26 years ago, Star Wars introduced the Sith Rule of Two. The Sith were never actually mentioned in the Star Wars original trilogy, with Darth Vader described as the “Dark Lord of the Sith” in the novelization of A New Hope. The ancient rivals of the Jedi Order only appeared on-screen for the first time in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, although even then they remained shrouded in secrecy.
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The Phantom Menace established the “Sith Rule of Two.” While the Jedi are many, Darth Bane insisted that there should only ever be two Sith at a time – a master and an apprentice, one to crave power and the other to wield it. As we saw in the prequels, Palpatine showed precious little care for his apprentices in his quest to corrupt the Chosen One; he swiftly replaced Darth Bane, and then sacrificed Count Dooku at Anakin’s hands. But now, 26 years on, Star Wars has finally revealed the truth about the Rule of Two.
The Apprentice is the Key to the Master’s Power
Adam Christopher’s new novel “Master of Evil” is set shortly after the events of Revenge of the Sith, and it sees Darth Vader seek the power of a dark side vergence that he hopes can resurrect his beloved Padmé. In one striking scene, there’s an unexpected Force vision in which he learns the truth of the Sith Rule of Two – turning the entire Star Wars franchise’s lore upside down.
“The power of the dark side is the truth, but it is not a truth to be shared. Its secrets are to be gathered, hoarded, kept for the self. That is how it is meant to be. The master’s strength and power come from the anger and fear of his apprentice. The master uses that power, absorbing the resentment, fueling the fire, focusing his power and his grip on the dark side. It is the apprentice that makes the master, not the master the apprentice.”
It’s always felt rather odd that a Sith Lord would take the gamble of training their successor. Master of Evil reveals the real reason for this; the bond between a Sith Lord and Apprentice is an inversion of the one shared between a Jedi Master and their Padawan. A Sith Lord gains power from the hatred of their apprentice. The more the apprentice despises their master, coveting their power even as they fear it, the more powerful the Sith Lord becomes in turn.
Now We Know Why Palpatine Really Wanted The Chosen One
This revelation completely rewrites the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Until now, we’d believed Palpatine simply used his apprentices as pawns and cat’s paws, perhaps even seeking Anakin Skywalker because he liked the idea of one day transferring his spirit into the Chosen One’s body. “Master of Evil,” however, reveals that Palpatine wanted the Chosen One because he was the most powerful apprentice of all – and would, therefore, boost Darth Sidious himself to unprecedented levels. Palpatine’s attempt to seduce Anakin to the dark side was a power grab in its own right.
In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine takes the risk of revealing his true nature to Anakin. That almost backfired when the Jedi came to arrest him, and Palpatine seemed weaker during his battle with Mace Windu than he did in a subsequent Force duel with Yoda Yoda. That power-up can now be explained by the fact he did not have an apprentice during his encounter with Mace, but Anakin had become Darth Vader by the time he clashed with Yoda. With the Chosen One as his apprentice, Palpatine was literally unbeatable.
There is a risk to choosing an apprentice, of course. Palpatine never intended to be replaced; indeed, all his contingencies for the event of his death work rather well if they’re seen as an attempt to ensure Darth Vader could not inherit his Empire. Still, Palpatine had to take the risk of fanning the flames of ambition within Darth Vader, because he needed that hatred and anger as fuel for his own power. To be a Sith Lord is to walk a tightrope, because you need your apprentice to be ambitious, but encouraging that ambition means you risk an attempt on your life.
This also explains why Palpatine was so diminished in The Rise of Skywalker. The greatest Sith Lord of all time was weakened so much he did not dare take on an apprentice, and so he denied himself the greatest source of a Sith Lord’s power. But the breaking of the Rule of Two cost the entire Sith Order dearly in the end, because the line of Darth Bane was finally broken.
“Master of Evil” is on sale now, and can be bought on Amazon.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
