way the Clone Troopers were committed to following Palpatine’s Order 66. It’s an interesting parallel, to be sure, and it also shows how much more powerful Darth Krayt made his army over the one created by Emperor Palpatine.
While the comparison to the Clone Troopers is interesting, the Sith Troopers are truly in a league all their own. Sith soldiers void of free will, cybernetically enhanced and designed to not outlive their master, with enough of them to lay waste to the entire galaxy under the command of only one Sith Lord. Indeed, the Sith Troopers are the ultimate killing machines (literally), and if Darth Krayt himself hadn’t been defeated, they would have utterly decimated the entire Star Wars galaxy.
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
