Last week, we introduced you this artifact capable of transforming anyone into a Sith Lorddiscovered by fans on the occasion of the recent comics Doctor Aphra #19. And precisely, this comics may well come to confirm an assertion made several years ago, according to which Sheev Palpatinealso known as Dark Sidiouswould not be a Sith Lord like the others.
the sith order
With the extended universe of Star Wars, fans were able to discover more in depth the universe initially created by George Lucas, and this through various works, ranging from books to series through comics. And Modern Comics Revealed Emperor Palpatine Was Actually A Sith Heretic.
Even today, the history and traditions of the Sith remain shrouded in mystery.. We know that the first Sith were Jedi who swung to the dark side, seeking power for themselves rather than for the good of others. But the Sith Empire mightn’t last, little by little torn from the inside, which will give rise to internal wars. And as the Sith descended into chaos, the Jedi took advantage of this rout to eradicate them.
Only Darth Bane, the Dark Lord of the Sith, managed to survive, and decided to put in place a new rule in order to perpetuate the legacy of his order. : the Rule of Two. This doctrine, intended to ensure the continued existence of the Sith by limiting their numbers, states that there should never be more than two Sith, with only one master and one apprentice at a time. One to embody the power of the dark side, and the other to covet it.
As reminded ScreenRantthe philosophy of the Sith is designed to contrast with that of the Jedi. For example the Sith Code, sacred text of the Sith Orderis deliberately structured in opposition to the Jedi Code.
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion I have power.
By power, I have power.
By power I have victory.
By victory, I break my chains.
The Force will set me free
But if the Sith Code is in opposition to the Jedi Code, nor is it free from impassable limits.
the concept of heresy among the sith
The concept of heresy already exists among the Sith. Former Sith Lord Darth Momin was considered a heretic for his beliefs and works. All traces of his existence were erased from the Sith archives, his Holocrons were destroyed and his knowledge would have been lost in the mists of time if he had not managed to transfer his spirit into the mask he usually wore. But the latter’s knowledge came in handy, so Palpatine sought out Momin’s mask, and following finding it and discovering the many secrets it held, Palpatine entrusted the mask to Darth Vader. It will be Momin who will prepare all the construction of Vader’s castle on the planet Mustafar.
And the idea that Palpatine is a heretical Sith goes back many years. In the comic series Star Wars : Dark Vador, directed by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca and released between 2015 and 2016, Vader learns that his master is trying to replace him, not with another dark side adept, but with technology. Indeed for years, the Emperor secretly funded the research of a scientist named Cylo, whose goal is to create an artificial substitute for the Force. Cylo had learned to use technology to replace telekinesis, and he had also created synthetic lightsabers capable of matching those of Darth Vader, among other inventions and weapons to compete with any Sith Lord. .
But it’s more than likely that the Emperor was more interested in Cylo’s cloning experiments., the latter having learned to create an artificial duplicate of his own consciousness, which can be implanted in a cloned body following his death. Palpatine would eventually take this idea of cloning and incorporate it into the transference power he learned from Darth Momin and his own master, Darth Plagueis.
Faced with this revelation, Vader considers Cylo’s creations to be a personal affront. But more than that, he considered blasphemous the very idea of using science to replicate the power of the Force.. When he confronted Emperor Palpatine, he literally said that Darth Sidious was committing a heresy.
But since 2015, Darth Vader’s accusation of heresy has remained a mystery, with fans unsure exactly what made these experiments heretical. But recent developments in the latest comics Doctor Aphra #19 may well provide some answers to this question.
the palpatine case
In this series, Doctor Aphra, a slightly dishonest archaeologist, is facing terrifying technology from an ancient dark side cult called “the Ascendant”. Like Cylo, this cult sought to emulate the power of the Force, particularly that of the dark side, through the use of technology. And one of their greatest achievements was called “the Spark Eternal”, can turn anyone into a Sith Lord.
One can then easily understand why the Sith oppose it. Any reigning Sith Lord would view this artifact as a potential challenge to their authority., with the threat that it might create beings so powerful they would be able to challenge the Sith. So it’s surely no coincidence that this cult was wiped out long ago, probably by the Sith themselves. This might then explain why the Sith called the idea of combining technology and the Force heretical.as they knew it might lead to the creation of a new, similar artifact.
And the thing is, many of the experiments Palpatine performed seem to be pushing him toward that heretic label.. The Empire’s experiments on weaponizing kyber crystals alone were already borderline, as they depended on a process created by scientist Galen Herso. But the most notable act of the Emperor in this matter probably remains his resurrection in the film Star Wars, épisode IX : l’Ascension de Skywalker (2019), having miraculously survived through a mixture of science and dark side sorcery.
Palpatine’s mind was transferred into a clone body, which proved insufficient to contain the power of the dark side. So he asked his scientists to experiment with creating “strandcasts”, genetically modified beings capable of hosting all of Palpatine’s power. One of these beachcasts duds became Supreme Leader Snoke.
All of this means that Palpatine was clearly no ordinary Sith Lord. The Emperor had learned from Sith heretics like Darth Momin, and throughout his reign he sponsored experiments that other Sith would have considered heretical. Yes Palpatine considered himself the ultimate embodiment of the Sith, his Sith predecessors would probably have rejected him.
