Star Wars Reveals Luke Skywalker’s New Sith Rival

Luke Skywalker has a mysterious new Sith foe in the upcoming Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith, a new canon Star Wars novel taking place 20 years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Shadow of the Sith will detail that mission that Luke and Lando Calrissian embarked on, as mentioned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Luke and Lando are on the hunt for Ochi of Bestoon. But Luke and Lando don’t realize that another Sith agent is on their tail. This masked, lightsaber-wielding enemy appears on the Barnes and Noble exclusive cover of the novel, seen below and first revealed via io9, which also has an exclusive excerpt from the story that you can check out.

While the Sith agent’s identity is a mystery, for now, we do know that there’s someone who will be familiar to Star Wars readers under the mask. The leading theory is that this is Kiza, one of the Acolytes of the Beyond introduced in the Star Wars: Aftermath, a cult obsessed with ancient dark side artifacts.

As a Pantoran, Kiza’s blue skin matches the Sith’s. The Acolytes were subservient to the Sith Eternal, under Palpatine’s command. Also [SPOILERS for the Aftermath trilogy ahead], Aftermath saw Kiza coming into possession of a mask that had belonged to a long-dead but once powerful Sith viceroy. She also received a lightsaber she believes belonged to Darth Vader (though the truth of that claim remains unconfirmed). It may be that mask and lightsaber on the Sith depicted by Shadow of the Sith‘s exclusive cover.

Fans will find out more when Shadow of the Sith releases in June. Here’s the publisher’s synopsis:

The Empire is dead. Nearly two decades after the Battle of Endor, the tattered remnants of Palpatine’s forces have fled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But for the heroes of the New Republic, danger and loss are ever-present companions, even in this newly forged era of peace.

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is haunted by visions of the dark side, foretelling an ominous secret growing somewhere in the depths of space, on a dead world called Exegol. The disturbance in the Force is undeniable . . . and Luke’s worst fears are confirmed when his old friend Lando Calrissian comes to him with reports of a new Sith menace.

After Lando’s daughter was stolen from his arms, he searched the stars for any trace of his lost child. But every new rumor leads only to dead ends and fading hopes—until he crosses paths with Ochi of Bestoon, a Sith assassin tasked with kidnapping a young girl.

Ochi’s true motives remain shrouded to Luke and Lando. For on a junkyard moon, a mysterious envoy of the Sith Eternal has bequeathed a sacred blade to the assassin, promising that it will answer the questions that have haunted him since the Empire fell. In exchange, he must complete a final mission: Return to Exegol with the key to the Sith’s glorious rebirth—Rey, the granddaughter of Darth Sidious himself.

As Ochi hunts Rey and her parents to the edge of the galaxy, Luke and Lando race into the mystery of the Sith’s lingering shadow and aid a young family running for their lives.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments. Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith goes on sale on June 28th.