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Changes: Rule of Two/Legends

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With no Master to keep the students in line, however, they would eventually turn on each other and kill for the power they had joined to take. In the end, no matter what the outcome, the new Master would still not be as strong as the last one. This process would then continue, leaving an even weaker Master than the previous one at the end of each cycle.
 
With no Master to keep the students in line, however, they would eventually turn on each other and kill for the power they had joined to take. In the end, no matter what the outcome, the new Master would still not be as strong as the last one. This process would then continue, leaving an even weaker Master than the previous one at the end of each cycle.
   
−
Although Revan's [[Sith Empire]] did indeed include a [[Sith academy]] and the training of multiple [[Sith Warrior|Warriors]], [[Sith Acolyte|Acolytes]], and other practitioners, there were only two true [[Sith Lord]]s&mdash;Darth Revan and [[Darth Malak]]. In that regard, Revan and Malak somewhat mirrored [[Exar Kun]] and [[Ulic Qel-Droma]], although the latter two were more equals rather than master and apprentice; Kun also trained [[Brotherhood of the Sith|multiple apprentices]] simultaneously, as well. Soon after Malak’s death, [[Traya|Darth Traya]] founded a [[Sith_Triumvirate|Sith academy]] and formed a ruling [[Sith_Triumvirate|triumvirate]] with two apprentices, [[Sion|Darth Sion]] and [[Nihilus|Darth Nihilus]], who eventually overthrew her and robbed her of her force powers. This would come back to haunt them, as Traya was then instrumental in seeking out and training the [[Meetra_Surik|Jedi Exile]] who ultimately would defeat them all.<ref>''[[Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_II:_The_Sith_Lords|Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords]]''</ref> With this lesson and that of[[Darth Revan's Sith Holocron]] in mind, Bane surmised that he could avoid further intra-Sith conflict by applying Revan's philosophy to the Sith Order as a whole, limiting the Order to only one pairing of master and apprentice.
 +
Although Revan's [[Sith Empire]] did indeed include a [[Sith academy]] and the training of multiple [[Sith Warrior|Warriors]], [[Sith Acolyte|Acolytes]], and other practitioners, there were only two true [[Sith Lord]]s&mdash;Darth Revan and [[Darth Malak]]. In that regard, Revan and Malak somewhat mirrored [[Exar Kun]] and [[Ulic Qel-Droma]], although the latter two were more equals rather than master and apprentice; Kun also trained [[Brotherhood of the Sith|multiple apprentices]] simultaneously, as well. Soon after Malak’s death, [[Traya|Darth Traya]] founded a [[Sith_Triumvirate|Sith academy]] and formed a ruling [[Sith_Triumvirate|triumvirate]] with two apprentices, [[Sion|Darth Sion]] and [[Nihilus|Darth Nihilus]], who eventually overthrew her and robbed her of her force powers. This would come back to haunt them, as Traya was then instrumental in seeking out and training the [[Meetra_Surik|Jedi Exile]] who ultimately would defeat them all.<ref>''[[Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_II:_The_Sith_Lords|Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords]]''</ref> With this lesson and that of [[Darth Revan's Sith Holocron]] in mind, Bane surmised that he could avoid further intra-Sith conflict by applying Revan's philosophy to the Sith Order as a whole, limiting the Order to only one pairing of master and apprentice.
   
 
His course of action decided, Bane destroyed the [[Brotherhood of Darkness]] in true Sith fashion by duping [[Sith Lord|Lord]] [[Skere Kaan]] into using a [[The Force|Force]] technique he learned from his studies of the dark arts known as the [[Thought bomb]]. Lord Kaan gathered together every [[Sith Lord]] in the Brotherhood as the Jedi were closing in to destroy them when he detonated the Thought bomb. Bane, knowing what would happen to Force-sensitive users within the bomb's range, escaped the Brotherhood's fate and hid from the surviving [[Jedi]]. Bane was then free to start his new Sith Order implementing the Rule of Two with his newfound apprentice, [[Darth_Zannah|Zannah]]. Through his actions, Bane fulfilled the prophecy of the [[Sith'ari]] and ended the [[New Sith Wars]].
  
His course of action decided, Bane destroyed the [[Brotherhood of Darkness]] in true Sith fashion by duping [[Sith Lord|Lord]] [[Skere Kaan]] into using a [[The Force|Force]] technique he learned from his studies of the dark arts known as the [[Thought bomb]]. Lord Kaan gathered together every [[Sith Lord]] in the Brotherhood as the Jedi were closing in to destroy them when he detonated the Thought bomb. Bane, knowing what would happen to Force-sensitive users within the bomb's range, escaped the Brotherhood's fate and hid from the surviving [[Jedi]]. Bane was then free to start his new Sith Order implementing the Rule of Two with his newfound apprentice, [[Darth_Zannah|Zannah]]. Through his actions, Bane fulfilled the prophecy of the [[Sith'ari]] and ended the [[New Sith Wars]].
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===Prelude to the Empire===
  
===Prelude to the Empire===
 
{{Quote|Remember, the first and only reality of the Sith&hellip; there can only be two. And you are no longer my apprentice.|Darth Sidious, to Darth Maul|The Lawless}}
  
{{Quote|Remember, the first and only reality of the Sith&hellip; there can only be two. And you are no longer my apprentice.|Darth Sidious, to Darth Maul|The Lawless}}
−
By the time of the Dark Lord Rugess Nome, the Sith had come to the conclusion that the Rule of Two had expired, as the time was coming when they would finally gain their revenge over the hated [[Jedi Order]].<ref name="SWP">''[[Star Wars: Darth Plagueis]]''</ref>
+
By the time of the Dark Lord Rugess Nome, the Sith had come to the conclusion that the Rule of Two had expired, as the time was coming when they would finally gain their revenge over the hated [[Jedi Order]].<ref name="SWP">''[[Darth Plagueis (novel)|Darth Plagueis]]''</ref>
   
 
During this 1,000 year period, the [[Bith]] [[Dark Lord of the Sith]] Darth Tenebrous emerged, taking a [[Muun]], [[Darth Plagueis]] as his [[Sith apprentice]]. It is noted that Tenebrous broke the Rule of Two whilst training Plagueis, as he took a fellow Bith as an apprentice, dubbing him [[Darth Venamis]]. It should be noted that the mantle of [[Sith Master]] went to Plagueis, not Venamis. In [[67 BBY]], Plagueis killed his master on [[Bal'demnic]], taking the title of Dark Lord of the Sith by [[60 BBY]], seven years later. By then, the Muun had taken the human [[Palpatine]] as his apprentice, deciding to call him Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious, under the guise of [[Senator]] Palpatine, was elected [[Supreme Chancellor]] in [[32 BBY]] and masterminded a devastating [[Clone Wars|galactic war]] involving the [[Galactic Republic|Republic]], and, as [[Galactic Emperor|Emperor]] of the newly formed [[Galactic Empire]], brought the Galaxy under the control of the Sith, bringing about their foretold [[Great Jedi Purge|revenge]].
  
During this 1,000 year period, the [[Bith]] [[Dark Lord of the Sith]] Darth Tenebrous emerged, taking a [[Muun]], [[Darth Plagueis]] as his [[Sith apprentice]]. It is noted that Tenebrous broke the Rule of Two whilst training Plagueis, as he took a fellow Bith as an apprentice, dubbing him [[Darth Venamis]]. It should be noted that the mantle of [[Sith Master]] went to Plagueis, not Venamis. In [[67 BBY]], Plagueis killed his master on [[Bal'demnic]], taking the title of Dark Lord of the Sith by [[60 BBY]], seven years later. By then, the Muun had taken the human [[Palpatine]] as his apprentice, deciding to call him Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious, under the guise of [[Senator]] Palpatine, was elected [[Supreme Chancellor]] in [[32 BBY]] and masterminded a devastating [[Clone Wars|galactic war]] involving the [[Galactic Republic|Republic]], and, as [[Galactic Emperor|Emperor]] of the newly formed [[Galactic Empire]], brought the Galaxy under the control of the Sith, bringing about their foretold [[Great Jedi Purge|revenge]].
   
 
[[File:Sidious Maul.png|thumb|left|275px|Darth Sidious with his first apprentice, Darth Maul.]]
  
[[File:Sidious Maul.png|thumb|left|275px|Darth Sidious with his first apprentice, Darth Maul.]]
−
Sidious broke the Rule of Two at least twice: once by training [[Darth Maul]] while still under the tutelage of [[Darth Plagueis]]; and secondly, by taking on two apprentices at once, and in the form of two Jedi: [[Count]] [[Dooku]], dubbed Darth Tyranus, and the [[Fosh]] Jedi [[Vergere]]. Vergere was said to be merely a candidate and not a "true" apprentice. In Maul's case however, Plagueis was informed of his existence and purpose by Sidious. It should also be noted that this information derives from [[Lumiya]]'s account to [[Darth Caedus|Jacen Solo]], and is the only known source. In Vergere's case however, she left Palpatine's instruction when she left the galaxy with a then unknown extra-galactic scouting party. It also appears that Sidious considered offering Dooku a place at his side prior to Maul's defeat, although details on the timing are vague. Knowing how Darth Sidious drew heavily on the Force to see into the future, these could be considered precautions to ensure that he always had a suitable apprentice even if he did, technically, violate the Rule in its strictest form. In the case of Darth Maul, he had done so with Plagueis' knowledge due to Plagueis having discontinued the Rule of Two by that point, although Sidious, at least officially, reinstated it shortly after murdering Plagueis, reasoning that it was against the very nature of the Sith to not betray the other. However, he secretly intended to make [[Rule of One (Palpatine's Doctrine)|a new doctrine]] that ensured he be the permanent ruling Sith and all other Sith were expendible.<ref name="SWP" />
 +
Sidious broke the Rule of Two at least twice: once by training [[Darth Maul]] while still under the tutelage of [[Darth Plagueis]]; and secondly, by taking on two apprentices at once, and in the form of two Jedi: [[Count]] [[Dooku]] (former padawan of Master Yoda<ref>Star Wars : Episode II - Attack of the Clones</ref>), dubbed Darth Tyranus, and the [[Fosh]] Jedi [[Vergere]]. Vergere was said to be merely a candidate and not a "true" apprentice. In Maul's case however, Plagueis was informed of his existence and purpose by Sidious. It should also be noted that this information derives from [[Lumiya]]'s account to [[Darth Caedus|Jacen Solo]], and is the only known source. In Vergere's case however, she left Palpatine's instruction when she left the galaxy with a then unknown extra-galactic scouting party. It also appears that Sidious considered offering Dooku a place at his side prior to Maul's defeat, although details on the timing are vague. Knowing how Darth Sidious drew heavily on the Force to see into the future, these could be considered precautions to ensure that he always had a suitable apprentice even if he did, technically, violate the Rule in its strictest form. In the case of Darth Maul, he had done so with Plagueis' knowledge due to Plagueis having discontinued the Rule of Two by that point, although Sidious, at least officially, reinstated it shortly after murdering Plagueis, reasoning that it was against the very nature of the Sith to not betray the other. However, he secretly intended to make [[Rule of One (Palpatine's Doctrine)|a new doctrine]] that ensured he be the permanent ruling Sith Lord and all other Sith were expendable.<ref name="SWP" />
−  
 
[[File:Sidious Tyranus.png|thumb|right|275px|Darth Sidious with his second apprentice, Darth Tyranus.]]
  
[[File:Sidious Tyranus.png|thumb|right|275px|Darth Sidious with his second apprentice, Darth Tyranus.]]
  +
Darth Tyranus pledged to personally teach young [[Asajj Ventress]] in the ways of the dark side, and privately referred to her as “apprentice”, and she addressed him as “Master”.<ref name="TCW|Nightsisters">{{TCW|Nightsisters}}</ref> <ref name="TCW|Witches of the Mist">{{TCW|Witches of the Mist}}</ref> Dooku never bestowed the title of Darth to Ventress, perhaps out of respect for the Rule of Two. She certainly believed their master/apprentice status to be genuine,<ref name="TCW|Nightsisters">{{TCW|Nightsisters}}</ref><ref name="TCW|Witches of the Mist">{{TCW|Witches of the Mist}}</ref><ref name="TCW|To Catch a Jedi">{{TCW|To Catch a Jedi}}</ref> and in any case it can be heralded as a sign of Tyranus’ rising ambitions. Sidious sensed a disturbance in the Force concerning Ventress. He considered her enough of a potential threat that he ordered Tyranus to eliminate her as a test of his continued loyalty. Tyranus acquiesced and, while disavowing Ventress as his apprentice, turned his fleet’s own guns on her at the [[Battle of Sullust]].<ref name="TCW|Nightsisters">{{TCW|Nightsisters}}</ref> Erroneously giving Ventress up for dead, Tyranus soon after took [[Savage Opress]] as a new Sith apprentice with the ultimate goal of overthrowing Sidious and ruling the galaxy together,<ref name="TCW|Monster">{{TCW|Monster}}</ref> though that plan did not come to fruition either.<ref name="TCW|Witches of the Mist">{{TCW|Witches of the Mist}}</ref> Savage also never received a title of Darth.
−
[[Dooku|Count Dooku]] also referred to [[Asajj Ventress]] as his apprentice on more than one occasion, though she never became his official Sith apprentice, being abandoned at the [[Battle of Sullust (Clone Wars)|Battle of Sullust]] as per Sidious's orders. Dooku later took [[Savage Opress]] as his Sith apprentice, planning to use him to overthrow Sidious and rule the galaxy together, though that plan did not come to fruition either.
  
   
−
Maul, after his narrowly surviving his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi and thus faking his death, broke the Rule of Two, as well, after returning from his exile and uniting with his brother, Opress. Initially, they regarded one another as equals, but after a time Maul demonstrated his superiority and declared himself Opress's master. He remarked that there could only be two&mdash;yet in his decision he had created two rival pairs of Sith.
 +
Maul, after his narrowly surviving his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi and thus faking his death, broke the Rule of Two as well. After returning from his exile and uniting with his brother, Opress, they initially regarded one another as equals.<ref name="TCW|Revenge">{{TCW|Revenge}}</ref> But after a time Maul demonstrated his superiority and declared himself Opress's master.<ref name="TCW|Revival">{{TCW|Revival}}</ref> He remarked that there could only be two&mdash;yet in his decision he had created two rival pairs of Sith. In any case, [[Sidious|Darth Sidious]] corrected this oversight by searching them out and single-handedly [[Duel in the Sundari Royal Palace|defeating both in mortal combat]], thereby once again preserving the Rule of Two. Only Maul survived the battle; Sidious decided that his former apprentice could be of further use to him.<ref name="TCW|The Lawless">{{TCW|The Lawless}}</ref>
   
 
===Imperial Period===
  
===Imperial Period===
−
Sidious and [[Anakin Skywalker|Darth Vader]] trained and employed a number of [[Dark Jedi]] and other [[Force-sensitive]] agents such as the Dark Acolytes, the [[Inquisitorius]], and the [[Dark Side Elite]]. As these agents were not taught the secrets of the Sith and were considered merely [[Sith Acolyte|acolytes]], not apprentices, they did not consider this a violation of the Rule of Two. However, the fact that Tyranus sought to replace the [[Jedi Order]] with a Sith army, the so-called [[Fist of the Empire]], indicated that he had envisioned the abolition of the Rule of Two once the Sith took over the galaxy.<ref name="ROTSN>[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)|''Revenge of the Sith'' novelization]]</ref>
 +
Sidious and [[Anakin Skywalker|Darth Vader]] trained and employed a number of [[Dark Jedi]] and other [[Force-sensitive]] agents such as the Dark Acolytes, the [[Inquisitorius]], and the [[Dark Side Elite]]. As these agents were not taught the secrets of the Sith and were considered merely [[Sith Acolyte|acolytes]], not apprentices, they did not consider this a violation of the Rule of Two. However, the fact that Tyranus sought to replace the [[Jedi Order]] with a Sith army, the so-called [[Fist of the Empire]], indicated that he had envisioned the abolition of the Rule of Two once the Sith took over the galaxy.<ref name="ROTSN">[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)|''Revenge of the Sith'' novelization]]</ref>
   
 
Just as Sidious had taken Darth Maul as an apprentice before truly ascending to the rank of Master, Vader took it upon himself to train a secret apprentice of his own. Due to the sustained injuries that severely diminished his Force potential, Vader was in no condition to successfully challenge his Master, much less kill him. To that end, he endeavored to mentor an exceptionally powerful Force-wielder who would not only serve as his personal assassin, but would one day stand with him to overthrow Sidious. Thus for several years, [[Galen Marek]], codenamed ''Starkiller'', was trained in the ways of the Sith and the Dark side of the Force, thus becoming a merciless assassin who was devoted to the goal of destroying Sidious in order to become a true Sith Lord.<ref name="TFUvg">[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)|''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' video game]]</ref>
 
Just as Sidious had taken Darth Maul as an apprentice before truly ascending to the rank of Master, Vader took it upon himself to train a secret apprentice of his own. Due to the sustained injuries that severely diminished his Force potential, Vader was in no condition to successfully challenge his Master, much less kill him. To that end, he endeavored to mentor an exceptionally powerful Force-wielder who would not only serve as his personal assassin, but would one day stand with him to overthrow Sidious. Thus for several years, [[Galen Marek]], codenamed ''Starkiller'', was trained in the ways of the Sith and the Dark side of the Force, thus becoming a merciless assassin who was devoted to the goal of destroying Sidious in order to become a true Sith Lord.<ref name="TFUvg">[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)|''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' video game]]</ref>
   
 
[[File:Vader Sidious.png|275px|thumb|left|Darth Sidious and his third apprentice, Darth Vader.]]
  
[[File:Vader Sidious.png|275px|thumb|left|Darth Sidious and his third apprentice, Darth Vader.]]
−
Despite Marek's unanticipated redemption and subsequent death, however, Vader refused to lose an extremely powerful asset and resorted to relying on the [[Cloning|cloning technology]] of [[Kamino]], and thus continued to violate the Rule of Two by creating a clone of Marek to replace his former apprentice. After many failed experiments, including a [[Starkiller (clone)|rogue clone]] who escaped from the [[Timira City|Timira City Cloning Facility]], Vader succeeded in achieving his goal by creating a [[Dark Apprentice|perfect clone]] who wielded all of Marek's strengths, but none of his weaknesses.<ref name=TFU2vg>''[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II]]''</ref>
 +
Despite Marek's unanticipated redemption and subsequent death, however, Vader refused to lose an extremely powerful asset and resorted to relying on the [[Cloning|cloning technology]] of [[Kamino]], and thus continued to violate the Rule of Two by creating a clone of Marek to replace his former apprentice. After many failed experiments, including a [[Starkiller (clone)|rogue clone]] who escaped from the [[Timira City|Timira City Cloning Facility]], Vader succeeded in achieving his goal by creating a [[Dark Apprentice|perfect clone]] who wielded all of Marek's strengths, but none of his weaknesses.<ref name="TFU2vg">''[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II]]''</ref>
   
 
Despite the inspiration for the Rule of Two, Darth Revan, having renounced the Dark Side of the Force and the Sith, however, Darth Bane overlooked one possibility&mdash;that one of the Sith Lords may be redeemed. When Anakin Skywalker killed Darth Sidious in a selfless act of sacrifice, he redeemed himself of the life he lived as Darth Vader. Without Sidious or Vader, the Order of the Sith Lords was effectively dissolved since its only two members were dead. Thus, it appeared that there were no others to carry on the Order's traditions and teachings, and the Rule of Two was veritably destroyed. Once again, the Sith had destroyed themselves&mdash;or so it seemed.
 
Despite the inspiration for the Rule of Two, Darth Revan, having renounced the Dark Side of the Force and the Sith, however, Darth Bane overlooked one possibility&mdash;that one of the Sith Lords may be redeemed. When Anakin Skywalker killed Darth Sidious in a selfless act of sacrifice, he redeemed himself of the life he lived as Darth Vader. Without Sidious or Vader, the Order of the Sith Lords was effectively dissolved since its only two members were dead. Thus, it appeared that there were no others to carry on the Order's traditions and teachings, and the Rule of Two was veritably destroyed. Once again, the Sith had destroyed themselves&mdash;or so it seemed.
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==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
−
[[Timeline of galactic history|Chronologically]], [[Darth Rivan]] predates Darth Bane, yet one of the traps in Darth Rivan's fortress, as shown in ''[[A Mon Alone]]'', is based on the Sith adherence to the Rule of Two. However, Rivan did not pre-date Darth Revan, and in fact based his name off of the historical texts of Revan,<ref>''[[Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force]]''</ref> whose teachings about apprentices inspired Darth Bane to implement the Rule of Two.<ref>''[[Darth Bane: Path of Destruction]]''</ref>
 +
[[Timeline of galactic history|Chronologically]], [[Darth Rivan]] predates Darth Bane, yet one of the traps in Darth Rivan's fortress, as shown in ''[[A Mon Alone]]'', is based on the Sith adherence to the Rule of Two. However, Rivan did not pre-date Darth Revan, and in fact based his name off of the historical texts of Revan,<ref>''[[Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force (real-life book)|Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force]]''</ref> whose teachings about apprentices inspired Darth Bane to implement the Rule of Two.<ref>''[[Darth Bane: Path of Destruction]]''</ref>
   
−
On [[Hypori]] around [[54 BBY]], [[Darth Plagueis]] said to his apprentice [[Palpatine|Darth Sidious]] that rather then the tens of thousands of [[Jedi]], only thirty in a millennium were fit to be [[Sith]], implying that the Rule of Two spanned at least 30 individuals, including or up until him and his apprentice.<ref name="SWP" />
 +
On [[Hypori]] around [[54 BBY]], [[Darth Plagueis]] said to his apprentice [[Palpatine|Darth Sidious]] that rather than the tens of thousands of [[Jedi]], only thirty in a millennium were fit to be [[Sith]], implying that the Rule of Two spanned at least 30 individuals, including or up until him and his apprentice.<ref name="SWP" />
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
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*''[[Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil]]''
  
*''[[Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil]]''
 
*{{InsiderCite|130|The Tenebrous Way}} {{1stID|Banite system}}
  
*{{InsiderCite|130|The Tenebrous Way}} {{1stID|Banite system}}
−
*''[[Star Wars: Darth Plagueis]]''
 +
*''[[Darth Plagueis (novel)|Darth Plagueis]]''
 
*''[[Star Wars: The Wrath of Darth Maul]]''
 
*''[[Star Wars: The Wrath of Darth Maul]]''
 
*''[[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' {{1stID}}
  
*''[[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' {{1stID}}
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*{{TCW|Revival (episode)|Revival}} {{Mo}}
  
*{{TCW|Revival (episode)|Revival}} {{Mo}}
 
*{{TCW|Eminence (episode)|Eminence}} {{Mo}}
  
*{{TCW|Eminence (episode)|Eminence}} {{Mo}}
−
*''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Darth Maul: Shadow Conspiracy]]'' {{Mo}}
 +
*''[[The Clone Wars: Darth Maul: Shadow Conspiracy]]'' {{Mo}}
 
*{{TCW|The Lawless}} {{Mo}}
  
*{{TCW|The Lawless}} {{Mo}}
 
*{{TCW|Sacrifice}}
  
*{{TCW|Sacrifice}}
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*[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' junior novel]]
  
*[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' junior novel]]
 
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Betrayal]]''
  
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Betrayal]]''
−
*''[[Bloodlines]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines]]''
−
*''[[Tempest (novel)|Tempest]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Tempest]]''
−
*''[[Exile (novel)|Exile]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Exile]]''
 
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice]]''
  
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice]]''
−
*''[[Inferno (novel)|Inferno]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Inferno]]''
−
*''[[Fury]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Fury]]''
−
*''[[Revelation (novel)|Revelation]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Revelation]]''
−
*''[[Invincible (novel)|Invincible]]''
 +
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Invincible]]''
 
*''[[Crosscurrent]]'' {{Mo}}
  
*''[[Crosscurrent]]'' {{Mo}}
−
*''[[Abyss (novel)|Abyss]]'' {{Imo}}
 +
*''[[Fate of the Jedi: Abyss]]'' {{Imo}}
−
*''[[Backlash]]'' {{Mo}}
 +
*''[[Fate of the Jedi: Backlash]]'' {{Mo}}
−
*''[[Ascension]]'' {{Mo}}
 +
*''[[Fate of the Jedi: Ascension]]'' {{Mo}}
−
*''[[Apocalypse]]'' {{Mo}}
 +
*''[[Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse]]'' {{Mo}}
 
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4]]'' {{Mo}}
  
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4]]'' {{Mo}}
 
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy 18: Claws of the Dragon, Part 5]]'' {{Mo}}
  
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy 18: Claws of the Dragon, Part 5]]'' {{Mo}}
−
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy 4: Prisoner of the Floating World, Part 4]]}}
 +
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2 4]] {{Mo}}
  +
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2 10]] {{Imo}}
  +
*''[[Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2 17]] {{Mo}}
  +
}}
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
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*''[[The New Essential Chronology]]''
  
*''[[The New Essential Chronology]]''
 
*''[[Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties]]''
  
*''[[Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties]]''
−
*{{LFC|Conversations With Lanius}}
 +
*{{WizardsCite|url=default.asp?x=starwars/livingforce/swlf20031023lanius|text=''Conversations With Lanius''|int=Conversations With Lanius}}
−
*{{LFC|A Mon Alone}} {{Mo}}
 +
*''[[A Mon Alone]]'' {{Mo}}
 
*{{WizardsCite|url=default.asp?x=starwars/article/sw20030918band|text=''With the Band''|int=With the Band}}
  
*{{WizardsCite|url=default.asp?x=starwars/article/sw20030918band|text=''With the Band''|int=With the Band}}
 
*''[[Threats of the Galaxy]]''
  
*''[[Threats of the Galaxy]]''

Revision as of 23:18, 7 September 2014

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"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."
―Darth Bane[src]
File:Bane Zannah DoE.jpg

Darth Bane, Sith Master, and Darth Zannah, Sith apprentice; first in the order of the Rule of Two.

The Rule of Two doctrine, known as Chwayatyun in Sith language and also called the Banite system, was the guiding principle of the Order of the Sith Lords after the internecine New Sith Wars. It replaced the practices of Lord Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness, which claimed equality among Sith Lords and forbade the use of the title "Darth".

The Rule of Two was instituted by Darth Bane, once a student at Kaan's Sith academy, in response to what he viewed as inevitable, self-destructive infighting within the Sith Order. The Rule of Two states that there would be only two Sith at one time, a Master and an Apprentice, guaranteeing that when the Apprentice becomes powerful enough in the ways of the Dark Side to take the title of Master, only then would they be worthy of the title. This transfer of power would only take place when the Apprentice takes their Master's life and finds a worthy student to repeat the cycle. Both Master and Apprentice were considered to be Sith Lords.

The practice survived with varying levels of enforcement for a thousand years until the murder of Darth Tenebrous at the hands of his apprentice in 67 BBY—Darth Plagueis held the doctrine in contempt, and intended to live forever together with his own apprentice, Darth Sidious. Although the latter murdered his master in accordance with the Rule of Two and trained apprentices of his own, never more than one at the same time, he did not fully accept it, following instead his own Rule of One.

History

Creation

"When your power eclipses mine I will become expendable. This is the Rule of Two: one Master and one apprentice. When you are ready to claim the mantle of Dark Lord as your own, you must do so by eliminating me."
―Darth Bane, to Darth Zannah[src]
File:DarthRevan DarthMalak EGF.jpg

Darth Revan trained only one personal apprentice, Darth Malak.

In an attempt to avoid the seemingly inevitable clash between power hungry Sith, Darth Bane sought to reinvent the Sith Order with only two members—a Sith Master, and an Apprentice. Thus, he utilized the knowledge from the ancient Sith Lord Darth Revan's holocron regarding the concept of the "Rule of Two". Darth Revan was the first to realize the flawed logic of a Sith Lord training more than one apprentice at a time. Bane learned from Revan's holocron that, in times past, students of the dark side who were impatient and hungry for power would make alliances with his Master's other apprentices in order to defeat him and take the mantle of Master.

With no Master to keep the students in line, however, they would eventually turn on each other and kill for the power they had joined to take. In the end, no matter what the outcome, the new Master would still not be as strong as the last one. This process would then continue, leaving an even weaker Master than the previous one at the end of each cycle.

Although Revan's Sith Empire did indeed include a Sith academy and the training of multiple Warriors, Acolytes, and other practitioners, there were only two true Sith Lords—Darth Revan and Darth Malak. In that regard, Revan and Malak somewhat mirrored Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, although the latter two were more equals rather than master and apprentice; Kun also trained multiple apprentices simultaneously, as well. Soon after Malak’s death, Darth Traya founded a Sith academy and formed a ruling triumvirate with two apprentices, Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus, who eventually overthrew her and robbed her of her force powers. This would come back to haunt them, as Traya was then instrumental in seeking out and training the Jedi Exile who ultimately would defeat them all.[1] With this lesson and that of Darth Revan's Sith Holocron in mind, Bane surmised that he could avoid further intra-Sith conflict by applying Revan's philosophy to the Sith Order as a whole, limiting the Order to only one pairing of master and apprentice.

His course of action decided, Bane destroyed the Brotherhood of Darkness in true Sith fashion by duping Lord Skere Kaan into using a Force technique he learned from his studies of the dark arts known as the Thought bomb. Lord Kaan gathered together every Sith Lord in the Brotherhood as the Jedi were closing in to destroy them when he detonated the Thought bomb. Bane, knowing what would happen to Force-sensitive users within the bomb's range, escaped the Brotherhood's fate and hid from the surviving Jedi. Bane was then free to start his new Sith Order implementing the Rule of Two with his newfound apprentice, Zannah. Through his actions, Bane fulfilled the prophecy of the Sith'ari and ended the New Sith Wars.

PlagueisCover

Darth Plagueis and his young apprentice, Darth Sidious.

For nearly 1,000 years, the Sith watched and waited, destabilizing the Galactic Republic whenever opportunity arose without revealing themselves. Around 188 BBY, during the Dark Jedi Conflict, Kibh Jeen warned the Jedi that the Sith had survived and were operating utilizing the Rule of Two, his warnings were mostly ignored or passed off as the rantings of a madman.

Prelude to the Empire

"Remember, the first and only reality of the Sith… there can only be two. And you are no longer my apprentice."
―Darth Sidious, to Darth Maul[src]

By the time of the Dark Lord Rugess Nome, the Sith had come to the conclusion that the Rule of Two had expired, as the time was coming when they would finally gain their revenge over the hated Jedi Order.[2]

During this 1,000 year period, the Bith Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Tenebrous emerged, taking a Muun, Darth Plagueis as his Sith apprentice. It is noted that Tenebrous broke the Rule of Two whilst training Plagueis, as he took a fellow Bith as an apprentice, dubbing him Darth Venamis. It should be noted that the mantle of Sith Master went to Plagueis, not Venamis. In 67 BBY, Plagueis killed his master on Bal'demnic, taking the title of Dark Lord of the Sith by 60 BBY, seven years later. By then, the Muun had taken the human Palpatine as his apprentice, deciding to call him Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious, under the guise of Senator Palpatine, was elected Supreme Chancellor in 32 BBY and masterminded a devastating galactic war involving the Republic, and, as Emperor of the newly formed Galactic Empire, brought the Galaxy under the control of the Sith, bringing about their foretold revenge.

Sidious Maul

Darth Sidious with his first apprentice, Darth Maul.

Sidious broke the Rule of Two at least twice: once by training Darth Maul while still under the tutelage of Darth Plagueis; and secondly, by taking on two apprentices at once, and in the form of two Jedi: Count Dooku (former padawan of Master Yoda[3]), dubbed Darth Tyranus, and the Fosh Jedi Vergere. Vergere was said to be merely a candidate and not a "true" apprentice. In Maul's case however, Plagueis was informed of his existence and purpose by Sidious. It should also be noted that this information derives from Lumiya's account to Jacen Solo, and is the only known source. In Vergere's case however, she left Palpatine's instruction when she left the galaxy with a then unknown extra-galactic scouting party. It also appears that Sidious considered offering Dooku a place at his side prior to Maul's defeat, although details on the timing are vague. Knowing how Darth Sidious drew heavily on the Force to see into the future, these could be considered precautions to ensure that he always had a suitable apprentice even if he did, technically, violate the Rule in its strictest form. In the case of Darth Maul, he had done so with Plagueis' knowledge due to Plagueis having discontinued the Rule of Two by that point, although Sidious, at least officially, reinstated it shortly after murdering Plagueis, reasoning that it was against the very nature of the Sith to not betray the other. However, he secretly intended to make a new doctrine that ensured he be the permanent ruling Sith Lord and all other Sith were expendable.[2]

Sidious Tyranus

Darth Sidious with his second apprentice, Darth Tyranus.

Darth Tyranus pledged to personally teach young Asajj Ventress in the ways of the dark side, and privately referred to her as “apprentice”, and she addressed him as “Master”.[4] [5] Dooku never bestowed the title of Darth to Ventress, perhaps out of respect for the Rule of Two. She certainly believed their master/apprentice status to be genuine,[4][5][6] and in any case it can be heralded as a sign of Tyranus’ rising ambitions. Sidious sensed a disturbance in the Force concerning Ventress. He considered her enough of a potential threat that he ordered Tyranus to eliminate her as a test of his continued loyalty. Tyranus acquiesced and, while disavowing Ventress as his apprentice, turned his fleet’s own guns on her at the Battle of Sullust.[4] Erroneously giving Ventress up for dead, Tyranus soon after took Savage Opress as a new Sith apprentice with the ultimate goal of overthrowing Sidious and ruling the galaxy together,[7] though that plan did not come to fruition either.[5] Savage also never received a title of Darth.

Maul, after his narrowly surviving his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi and thus faking his death, broke the Rule of Two as well. After returning from his exile and uniting with his brother, Opress, they initially regarded one another as equals.[8] But after a time Maul demonstrated his superiority and declared himself Opress's master.[9] He remarked that there could only be two—yet in his decision he had created two rival pairs of Sith. In any case, Darth Sidious corrected this oversight by searching them out and single-handedly defeating both in mortal combat, thereby once again preserving the Rule of Two. Only Maul survived the battle; Sidious decided that his former apprentice could be of further use to him.[10]

Imperial Period

Sidious and Darth Vader trained and employed a number of Dark Jedi and other Force-sensitive agents such as the Dark Acolytes, the Inquisitorius, and the Dark Side Elite. As these agents were not taught the secrets of the Sith and were considered merely acolytes, not apprentices, they did not consider this a violation of the Rule of Two. However, the fact that Tyranus sought to replace the Jedi Order with a Sith army, the so-called Fist of the Empire, indicated that he had envisioned the abolition of the Rule of Two once the Sith took over the galaxy.[11]

Just as Sidious had taken Darth Maul as an apprentice before truly ascending to the rank of Master, Vader took it upon himself to train a secret apprentice of his own. Due to the sustained injuries that severely diminished his Force potential, Vader was in no condition to successfully challenge his Master, much less kill him. To that end, he endeavored to mentor an exceptionally powerful Force-wielder who would not only serve as his personal assassin, but would one day stand with him to overthrow Sidious. Thus for several years, Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, was trained in the ways of the Sith and the Dark side of the Force, thus becoming a merciless assassin who was devoted to the goal of destroying Sidious in order to become a true Sith Lord.[12]

Vader Sidious

Darth Sidious and his third apprentice, Darth Vader.

Despite Marek's unanticipated redemption and subsequent death, however, Vader refused to lose an extremely powerful asset and resorted to relying on the cloning technology of Kamino, and thus continued to violate the Rule of Two by creating a clone of Marek to replace his former apprentice. After many failed experiments, including a rogue clone who escaped from the Timira City Cloning Facility, Vader succeeded in achieving his goal by creating a perfect clone who wielded all of Marek's strengths, but none of his weaknesses.[13]

Despite the inspiration for the Rule of Two, Darth Revan, having renounced the Dark Side of the Force and the Sith, however, Darth Bane overlooked one possibility—that one of the Sith Lords may be redeemed. When Anakin Skywalker killed Darth Sidious in a selfless act of sacrifice, he redeemed himself of the life he lived as Darth Vader. Without Sidious or Vader, the Order of the Sith Lords was effectively dissolved since its only two members were dead. Thus, it appeared that there were no others to carry on the Order's traditions and teachings, and the Rule of Two was veritably destroyed. Once again, the Sith had destroyed themselves—or so it seemed.

Vader Starkiller

Darth Vader acknowledging Starkiller as his apprentice, thus breaking the Rule of Two.

Lumiya, one of Vader's secret apprentices, declared herself Dark Lady of the Sith and established her own Sith Order. She remained faithful to Darth Bane's ancient diktat, the Rule of Two, by taking Flint as her first apprentice, and then Carnor Jax. Her third and final apprentice was Darth Caedus, the grandson of Darth Vader and formerly known as Jacen Solo. Before her death, she instructed Caedus to find an apprentice for himself. He fulfilled her last wish after finding a suitable apprentice in Tahiri Veila, a fallen Jedi Knight whose emotional attachment to Caedus's dead brother brought about her fall to the dark side. However, Caedus's death, alongside Veila's turning back to the light side shortly beforehand, ended up ending the Rule of Two for good.

Abandonment

By the year 130 ABY, a new Sith Order emerged under the leadership of Darth Krayt, thus taking the place of the former Order of the Sith Lords. Unlike Bane's Order, however, Krayt abolished the Rule of Two and replaced it with the Rule of One, with one Dark Lord of the Sith representing the Order itself, while also commanding many Lords, acolytes, and minions.

His revision of the Sith was met with extreme disapproval and outrage, particularly from the gatekeeper of Darth Bane's holocron. When Krayt sought the wisdom of the ancient Sith Lords, they rebuffed him as an offensive heretic and a false Sith. Darth Nihilus did not provide Krayt with helpful information, Darth Andeddu accused him of heresy, and Darth Bane warned the Rule of One would be the death of Krayt and the entire Sith.

Surviving Adherents

By 138 ABY, at least one Sith, still believed in the philosophy of the Rule of Two.

Behind the scenes

Chronologically, Darth Rivan predates Darth Bane, yet one of the traps in Darth Rivan's fortress, as shown in A Mon Alone, is based on the Sith adherence to the Rule of Two. However, Rivan did not pre-date Darth Revan, and in fact based his name off of the historical texts of Revan,[14] whose teachings about apprentices inspired Darth Bane to implement the Rule of Two.[15]

On Hypori around 54 BBY, Darth Plagueis said to his apprentice Darth Sidious that rather than the tens of thousands of Jedi, only thirty in a millennium were fit to be Sith, implying that the Rule of Two spanned at least 30 individuals, including or up until him and his apprentice.[2]

Appearances

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Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Darth Plagueis
  3. ↑ Star Wars : Episode II - Attack of the Clones
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Nightsisters"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Witches of the Mist"
  6. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "To Catch a Jedi"
  7. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Monster"
  8. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revenge"
  9. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revival"
  10. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Lawless"
  11. ↑ Revenge of the Sith novelization
  12. ↑ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game
  13. ↑ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
  14. ↑ Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
  15. ↑ Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

See also

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