Warning! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #19
While the threat of the Sith has more than once seemingly been eradicated from the galaxy in the past by the hands of the Jedi, it is destined to resurface based on new rules set within Star Wars lore. The Sith once existed completely unchecked in the galaxy during the time of the Old Republic, with drones of Sith wreaking havoc wherever they went. Though the chaos and destruction they brought to the galaxy was nothing compared to what they brought to their own system as every Sith constantly plotted against another, thus sparking the Sith Rule of Two. However, the Sith have every opportunity to rise up again just as they did during the Old Republic as their ultimate weapon against the Jedi has just been revealed.
In Star Wars: Doctor Alpha #19 by Alyssa Wong and Minkyu Jung, the skilled thief Kho Phon Farrus is breaking into the University of Bar’leth to obtain a powerful artifact. Simultaneously, Doctor Aphra and her crewmate Sana are flying through the cosmos on their way to the university in an attempt to do the same thing. Unfortunately, it looks as though they will be too late and the artifact in question will assuredly land in the questionable hands of Kho, and after Doctor Aphra explains what this artifact is and what kind of power it wields, they are determined to not let that happen.
The artifact both Kho and Aphra are after is known as the Spark, and the reason it is so coveted is because it has the power to turn people into Sith. The Spark was created by the Ascendant, a cult aligned with the Dark Side of the Force, with the intention of mimicking the raw power of the Dark Side. With this revelation, the return of the Sith is inevitable in the future of Star Wars lore. The Spark is brought to light in this issue which takes place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, right before the fall of the Empire and by association the fall of the Sith. Since a weapon such as this exists, the Sith are sure to return more powerful than ever, especially if they abandon their one rule.
Because of the chaos they wrought, the Sith made a law to ensure there would only be two at a time, a Master and an Apprentice. The Sith Rule of Two saved the Dark Side of the Force, but after the Emperor and Darth Vader died together on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi, the old ways of the Sith may not carry as much weight, and if people can be turned into Sith through the usage of this Spark, then there is no power stopping them from creating an army just as there was in the Old Republic.
Given the timeline of this comic, the Spark may become more prevalent in the Star Wars universe in the near future. The fan-favorite shows The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are set a mere few years after Return of the Jedi, which took place not long after the events of Doctor Aphra. Unless Doctor Aphra finds a way to neutralize this weapon, it could leak out into the wider Star Wars universe and the Sith’s return is basically guaranteed.