Top 10 Most Powerful Sith Lords from Star Wars

The Top Ten
1 Darth Sidious Sheev Palpatine (also known by his Sith identity Darth Sidious and publicly as Senator Palpatine, then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and later Emperor Palpatine) is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists of the Star Wars franchise, mainly portrayed by Ian McDiarmid.

Darth Sidious brought the Jedi Order to the brink of extinction. He was arguably the most powerful Force user of Darth Bane's Rule of Two, excluding Bane himself. He brought the Sith out of hiding and formed the Galactic Empire, a Sith-controlled puppet state. He accomplished all of this with minimal effort, having his apprentices do all the dirty work for him. When engaged in combat, he was overwhelming, except during the fight with Mace Windu, where he showed vulnerability to sway Anakin to his side. He is the most intelligent Sith Lord, bar none. The only Sith lord in his class is Darth Bane. You could say Sidious is Bane's creation through his Rule of Two. Darth Sidious is the culmination of a thousand years of Sith philosophy and teachings.

2 Darth Revan Revan is a fictional character in BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game. The character may be either male or female, though Revan is canonically male and follows the game's light-side path. He also has his own Old Republic book in which he is a male human, turned Jedi, and turned... read more

The Jedi turned Sith, then neutral. This man, no, this God of Destruction, was defeated only through the cowardly betrayal of a Sith named Scourge, a coward out only to save his own life. He brought the Emperor to his knees before betrayal destroyed him. He was all-consuming, calling upon the Light, as well as the Dark, in a way of Gray. He fed his power of the Dark Side with the emotions of the Light Side - compassion, loyalty, and love - so as to create power never before used or known.

Unlike the Emperor, who stole his power and immortality from a world and thus had power that was not truly his, Revan CREATED his power from himself. He himself was powerful enough to destroy the power of the world forced into one man, only to be brought down by a traitor. So, he may have been defeated, but the only man capable of doing so used power that was not truly his, and that is why Revan is the stronger of the two.

Revan influenced Bane, who is also incredibly powerful, in the Rule of Two. Revan was the Savior and the Scourge of the galaxy. The galaxy is saved or destroyed by his whim.

3 Darth Vitiate / Sith Emperor

Vitiate killed his father with just a thought and then slowly tortured his mother through the Force. His eyes were pure black! He absorbed a planet's energy and thereby made himself immortal. He basically destroyed a planet just with his powers of the Force. He also imprisoned not only 12 of the most powerful Sith Lords of their time in their minds, but he did it all at the same time. Meanwhile, he imprisoned two of the most powerful Jedi just by thinking (Revan and Malak). He can take the body of others and use them for himself.

Also, when he decided that he was bored with controlling the two most powerful Jedi ever, he just killed them both with one Force blast. He took over the galaxy and ruled it for over 5,000 years. If you're thinking of voting for Revan, then think again because Vitiate killed him with only one powerful Force blast, in which he wasn't even making an effort. (He killed Malak too, so don't vote for him either).

So, to recap, don't just vote for people who you know, as they probably aren't the most powerful. (I.e., Palpatine, Vader) And if you want to think about true POWER, then you have to think WAY back and not just at the films you've seen. Thanks for reading, guys, and remember... VOTE VITIATE!

4 Darth Bane Darth Bane is a legendary Sith from Star Wars. Darth Bane was one of the greatest Sith lords who ever lived in the Star Wars universe. Darth Bane's greatest accomplishment was creating the Rule of Two, making the Sith a secretive order with one master and one apprentice. The apprentice would learn everything... read more

Bane was far more influential in the grand scheme of things than many of the other Sith mentioned. He was never a Jedi either, which should put him ahead in terms of purity. While some may have been stronger with the Force, better with a lightsaber, or smarter/more cunning, no one was stronger with all of these characteristics combined. He could, therefore, use other aspects of his power against those who were stronger in one aspect. He completely revolutionized the Sith (albeit with Revan's ideologies), and (SPOILERS!) he may not have actually died at the hands of his apprentice as many believe he did.

5 Darth Vader Darth Vader is a Star Wars character and the main antagonist of the first three original Star Wars films and the main protagonist of the Star Wars prequel trilogy under his original name Anakin Skywalker. He had been trained as a Jedi but defected to the Sith lord and Galactic Chancellor Palpatine... read more

First of all, if they aren't canon, then they're out. That currently leaves 6 in the running: Bane, Plagueis, Sidious, Maul, Tyranus, and Vader. Now reorder them by importance to the plot, and you'll find that Vader lands preeminent. Vader is arguably the most recognizable villain in cinema, let alone from this franchise, contributing to its early success while the Emperor wasn't even a main character until Return of the Jedi.

Now imagine a hypothetical situation where each of the canonical Sith broke the bounds of time to be pitted against one another. You can bet your bottom dollar that George Lucas would have Vader as the last man standing, and that's how I came to my conclusion.

6 Darth Nihilus Darth Nihilus is a fictional Sith lord who serves as a primary antagonist in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II.

The thing with Darth Nihilus, by comparison to other Sith Lords, is that he's a Force vampire. They devour the Force, and with each foe defeated and each power used against him, he became stronger. No matter who he faced, he would always be destined to win. The only reason he was ever able to be defeated was because Visas had a Force bond and Meetra is another Force vampire (although much less skilled at absorbing the Force). Even Darth Vitiate should fear one such as he, since Vitiate's incredible power with the Force becomes basically useless any time they're even thinking about one another.

The fact that a powerful Force vampire like him was even able to be defeated was purely a matter of circumstance and knowing manipulation from Kreia, and were he to live much longer, the entire galaxy would've been at his fingertips should he wish it.

7 Darth Plagueis Darth Plagueis is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. Originally a Muun named Hego Demask, Plagueis trained under Darth Tenebrous. After he murdered Tenebrous, Plagueis, mentored a young Palpatine. Palpatine eventually joined Plagueis as his Sith apprentice. Plagueis was strong with the... read more

Darth Plagueis is the master of Darth Sidious, and that's true as I found it in an Official Star Wars fact file and in a novel. He manipulated the midi-chlorians, allowing him to bring his loved ones back from the dead. He is quite famous.

Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful... the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.

8 Exar Kun

Exar Kun has repeatedly shown the ability to invade the minds of others, including powerful Jedi Masters in their own dreams, as well as stripping away their minds and souls from their bodies with this power. From the beginning, he showed interest in learning more about the dark side, was very arrogant and prideful, looked down on his fellow students, even engaging in somewhat brutal fighting with them, and was very racist, believing that humans were superior to aliens.

Kun's mastery of the dark side allowed him to bend the Force to his will. His greatest feats include:

- Generating a supernova: He harnessed the Force to create a cataclysmic stellar explosion, dwarfing the power of mere starships.
- Entrancing the Galactic Senate: His dark charisma and manipulation ensnared the entire Senate, echoing through its hallowed chambers.
- Monstrous Creations: He twisted the fabric of life, birthing abominations that defied the natural order.

9 Galen Marek Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, was a male Human apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. A powerful Force-user who lived during the era of the Galactic Empire, Marek originated from the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk as the sole offspring of two Jedi Knights—Mallie and Kento Marek—who deserted... read more

Galen Marek, better known as Starkiller, grew to become one of Vader's greatest weapons and hunted down several Jedi. However, one of his targets, a Jedi by the name of Rahm Kota, managed to survive. Feigning a change of heart, Starkiller pledged himself to the Jedi's teachings.

Over time, however, he began to truly believe in the Jedi Order's teachings and turned his back on his master. Upon throwing his support behind the recently-formed Rebel Alliance, Starkiller battled his former master and even managed to overcome the Sith apprentice. Resisting Palpatine's demands that he slay Vader and take his place, Starkiller turned his fury on Darth Sidious, momentarily managing to drive back the Sith Lord. It's possible that Starkiller would have been able to defeat Sidious, but a moment's distraction cost him his life as Sidious blasted him with a bolt of lightning.

10 Darth Traya

Darth Traya was by far the most intelligent and insightful Sith Lord in all of history. I can see how Revan and Vader top the list, but you have to give credit to Traya. She was so insightful of the Force and the future that she went blind from it.

By far, Traya, although maybe not the most powerful Sith Lord, was the most intelligent Sith Lord with a powerful insight into the Force that no other Sith Lord could possibly compare to.

And she foresaw Boba Fett's death by the hands of Mace Windu, 4,000 years into the future! Come on! You know that is legitimate if you can see that far.

The Contenders
11 Darth Maul Darth Maul is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise Star Wars. Trained as Darth Sidious's first apprentice, he serves as a Sith Lord and a master of wielding a double-bladed lightsaber. Darth Maul debuted in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and has made subsequent appearances... read more

Darth Maul is the most epic character that first came to Star Wars. As well as looking really cool, he is one of the best duelists in the galaxy. Sadly, he was defeated very early on by Obi-Wan Kenobi. But he somehow survived his injury and started to become a powerful Sith Lord. He took over Mandalore with a group known as Death Watch, which is now his personal army. He also trained an apprentice known as Savage Opress, who took on Darth Tyranus and Asajj Ventress at the same time. Darth Maul actually escaped Darth Sidious when captured and lived on to the age of the Empire where he killed the Inquisitors and still lives on. No one knows what happened to him, but you have to admit Darth Maul deserves some credit for surviving that long.

12 Darth Tyranus / Count Dooku Count Dooku of Serenno, from the House of Dooku is a fictional character from the Star Wars franchise, appearing in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as a primary and minor antagonist respectively. He was portrayed by Christopher Lee and... read more

Dooku was one of the most powerful Jedi before he left the Order and learned more about the Dark Side of the Force, becoming even more powerful. He could battle powerful Jedi like Obi-Wan and Anakin by himself regularly and was able to hold them off without breaking a sweat. He only lost to Anakin because he was ordered to by his master. On top of that, he was very wise, and even Sidious was wary that if he wasn't kept in check, he could, with the help of his apprentice, overthrow him, which is up to speculation. Either way, Dooku was very powerful as both Sith and Jedi and should be ranked higher up as well.

13 Darth Malgus Darth Malgus is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Malgus was a member of the Sith Order during the Old Republic, and serves as an antagonist in The Old Republic video game.

Darth Malgus was a master of using his anger to his advantage during lightsaber combat. His rage allowed him to overpower any other lightsaber combatant he faced in battle. Standing at over seven feet tall, his size and strength allowed him to use brute force in a duel. Even without a lightsaber in his hand, he could still overpower anyone in the fight because he was an exceptional fighter.

Darth Malgus is said to be one of the most powerful Sith Lords during the time of the Old Republic because he was so strong in combat. He could take on numerous Jedi Masters all at once and was known for being able to beat even the best Jedi in single combat with ease.

14 Marka Ragnos

He has a scepter called the Scepter of Ragnos, which has the power to infuse a dead body, so the person can go back to life. This means Marka Ragnos is the second known Sith Lord in the history of the galaxy who can bring people back from death.

The only ancient Sith who didn't cause their own destruction, but led them to a golden age of strength and glory.

He was the most powerful of the most powerful of the Sith in the ancient Sith Empire. He was able to survive 5000 years as a spirit and nearly return in Jedi Academy. The corruption of his weakened spirit was strong enough to kill Tavion Axmis.

15 Darth Sion

Sion is an extremely powerful Sith Lord and can use the dark side to maintain his body and keep himself alive. If he is killed, Sion draws on his rage and pain to revive himself and can gain even more power by feeding on the dark side energies of places where it is particularly present.

Indeed, Sion only died because he allowed himself to die. You cannot say anything similar about any other Sith Lord. No matter how many people you kill, lives you create, people you dominate, or how many planets you drain, if you are mortal and thus killed by another, you are a lesser Sith Lord than Darth Sion.

16 Darth Caedus

When you realize Caedus's plan all along was to bring the galaxy together to be ready for the threat of Abeloth and the Sith Empire, it's crazy. His goal was to become the mutual enemy of the entire known universe so they would band together and be ready for what was to come. He wanted everyone to come together and become more powerful so if there's a huge threat to the galaxy, he wanted them to be prepared.

He sacrificed literally everything, including his name, for everyone and the greater good. He believed in sacrificing people for the greater good. The darkness around him caused him to fall to the dark side and the guilt of killing Mara Jade.

17 Naga Sadow

I mean, come on, he was an extremely powerful Sith sorcerer. He had his own living meditation sphere controlled by thought, could reshape and reassemble itself to create whatever he needed, and focused Force energy to make him more powerful. He could even manipulate and destroy stars and solar activity! Plus, he's a pureblood Sith. What more can you ask?

I say Revan. He is very powerful and was actually thought to be the chosen one. Revan bested anyone he had ever faced and managed to become twice as powerful when he had been the Dark Lord. He even would have killed the Sith Emperor if he had not been distracted.

18 Darth Malak Darth Malak is a fictional Sith lord in the Star Wars franchise. Malak first appeared in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He was originally a Jedi Knight trained by Revan, but both Revan and Malak fell to the Dark Side.

Darth Malak is by far one of the most ambitious Sith Lords, having lived in the shadow of Darth Revan for a long time. When he saw the opportunity to advance his station, he didn't hesitate to take it, even if that meant betraying his long-time accomplice. Regardless of their history, Malak was out for vengeance against Revan after Revan sliced off his jaw with his lightsaber.

It could be argued that without the help of Malak, Revan would not have been able to accomplish as much as they did. He played an essential role in locating and activating the Star Forge. His constitution and sense of determination are even a close match to Revan's. Malak's ruthless efficiency is also notable, as he significantly boosted the Star Forge's productivity before its destruction.

However, Malak's feats are challenging to consider without comparison to Revan's, proving that, even as powerful as he was, he will forever be overshadowed by his former master.

19 Kylo Ren Kyle Ren, also known as Ben Solo, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Kylo Ren commands the First Order with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber. Ren first appeared in 2015's Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, was... read more

A Dark Side Force user who has trained for years with the famous Luke Skywalker cannot defeat a measly sanitation worker or scavenger who has just started to discover her sensitivity to the Force. How the hell did he not dismantle Finn instantly? Non-Force users are notoriously garbage with lightsabers, and that was the second time he had ever turned one on. Yet he managed to fight off Kylo Ren for quite a while and even managed to wound him. And Chewy easily shot him.

Kylo Ren's skill is way underrated. Though I agree he does not deserve a top 10 spot yet, and would've lost to the likes of Maul or Vader, he still deserves mention. First, the fact that he was even dueling Rey with the extreme injury that still affects him in Episode 8 simply shows that he is a very tough combatant.

Also, along with these injuries that he sustained, both Rey and Finn were very skilled in physical combat. I will admit that while he is a skilled duelist, his Force abilities far outshine his dueling abilities. Freezing bolts flying with extreme force, an ability we have never seen. He was also able to use Sith mind control on unwilling and strong-willed opponents, very nearly extracting the information from Rey. All of these feats show he is powerful, yet I still don't believe he deserves a top 10 spot yet. But, he has only been training for six years, so we shall definitely see his full power and skill in the future.

20 Freedon Nadd

Conquered a planet with a blaster and a short-saber. Relative unknown, but generally speculated to be a peer to greats like Exar Kun and Naga Sadow. Personally, because of the lack of supporting evidence and the magnitude of their feats, I'd put him a step below. But then again, he was a direct disciple of Sadow himself, and was responsible for destroying his master's spirit utterly. So, you weigh that against his inability to completely subjugate the Beast Riders, and... Well, it's a tough call, to say the least.

21 Dathka Graush

He was a Sith sorcerer and was able to resurrect the dead for an army. Plus, he removed his heart and replaced it with a Sith Crystal. Not to mention he was a Sith King.

22 The Inquisitor

The Inquisitor practiced the powers of the dark side and was trained in the use of a lightsaber. He wielded a rotary lightsaber, which he also used as a one-handed lightsaber, activating only one blade. In addition to swordsmanship, he used the sword's spin to break his opponent's concentration and end the fight with minimal effort.

The Grand Inquisitor had been a temple guard before the fall of the Republic and had extensive knowledge of the archives. This made him a very skilled and intelligent opponent. The Grand Inquisitor allowed himself to die when he failed to capture Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, knowing his punishment would be severe.

23 Tulak Hord

What was that quote? The one in KOTOR 2 where the character says that the Sith of that time (Kreia, Sion, Nihilus) were merely children playing with toys compared to the ancient Lords? So, the Lord of Hunger and the Lord of Pain are considered children flaunting their toys when compared to the ancient Lords of the Sith. Tulak Hord was also Vitiate's master. Vitiate used his own dreashade against his master and killed him. With his power intact, not even Vitiate challenged this guy, so he got his dreashade to consume Tulak's life force so that Vitiate even had a chance of killing Tulak Hord. This is all just a glimpse into what kind of Sith Tulak Hord was.

24 Darth Maladi

She successfully sabotaged the Ossus Project, a massive humanitarian campaign to heal and revitalize hundreds of planets across the galaxy. The failure of the project caused massive suffering, prompting the start of the galaxy-wide Sith-Imperial War. Maladi also developed Omega Red, a powerful and deadly Sith toxin capable of killing any species except members of the One Sith.

Darth Maladi's father and mother were killed when she was young, so she fell into the hands of the Sith. In her time, she was the Sith's number one physician and even cured Darth Krayt himself, whose body was in decay from an infestation of Yuuzhan Vong Slave Seed. She was the director of Sith Intelligence and Assassination, and was one of the most influential Sith. She attacked the Jedi Order's headquarters, which effectively tore up the Jedi Order.

25 Darth Krayt

Darth Krayt, born as A'Sharad Hett, revered as the Dragon of the Sith, and known to some members of the Skywalker family as the Dark Man, was a long-lived Force-sensitive Human male who served as both a Jedi Master and general in the waning days of the Galactic Republic and as Dark Lord of the Sith following the fall of Darth Sidious. His power in the Force was formidable, and he claimed that after his resurrection, it multiplied. The dark side of the Force seemed to live through him, echoing the cosmic whispers of ancient power.

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