Throughout the Star Wars saga, the Sith are oftentimes distinguished by their fearsome yellow eyes and crimson red lightsaber. Star Wars utilizes the universal theme of transformation to underline both physical and emotional change occurring in these characters, highlighting their descent into darkness. While the Jedi rely on their use of knowledge and wisdom, the Sith utilize their anger as an avenue to embolden their power.
Audiences were first introduced to the Sith’s yellow eyes in The Empire Strikes Back when Emperor Palpatine contacts Darth Vader. Throughout the original trilogy, Palpatine was the only Sith that the audience saw with yellow eyes. After Luke removes his father’s helmet, Vader’s eyes are blue, indicating his redemption. Although not all the members of the Sith possess these attributes, their eyes and saber color are all linked to their hate.
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A process many Sith undergo is known as bleeding, which involves pouring one’s fury and hatred into a Kyber crystal by means of the dark side. This causes the crystal to change its color to a bright crimson red. As is tradition, many Sith obtains new crystals by taking those wielded by a Jedi, which is used to undergo this process. This process was chronicled in Charles Soule’s 2017 comic series, Star Wars: Darth Vader. Because of their inherent alignment with the light side of the Force, this process requires complete focus and unabridged dedication to the dark side. If this is lacking, the process can result in the fracturing of the crystal, which can be seen in Charles Soule’s 2020 comic series, The Rise of Kylo Ren. Due to the conflict in young Ben Solo, the bleeding procedure caused his crystal to crack, requiring him to modify his lightsaber to a more traditional crossguard design to channel the unstable energy.
Similar to the bleeding process, the changing of color in a dark side user’s eyes is related to their unrestricted rage and immersion into the dark side. The lack of yellow eyes is often a sign of conflict or restraint on one’s emotions. Though he was Lord of the Sith Lord, Count Dooku did not have the yellow eyes like his predecessor, Darth Maul. This is because of how they utilized their rage. Maul was completely driven by fury and revenge. His hatred for Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi informed his every move. This is contrasted with Dooku, a more refined and calculated Sith who was in total control of his emotions.
This sense of transformation the Sith undergo reflects their loss of control. In literature, when characters experience a sense of evolution is related to their loss of identity. Similar to Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the eventual degradation of the character’s souls is reflected in their physical appearance as their eyes turn to a sulfuric yellow. Their weapon, which is fueled by this spiritual means, undergoes a similar transformation into a blazing crimson red. Though characters in Star Wars who have endured this transformation, like Darth Bane, explain it by saying their flesh and bone are unable to withstand serving as a conduit of the dark side, the thematic implications of this phenomenon are rooted in their souls' descent towards the dark side of the Force.
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