This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #24.A new Sith sect has been unveiled by Star Wars - a specialized group known as the "Darkseekers." The history of the Sith is shrouded in secrecy. According to legend, the first Sith were Jedi who abandoned the ways of balance and the light side of the Force, swearing themselves over to the darkness. As Palpatine put it, they learned "the dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."
Star Wars has always tended to focus on the Jedi and the Sith, but in truth there are many other Force cults across the galaxy. Still, none have rivaled the Sith for their aggression and dominance. The ancient Sith succeeded in conquering the entire galaxy, but their empire fell apart due to infighting. Darth Bane, recently revealed to be the last Sith Emperor, established what he called "the Rule of Two" - the idea that there should only ever be two Sith, one to crave power and the other to wield it. However, there was a long, long period before that when the Sith were legion.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #24, by Alyssa Wong and Minkyu Jung, presents a vision of the Sith when their empire was at its height. Aphra has bonded with an ancient AI known as the Spark, created by the Ascendant cult, who attempted to exceed the power of the Force using technology. In her vision, Doctor Aphra learns the Sith of this time possessed a dedicated sect who pursued dark side challenges to the Sith ascendancy, stealing their discoveries before wiping them out. This, it seems, is how the Sith become so dominant; they stole knowledge and skills from any potential rival before destroying them, eliminating any trace of their existence. Only a handful of dark side cults, such as the Nightsisters of Dathomir, survived.
How Star Wars' New Sith Sect Fits Into Canon
The Darkseekers are a fascinating addition to Star Wars lore, and they fit perfectly with established canon. Indeed, it's likely past Star Wars Sith Lords can be retconned as Darkseekers. One short story by George Mann, "The Gilded Cage," tells of a Sith Lord called Darth Caldoth who apparently had a longstanding feud with the Nightsisters of Dathomir because he had attempted to steal some of their most powerful rituals. Dialogue discussing his prominence may hint the Darkseekers tended to be influential figures in the Sith Empire, simply because they gained powers other Sith did not possess - and no doubt every Darkseeker tended to hoard the Force powers they learned.
The Darkseekers would have died with the Sith Empire, of course, because only two Sith were left at any one time after the death of Darth Bane. Still, they likely had a lasting influence on the Sith, with their successors stealing dark side secrets for their own benefit. Like Darth Caldoth, Palpatine himself is known to have sought Nightsister magic to boost his own powers - meaning the greatest Sith in Star Wars followed in the Darkseekers' footsteps.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #24 is available now from Marvel Comics.