Between Darth Vader's incredible role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Adam Christopher's Shadow Of The Sith novel, and the upcoming Tales Of The Jedi series, of which half will focus on Count Dooku, it is a great time to be a Sith fan. They are unquestionably one of the most loved sets of characters in Star Wars, and users of Ranker have ranked who they believe to be the very best.
From canon Sith Lords with incredible stories to those Sith who have immense characters in the Legends timeline, there are a plethora of great characters from the ancient order of dark siders, with there being a handful of fan-favorites.
Note: Due to the nature of Ranker, these are live rankings subject to change.
Count Dooku
Darth Tyrannus, better known by his official title of Count Dooku, may well be the most underrated Sith Lord in Star Wars, being eloquent with a blade, highly intellectual, and a crucial piece of the Clone War's puzzle.
Dooku arguably shone most in The Clone Wars, where he showcased his skill with not only a lightsaber, also seen in the prequel trilogy but also his ruthlessness and importance to Palpatine's plans as the Head of State of the Separatist Parliament. Nevertheless, Christopher Lee, as he so often did, shone in the role in his encounters with Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Darth Traya
Darth Traya, also known as Kreia, may not be as well known as the Sith spoken about or showcased in the Skywalker saga but is clearly popular amongst those who know her, particularly amongst fans of the Knights of the Old Republic sequel, The Sith Lords.
Dark Lord of the Sith Triumvirate, Kreia, has quite an interesting story going from former Jedi to Sith, who had a unique outlook on the Force and its relationship with beings in the Galaxy. Traya not only trained Revan but Nihilus and Sion also, and is incredibly powerful, intelligent, and skilled with a unique range of abilities in the Force, from Force Horror to sensing shatterpoints, with this power undoubtedly playing into her popularity.
Darth Malak
Being the central antagonist of one of, if not the best and most popular Star Wars game ever, Knights of the Old Republic, has undoubtedly elevated Darth Malak in the estimation of many fans, but there is no doubt he, in turn, improves the game.
His ruthlessness and pure evil temperament are one-dimensional, but his relationship to Revan and how he juxtaposes everything a light-side player fights for in the game makes him a great villain for the game - as well as its brilliant comic counterparts - and, in turn, a popular Sith Lords in Legends.
Darth Maul
The best of Maul's character comes after he is no longer a Sith when he is found by his brother and survives for decades as an excellent element of not only The Clone Wars but Rebels - which both help him become Star Wars' best villain in TV to date. As a Sith assassin under Sidious, though, Maul was still a badass.
It is hard to pinpoint the exact time Maul stops being a Sith, whether that is when Sidious tells him as such on Mandalore or when he falls down that reactor shaft, but either way, in The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul is brilliant. Before then, too, as shown in the Darth Maul comic run, he is such a wonderful, terrifying character to follow, driven so far by his accumulated hate and anger, just a kickass Sith Lord in every sense.
Darth Plagueis
While Darth Plagueis undoubtedly gets much of his popularity from Palpatine's now-iconic speech to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, there is far more to this Muun Sith Lord who is arguably the most important unseen character of the Skywalker saga.
The Legends novel Darth Plagueis by James Luceno is one of the greatest Star Wars novels ever, and one many hope is adapted to canon in some way soon. Thus far, his story in Legends far exceeds that in the canon with his powers, training of Palpatine, and experiments all being fascinating aspects of his character that fans want to see more of, especially after his mentions in Shadow of the Sith.
Darth Bane
Right there with James Luceno's Darth Plagueis as far as quality Legends books about Sith Lords go is Drew Karpyshyn's iconic Darth Bane trilogy, which, to many, is the standard-bearer for Sith stories told on the page. These books are a significant factor in Bane's character quality and popularity.
On top of that, though, Bane is a crucial element of the Star Wars lexicon, being the creator of the Rule of Two, which led to Darth Sidious destroying the Jedi and ruling the Galaxy. Bane is also one of the only ancient Sith to appear on-screen in Star Wars, doing so in The Clone Wars in what was a terrific cameo, giving him an advantage over others that came before him.
Darth Sidious
Whether he shows his head as the Emperor, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, or Darth Sidious, he is the big bad of the Skywalker saga and the most powerful villain to have appeared on-screen in Star Wars.
Sidious has it all; from mastery with a lightsaber to an unparalleled knowledge of the dark side, he is as iconic as he is genius. Despite birthing arguably the most laughable line in Star Wars in the sequel trilogy, his legacy is pretty bulletproof. He is a consistently fantastic part of Star Wars thanks to his performers and his pure, unequivocal evil, which never ceases to amaze.
Darth Nihilus
Over the years, iconic masks have not only helped make certain characters instantly recognizable but played into their popularity, and there is no doubt that is the case for the horrifying Darth Nihilus.
If it is not his eerie mask that fans remember Nihilus for first and foremost, it is his hunger for Force energy that led him to devour entire planets. He is not only one of the more powerful Sith Lords of the Old Republic but the scariest. Combine that with his overall story as a Sith Lord and survivor of the Mass Shadow Generator, and there is one of the most interesting Sith Lords the franchise has produced.
Revan
Over the years, there has been much discourse surrounding Revan, with debates raging on about whether they are overrated, whether The Old Republic MMORPG ruined him, and whether or not they will ever be able to transition fittingly into the canon.
Despite all of these conversations, in general, Revan remains one of the most well-known products of the Legends timeline and a character whose overall quality is far more consistent than his allegiances to the Jedi and Sith. Revan's story in Knights of the Old Republic alone earns them a considerable amount of praise, never mind all the other great stories told surrounding the character. Fans hope to see them adequately integrated into the canon someday, whether in a new Old Republic-based storyline or something unique.
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is not only Star Wars' best Sith character, but its best villain, arguably the best villain in pop culture history, and arguably Star Wars' most extraordinary overall character when spoken about in tandem with Anakin Skywalker. It is, therefore, no surprise to see Ranker users show him so much love.
His breathtaking design and numerous memorable character features are all outstanding, and his story is remarkable. But, what perhaps sets Vader apart from others on top of all these things is how he elevates everything and how awesome pieces of content that focus on him are. The Clone Wars, Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rogue One, various comic series, Jedi: Fallen Order, and various novels, are all made better by Vader, who is subsequently brilliantly showcased in all of them. Few characters are as consistently impressive and as totally unforgettable as he is, and for that reason and many others, Ranker has deemed him Star Wars' best Sith.