Warning! Spoilers for Darth Vader #11
It has finally been explained why the resurrected Palpatine’s cult of followers as seen in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker were called the Sith Eternal. As the new ongoing series, Darth Vader explores plot threads related to the Sith planet Exegol, elements of the Sequel Trilogy’s conclusion are being expanded upon.
At the time of The Rise of Skywalker’s release, many fans were frustrated and confused by newly introduced ideas that the movie glossed over. However, recent issues of Darth Vader have provided further context and answering questions along the way. Although sometimes the new issues have raised even more questions, they have been several noteworthy expansions on the Sequel Trilogy. As Darth Vader has arrived at the mysterious Sith planet called Exegol, he has also learned about the Emperor’s backup plan relating to the Final Order.
While going behind Palpatine’s back, Vader has discovered that his master has his own army of Sith groupies known as “the Sith Eternal” in Darth Vader #11 written by Greg Pak with art by Raffaele Ienco. The cult that awaits their Emperor’s call to arms who live on Exegol aren’t technically real Sith. As fans know, there can only be two Sith in the galaxy at a time. During the reign of the Empire, those two have obviously been Darth Sidious AKA the Emperor himself, and Darth Vader. However, the Sith Eternal ensures that the Sith will never truly go extinct, as it had seemed they had prior to the events of the Prequel Trilogy. If Vader were to fall, whether to the assassin Ochi or his son Luke Skywalker, the Sith Eternal are prepared to fulfill his role by Palpatine’s side.
In comparison to other Sequel Trilogy elements that have been explained in recent Star Wars comics, this cult which is essentially a Sith waiting list makes a lot of sense. If Vader were to die at this point in time, the Emperor wouldn’t have many likely contenders who could take over his position. The Inquisitors might know their way with a red lightsaber, but even they aren’t up to par with Vader. Similar to how the Jedi Temple trained young Jedi Knights, this planet seems to do the same with raising up young Sith.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to deny that this makes the Sith feel less special if there are so many qualified applicants. Throughout the Star Wars saga, it seemed as if the Sith were an exclusive and mysterious force that wasn’t as open as the Jedi Order. The lure of the Sith wasn’t that they were the “evil version” of the Jedi, but instead that they were a phantom menace like Palpatine who twisted the Force to fit their own agenda. Even though the Sith Eternal remains faceless, further exploration of who they are removes the intrigue and sense of danger the galactic threat has had up until The Rise of Skywalker.