Darth Hater

Today we delve into one of the most iconic archetypes in Star Wars lore: the Sith Warrior. If you’ve ever faked a respirator voice, told someone you were their father or tried to choke someone with the power of your mind, chances are you love (or hate) the Sith Warrior. Harkening back to the days of old, when the original trilogy premiered in all its glory, BioWare gave us the Sith Warrior class in Star Wars: The Old Republic as an outlet for Darth Vader fans to live their dreams. Let us take a look into the history and lore behind the hate-mongering Warriors - the angriest Force wielders in a galaxy far, far away.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength.

Nothing strikes fear throughout the galaxy as much a Sith. It is strange to think that the very thing that makes a Force-sensitive child fall to the dark side in the first place is the conflict between emotions of fear, anger and love. Sith Acolytes are chosen early in their lives, when these emotions can be exploited to generate the full potency of rage behind them for unlimited power. The Sith Warrior is the culmination of the fury that all of these emotions can produce.

At the Sith Academy on Korriban, Sith Warriors receive training to use their emotions to generate strength, endurance and a lust for victory. Training duels are held daily on top of the caves of Korriban to prove who the best student is, how advanced their saber skills are and how developed their power has become. Sith Lords pick their favorites and offer training in secret to those who are worthy.

Once their training is complete and the Acolytes join the ranks of the Sith Order, each Warrior develops their own style. The Juggernaut can leap into any fray and tear apart the opposition. With thick-plated armor and the ability to choke an opponent from across a room with a thought, Juggernauts are unstoppable forces of darkness with a commanding presence on the battlefield. They can stand toe-to-toe with anyone, lightsaber in hand, ready to take the brunt of any attack.

If brute strength was not the Warrior’s forte during training, then perhaps speed and guile was. The Marauder is a dual-wielding death machine. With the ability to disappear and reappear behind an enemy and leave cauterized limbs falling to the ground in their wake, the Marauder strikes fast and with abandon. Masters of lightsaber combat, Marauders are responsible for dealing massive amounts of damage to multiple enemies.

Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory.

Interestingly, the word Sith has origins outside of the longstanding association with fallen Jedi, or users of the dark side of the Force. The original Sith were a species native to the planets Korriban and Ziost. After the Hundred-Year Darkness, the remnants of the Dark Jedi fled the known regions and came into contact with the Sith. Millennia of inter-breeding between the two peoples brought about a new society ruled by Force users. The term Sith commonly applies to this group of people.

The “Sith Warrior” is neither a rank in the Sith Empire (which is one of many Sith organizations throughout galactic history, but more on that later) nor a title of any sort. It is merely a name given to denominate those Force wielders of the Order who focus their efforts on martial pursuits, namely that of melee combat. A “Sith Warrior” could refer to an Acolyte or a Sith Lord, depending upon their personal preference for using the Force.

The organization of the Sith changed throughout time as well. From their origins as a group of exiled users of the dark-side of the Force, the Sith rose and fell numerous times throughout the centuries. Sith Empires would conquer numerous worlds, then infighting would take its toll and reverse many of the victories. As the Sith believed in the rule of the strong, faction warfare within the organization was the rule rather than the exception.

Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.

The most recognizable example of the Sith Warrior archetype is a man who is probably your father. Anakin Skywalker, a.k.a. Darth Vader, is the single most iconic dark-side wielder in the Star Wars universe and the pinnacle of what any Sith Juggernaut aspirations. Garbed in battle armor from head to toe, Vader wades into the thick of battle, angry and hungry for blood. Using his signature Force Choke, he keeps both his subordinates and his enemies in line. A man wholly consumed by the dark side of the force, Vader revels in his hatred and uses it to fuel his power.

One of the more prominent Marauders in the galaxy during the time of the Old Republic is Darth Malgus. Raised in Imperial space, Malgus’s father sent him to the Sith Academy on Korriban after killing an alien slave due to a minor affront. Training under some of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, Malgus learned to channel his inner rage into his attacks. While wielding two lightsabers, his dark-side-fueled strength enabled him to overwhelm the powerful Jedi Master, Kao Cen Darach, when the Sith claimed Korriban from the Republic at the beginning of the war. During the invasion of Alderaan, Jedi Master Satele Shan bested Malgus along with the help of Havoc Squad commander Jace Malcom. Angered by this, Malgus, badly wounded, returned to the planet’s surface instead of evacuating, and dispatched two Jedi who had laid a trap for the powerful Sith.

Sith Warriors embrace all the emotion within themselves and unleash it on their foes. The story will likely be filled with opportunities to release your anger and slaughter enemies and useless allies (I, for one, will kill the captain). As they travel the galaxy, choking minions and impaling enemies from afar, Sith Warriors will continue to steep in their anger, growing stronger with each kill.

Sources:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sith
http://www.swtor.com/info/holonet/classes/sith-warrior
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Malgus
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Vader