When it comes to Star Wars Canon — everything Disney and Lucasfilm deemed part of the official timeline in 2014 — fans don’t have much clarity on the history of the Sith. While there have been glimpses of ancient Sith and Jedi artifacts, from hallowed temples to Star Wars Rebels’ Holocrons, information about specific Force-wielders is scarce right now.
Before Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and the pre-Force Awakens soft reboot, Expanded Universe (EU) materials, like novels and video games, did shed some light on the earliest Sith lords. Now, that content is considered Star Wars Legends — noncanonical, but still beloved by many. When using the lens of Legends material, fans can find an answer to the question of the first Sith’s identity. But there’s no guarantee that answer will become part of the official gospel that is Star Wars Canon.
Who Was The First Sith?
According to Star Wars Legends content, the first Sith was a former Jedi Master, Ajunta Pall, who became a so-called Dark Jedi, or “Fallen” Jedi. As the name implies, these Force-sensitives chose to practice the Dark Side, and rejected the Light Side of the Force. As with many terms in Star Wars lore, Dark Jedi has multiple meanings. Sometimes, it refers to Dark Side users who don’t follow the Sith teachings either. Throughout his life, Ajunta Pall held both titles — Dark Jedi and Sith Lord.
While studying the Force, Ajunta Pall discovered the secrets of creating and shaping life, something the Jedi Order deemed an abomination. The story isn’t dissimilar from the one Chancellor Palpatine (a.k.a. Darth Sidious) tells Anakin Skywalker in Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. The Sith’s ambition to manipulate life extends all the way back to the beginning of their order, at least in the Star Wars Legends timeline.
After the Jedi Order rejected Ajunta Pall, he became the leader of the Dark Jedi. The group, who believed the Jedi were arrogant, fought against their former brethren in a conflict known as the Hundred-Year Darkness. Ultimately, the Dark Jedi were exiled from both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. These exiles eventually came upon the Outer Rim planet of Korriban, where they met an indigenous Force-sensitive species called the Sith.
By manipulating the Sith’s leader — and, later, killing him with his own sword — Ajunta Pall positioned himself as a god-like being, taking on the mantle of “Jen’ari,” or Dark Lord. As the first Dark Lord of the Sith, he founded the first Sith Empire, and began claiming other worlds, including the planet Ziost, which became his homeworld. After leading the Sith Empire for decades, Ajunta Pall passed away and was entombed on Korriban in the Valley of the Dark Lords.
In the popular video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Revan can visit Ajunta Pall’s tomb in a side quest. As the story goes, Ajunta Pall reveals his remorse to Revan, telling him how the Sith ultimately fought and destroyed one another. Revan helps Ajunta Pall let go of his pain and return to the light, where he finds peace by becoming one with the Force. (Of course, Knights of the Old Republic is all about choice. The player, controlling Revan, can also choose to destroy the Sith Lord’s spirit.)
Is The First Sith Mentioned In The Movies?
The first Sith is not mentioned in the Star Wars movies. Referenced in Knights of the Old Republic and other Legends materials, Ajunta Pall isn’t part of Star Wars Canon. However, Sheev Palpatine does reference another high-profile Sith Lord in Revenge of the Sith. While speaking with Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine tells him the story of Darth Plagueis the wise:
“Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”
While this is not a reference to the noncanonical Ajunta Pall, the tale of Darth Plagueis does share some similarities; namely, the manipulation of the Force to create and influence life.
The Force-sensitive Muun was also the Sith Master of Darth Sidious (a.k.a. Palpatine), and passed his thirst for immortality on to his apprentice. Ultimately, Darth Plagueis was murdered by Sidious, something the latter recounts to then-Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. While Palpatine does use his former master’s teachings to cheat death and linger longer than he should, true immortality eludes him.
Did The First Sith Fight The First Jedi?
While Ajunta Pall was considered a Dark Jedi at the time of the Hundred-Year Darkness, he later became the first Sith. So, yes, in a way the Jedi did fight the first Sith Lord. The conflict, also called the Second Great Schism, began when this sect of Jedi began experimenting with the Force in ways the Jedi Order deemed unnatural. According to legend, the Dark Jedi could bend life’s will, and even evade death or revive dead worlds and people. In order to thwart what could end up being an abuse of power, the Jedi fought the forerunners of the Sith, including Ajunta Pall.
After fleeing Republic-controlled space, the exiled Dark Jedi came upon Korriban and were soon welcomed by the native Sith, who thought them gods. While Ajunta Pall became the first Dark Lord of the Sith and led the new sect, his followers all became Sith Lords, too. Against Ajunta Pall’s wishes, many of these Sith aimed to destroy the Jedi Order. All of this ended in in-fighting, with the Sith Lords all but destroying themselves and their own order. So, while the Jedi have always fought the Sith, it’s also clear that the Sith Lords have a long history of betraying one another in Star Wars Legends.