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See more: Palpatine’s Attempts to Harness ‘The Netherworld of the Force’ Prove He Was a False Sith
Many Star Wars fans consider Palpatine the ultimate Sith Lord, but his latest appearance calls into question if he’s even a proper Sith Lord at all.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Maul – Black, White & Red #1!
Emperor Palpatine has a reputation for being one of the greatest Sith Lords in Star Wars history, as he single-handedly did what the entire Sith Empire failed to do thousands of years earlier: eradicate the Jedi and conquer the Galactic Republic. However, unlike the Sith of old, Palpatine seems to have a total disregard for Sith doctrine, and only follows certain aspects of the dark religion that suit his needs. And now, Palpatine is confirming his position as a Sith heretic as he attempts to harness ‘the Netherworld of the Force’.
In a preview for Star Wars: Darth Maul – Black, White & Red #1 by Benjamin Percy and Stefano Raffaele, Darth Sidious is sending Darth Maul on a mission to capture members of a dark side cult called the Final Occultation, who are being transported on a prison ship. This story takes place before the events of The Phantom Menace, meaning Palpatine is still trying to increase his strength in the dark side any way he can – including learning the secrets of the Final Occultation.
As detailed by Darth Maul in the preview, the Final Occultation is “aided by chaotic forces from the Netherworld”, indicating that their connection to the dark side of the Force is different from that of the Sith, and is perhaps more in-line with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, given the more mystical undertones of ‘chaotic forces from the Netherworld’. In any case, the Final Occultation knows how to access dark power Palpatine does not, and Darth Sidious hopes to remedy that as quickly as possible.
Breaking Sith doctrine to study other forms of dark side power is something that Palpatine doesn’t even think twice about doing, proving that he is a false Sith.
Why Darth Maul’s Latest Star Wars Mission Makes Palpatine a False Sith
One of the major selling points of accepting the dark side as a Force-wielder is total freedom from the rigged structure and seemingly absurd rules of the light side-wielding Jedi. A dark sider can tap into their raw emotions, they can be with whoever they want, and they can pretty much do whatever they want. One great example of the true nomadic freedom of accepting the dark side can be found with the dark side cult, the Knights of Ren, who are effectively traveling barbarians who take whatever they want anywhere they go.
The Knights of Ren ultimately led to the final corruption of Ben Solo, who became their leader upon killing their original ‘Ren’, and taking up the name Kylo Ren. Interestingly, this avenue of dark side corruption meant Kylo Ren wasn’t a Sith during the Star Wars sequel trilogy, despite secretly being the apprentice of Emperor Palpatine the whole time.
So, if the dark side offers ultimate freedom with the promise of untold power, why can’t Palpatine study any dark side technique he wants? Well, that’s just it: ‘Sith’ and ‘dark side’ are not necessarily synonymous.
The Sith exclusively use the dark side of the Force, but using the dark side of the Force doesn’t automatically make one Sith. The Sith, like the Jedi, is an ancient religion with strict doctrine, and while Palpatine follows enough of the Sith’s ways to technically be one, he also doesn’t mind bending the rules a bit for the sake of power. Attempting to access the Netherworld of the Force would be a rejection of Sith doctrine for the sake of harnessing the chaos of the Final Occultation – and it wouldn’t be Palpatine’s first time venturing into dark side magicks.
Darth Sidious Learned Dark Side Magick from Mother Talzin, Further Proving His Flipancy with Sith Doctrine
Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir by Jeremy Barlow and Juan Frigeri
The miniseries Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir confirms that Mother Talzin (the leader of the Nightsisters) taught Palpatine certain spells and rituals using dark side magick. In fact, it turns out that they even made plans to rule the galaxy together, as Palpatine also offered Talzin certain knowledge of the dark side that only the Sith knew. It was a partnership, though one that was fated to end in betrayal and bloodshed, as Palpatine could never share the throne with another unless he was still in full control.
In the end, Mother Talzin was defeated by Palpatine, which allowed Darth Sidious to continue on his dark quest to conquer the entire galaxy as the Emperor. Though not before Palpatine learned everything he could from her, which gave him a deeper understanding of the more mystical aspects of the dark side that wouldn’t have been possible to learn from the Sith alone.
While it contributed to Palpatine’s overall power-level as a dark side wielder, learning Nightsister magick made him a less committed Sith Lord, which is the same situation he’s in now with the Final Occultation.
