When Were The Sith First Named In Star Wars

Summary The term "Sith" was first used in Star Wars' 1976 novelization, months before the first movie's release in 1977.

Fans and creators were clueless about the Sith until The Phantom Menace in 1999 when the Sith were explored in the prequel trilogy.

Despite their absence for decades, the Sith have become integral to the Star Wars story, with characters like Palpatine embodying ultimate evil.

Star Wars has long presented the Sith as the franchise's primary villains, but when was the term first used? Be it Emperor Palpatine in the original trilogy or Darth Maul and Count Dooku in the prequels, Star Wars' most powerful Sith Lords have often been the foils of the Jedi Order. This will undoubtedly continue in upcoming Star Wars movies, with Palpatine set to have an influence over Rey's Jedi Order movie and the Dawn of the Jedi film potentially exploring the same for the Sith.

Over the course of the three movie trilogies and various TV shows, there have been several Star Wars Sith Lords introduced into canon. These Sith Lords stretch back to the days of the Old Republic and beyond, at least in Star Wars Legends, proving just how long the dark-siders have been antagonists of the Jedi Order within a galaxy far, far away. However, an interesting question to explore is when the term Sith was first used in Star Wars, and how common of a moniker it has become.

Related The First Sith In Star Wars Explained Although Legends provided significant history on the Sith and their origins, Star Wars canon has yet to reveal the specifics of the very first Sith.

The Term "Sith" Was First Used In Star Wars' 1976 Novelization

The Written Passage Of A New Hope Mentioned The Dark Warrior Code

Interestingly, the term Sith predates any Star Wars movie's theatrical release. The first Star Wars movie in release order was, of course, A New Hope in 1977, then simply titled Star Wars. However, the term Sith was first used months before the film's May 1977 release date in November 1976. In the latter month, the novelization of the movie was released, titled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.

This novelization was credited to George Lucas, despite being ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster.

In this novelization, the word Sith can be found for the first time. The word is used to describe Darth Vader, with the book dubbing him as the Dark Lord of the Sith. Interestingly, the word Sith then somewhat disappeared from the Star Wars franchise, until the further development of the universe in the 1990s.

For Decades, Nobody Knew What The Sith Were

The Sith Could Have Been Anything For All Most Star Wars Creators Were Concerned

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After this mention of the Sith in the Star Wars novelization, the term all but disappeared. Fans who watched the original trilogy in the 1970s and 1980s had no idea what the Sith were, nor what the term even meant in regard to Darth Vader. This drastically differs from their counterparts the Jedi, with Obi-Wan Kenobi providing somewhat of an explanation of what the Order stood for during his first conversation with Luke in A New Hope. Where the Sith were concerned though, no one knew what they were.

This even extended beyond Star Wars fans to legitimate creators within the franchise. For example, Timothy Zahn was hired to write the Heir to the Empire trilogy in the 1990s, during which he developed a race called the Nohgri. Initially, Zahn planned to have the Sith be another word for the Nohgri, making them a species that Darth Vader had dominated. This proves how little anyone knew of the Sith, with Lucas telling Zahn not to go through with this plan without explaining what the term even meant.

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The Movies Didn't Mention The Sith Again Until 1999

The Phantom Menace Marks The First Usage Of The Word Sith In A Star Wars Movie

One of the most mindblowing facts in all of Star Wars is that the word Sith was not used in a single Star Wars movie before Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Despite being present in the novelization for A New Hope, none of the movies in the original trilogy speak the word Sith. Even upon Palpatine's introduction in Return of the Jedi, the word Sith is not used, which partly explains why no one knew what it meant going into the 1980s and 1990s.

In The Phantom Menace, the Sith are finally referred to as the antithesis of the Jedi. ..

It was only upon the release of The Phantom Menace in 1999 that the word Sith was uttered in a Star Wars movie. Lucas naturally planned to have the Sith be explored in the prequel trilogy, which he began mapping out in the early-to-mid-1990s. This explains why Lucas vetoed Zahn's idea to have the Nohgri be the Sith, as he was already planning the deeper exploration of the organization for the prequel trilogy. In The Phantom Menace, the Sith are finally referred to as the antithesis of the Jedi.

The prequels delved into Sith Lords like Palpatine, Maul, Tyrannus, and Vader in a way Star Wars never had before. It was finally explained that the people who train in the dark side of the Force are dubbed Sith and that they are the ancient enemies of the Jedi Order. Considering how important the Sith are to Star Wars' infrastructure, it is unbelievable that no one knew what they were between 1976 and 1999.

The Sith Have Since Become Essential To The Star Wars Story

Palpatine Alone Proves How Important The Sith Have Become To Star Wars

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Ironically, considering the absence of the Sith for decades in Star Wars, the dark side warriors have become integral to the fabric of the franchise. Palpatine's role in the Skywalker Saga proves this. In all three Star Wars trilogies, Palpatine has served as the primary villain. Through Palpatine, the Sith have proven to be the ultimate evil in the galaxy where the Jedi are concerned, rearing their heads in different eras for the guardians of light to face off against.

Star Wars' most compelling characters often struggle between their allegiance to the Sith and the Jedi...

This alone sums up how important the Sith have become to Star Wars' formula, without mentioning how the franchise's best characters are aligned with the dark side organization. Be it Anakin Skywalker in the prequel and original trilogies or Ben Solo/Kylo Ren in the sequel films, Star Wars' most compelling characters often struggle between their allegiance to the Sith and the Jedi. Darth Maul is seemingly the key to making excellent Star Wars TV shows, primarily driven by his ties to the Sith.

Related This One Villain Is The Secret Ingredient To Star Wars' Best TV Episodes - & It's Not Darth Vader Several of the best Star Wars TV episodes ever produced contain one iconic franchise villain - and it may come as a surprise to learn who it is.

Even recent Star Wars TV shows like The Acolyte have made the Sith integral to storytelling. The show's exploration of a Sith warrior named Qimir was undoubtedly the best part of The Acolyte, with the teases to a major Star Wars Sith Lord like Darth Plagueis raising intriguing possibilities going forward. All of this just proves how vital the Sith now are to Star Wars, despite being an unknown quantity for so many years. Only after Lucas chose to delve into the dark-siders did they become essential, changing Star Wars for the better.