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There is no official list of exactly 39 Sith Lords in Star Wars canon. The number comes from fan-made compilations that combine confirmed Sith, names preserved only in reference books or in-universe stories, characters restored from Legends, dark-side users who were never Sith, and at least one duplicate entry: Darth Sidious appears twice in one widely circulated 39-name list.
A more accurate question is: Which Sith Lords are currently known by name in canon, and how certain is each identification? The answer depends on how strictly “canon Sith Lord” is defined. Some characters are central figures in canon stories. Others are known only from a statue, a legion name, a brief reference, or a fictional account within the Star Wars universe.
This guide separates those categories and explains why the familiar “39 Sith Lords” list should not be presented as an official roster.
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The Sith Lords directly established in canon stories
These characters have the strongest evidence: canon films, television episodes, books, comics, or reference works directly identify them as Sith or unambiguously establish their Sith identity.
Darth Bane
Darth Bane survived the destruction of the ancient Sith order and established the Rule of Two: there would be one master to embody power and one apprentice to crave it. His canon appearance is in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in the episode “Sacrifice.” Official StarWars.com material also identifies Bane as the Sith associated with this succession principle.
The Rule of Two should not be interpreted as meaning that only two Sith names can exist across all of history. It describes the intended active structure of the order at a given time. A master could replace an apprentice, and an apprentice could eventually overthrow a master.
Darth Zannah
Darth Zannah is named as Darth Bane’s apprentice in Star Wars Helmet Collection 2. That establishes her name and relationship in current canon, but her extensive biography from the Darth Bane novels remains Legends. Details from those novels should not be presented as part of her current-canon history.
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Darth Tenebrous
Darth Tenebrous is identified in canon as Darth Plagueis’s Sith master. Beyond that relationship, most of the character’s detailed biography belongs to Legends. Tenebrous is also one of the ancient Sith names used for a Sith Eternal stormtrooper legion in The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary.
Darth Plagueis
Darth Plagueis is the Muun Sith Lord who trained Sheev Palpatine. Palpatine first mentioned him in Revenge of the Sith, while The Acolyte later gave the character a physical appearance in canon. His place in the Sith succession leading to Sidious is therefore firmly established, although not every detail from the former Legends novel Darth Plagueis carries over.
Darth Sidious, or Sheev Palpatine
Darth Sidious was the Sith master who engineered the fall of the Galactic Republic, manipulated the Clone Wars, became Emperor, and trained successive apprentices. His public identity was Sheev Palpatine.
Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker involves Sith-related cloning and essence-transfer practices. It does not create a second Sith character: Darth Sidious and Sheev Palpatine are the same individual. This is one reason some fan lists accidentally inflate their totals.
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Darth Maul
Darth Maul was Sidious’s first known apprentice. Sidious replaced him after Maul’s apparent defeat, but Maul continued to pursue power and claim a connection to the Sith. Later, Maul described himself as “formerly Darth,” making clear that he was no longer an active member of Sidious’s intended Sith succession.
Maul’s later leadership of criminal and political organizations does not turn those groups into a new Sith order. His status changed over time, but he remains a canon Sith figure.
Darth Tyranus, or Count Dooku
Count Dooku became Darth Tyranus, Sidious’s apprentice after Maul. He retained his aristocratic public identity as Count of Serenno while serving as a Sith Lord and directing the Separatist movement. His earlier Jedi identity and later Sith allegiance are both central parts of his canon story.
Darth Vader, or Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader was Sidious’s final Rule-of-Two apprentice. Before his fall, he was Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The title Darth Vader therefore belongs to the same person as Anakin Skywalker, not to two separate Sith Lords.
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Vader’s redemption at the end of Return of the Jedi does not erase his status as a former Sith Lord. It does mean that lists should distinguish between his period as Sidious’s apprentice and his final rejection of the Sith.
The Stranger, or Qimir
The Acolyte introduces Qimir, also known as the Stranger, as the hidden Sith Lord operating during the High Republic era. Later canon reference material identifies the character as a Sith Lord. He was connected to Darth Plagueis’s line and took Mae Aniseya as an acolyte.
Qimir’s appearance also demonstrates why a simple chronological list can be misleading. The Rule of Two allows successive masters and apprentices, so Sith figures from different generations may all be known by name even though the order is supposed to have only two active members at a time.
Darth Momin
Darth Momin was an ancient Sith whose consciousness became attached to his mask. Official StarWars.com material identifies him as a Sith trained by Lady Shaa who eventually betrayed her. His mask and surviving consciousness make him one of canon’s clearest examples of a Sith attempting to evade ordinary death.
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Darth Shaa was Darth Momin’s Sith master. Her name and identity are confirmed in The Star Wars Book and related official material. Canon provides only a limited account of her life, so the relationship with Momin is more secure than any broader biography.
Other named Sith in canon references, stories, and visions
The following figures are associated with the Sith in canon, but the available evidence is thinner. Some appear only in a reference book, a brief story, a Force vision, or an in-universe legend. Their inclusion is reasonable in a broad canon roster, but they should not be described as fully documented characters.
Darth Caldoth and Ry Nymbis
Darth Caldoth is a Duros Sith Lord referenced in Myths & Fables. Ry Nymbis is a Twi’lek Sith associated with him. The story presents both as exceptionally powerful figures, but it is framed as an in-universe account. The characters’ canon existence and association with the Sith can be acknowledged without treating every event in the tale as verified galactic history.
Darth Krall, also known as Radaki
Dooku: Jedi Lost introduces Darth Krall, whose former name was Radaki. He became a Sith after rejecting Jedi teachings that discouraged attachment to family and material wealth. The source establishes the character, but does not provide the extensive historical detail available for figures such as Vader or Dooku.
Darth Skrye
Darth Skrye appears briefly in a Force vision in Dooku: Jedi Lost. Her Sith identity is clear, but her chronology, accomplishments, and place in the wider Sith succession remain largely unknown.
Darth Wrend
Master & Apprentice references Darth Wrend through a prophecy concerning his supposed return from death. The reference confirms a legendary Sith figure, not a complete biography or a verified account of resurrection.
Darth Quellus
Darth Quellus appears in “The Kindling,” published in Life Day Treasury. The story describes him as a Sith who served the Sith Empire and acted as an emissary during a conquest. His name and role are canon, while his wider history is scarcely developed.
Darth Noctyss and Darth Sanguis
Darth Noctyss was a Sith Lord obsessed with immortality, appearing in Dark Legends and being referenced in Shadow of the Sith. Darth Sanguis was her apprentice and participated in experiments connected with that pursuit of immortality.
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Because Dark Legends is framed as a collection of in-universe tales, these characters should be described as Sith figures preserved through canon storytelling rather than as thoroughly documented historical personalities.
Darth Atrius
Darth Atrius is a Sith from Star Wars Annual 4. His paired crossguard lightsabers survived his death and were later recovered. The weapons provide more concrete surviving evidence than the character’s biography, which remains limited.
Darth Ravi
Darth Ravi is an ancient Sith referenced in The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi and depicted in Echoes of Fear. He was already considered ancient by the High Republic era, but canon has not supplied a detailed account of his reign, apprentices, or eventual death.
Exim Panshard
Exim Panshard was a canon Sith Lord and former viceroy whose mask preserved his spirit. He was mentioned in Aftermath: Empire’s End and appears in Shadow of the Sith. His survival through an object places him in the same broad tradition of Sith attempts to preserve consciousness as Darth Momin and Darth Noctyss.
The Sith Lord of Gairm
The character known as the Sith Lord of Gairm is mentioned in “The End of History,” published in Star Wars Insider 154. No personal name, species, gender, or biography is supplied. The correct canon designation is not “Darth Gairmu”; that name is a fan-created expansion or misreading.
Sith names preserved through Sith Eternal legion titles
The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary established several ancient Sith names through the names of Sith Eternal stormtrooper legions. This is meaningful canon evidence, but it is not equivalent to a character appearing on screen or receiving a biography. In most cases, the source does not establish a date, species, apprentice, or specific accomplishment.
| Sith name | Canon evidence |
|---|---|
| Darth Revan | Namesake of the Sith Eternal 3rd Legion. |
| Darth Andeddu | Namesake of the 5th Legion. |
| Darth Tanis | Namesake of the 17th Legion. |
| Darth Tenebrous | Namesake of the 26th Legion; this is the same Tenebrous identified as Plagueis’s master. |
| Darth Phobos | Namesake of the 39th Legion. |
| Darth Desolous | Namesake of the 44th Legion. |
The reappearance of names such as Revan, Andeddu, Phobos, and Desolous does not automatically restore their detailed Legends biographies. In particular, the canon versions of Darth Phobos and Darth Desolous should not automatically be treated as the same versions seen in The Force Unleashed games.
Tenebrous is also a useful counting warning: he appears in both the core Sith lineage and the legion-name evidence. He should be counted once, not twice.
Sith names associated with statues on Exegol
The junior novelization of The Rise of Skywalker identifies additional names through statues in the Sith Citadel on Exegol:
- Felkor
- Locphet
- Mindran
- Sissiri
- Naga Sadow
Felkor is explicitly described as a Sith Lord. The other names are associated with the Exegol Sith statues in the same material, but their individual biographies are extremely limited.
Canon references use Naga Sadow, not necessarily “Darth Naga Sadow.” The Darth styling comes from the character’s Legends usage and should not be added to the canon name without a current-canon source.
Why the total does not equal 39
Once duplicate names are removed and evidence is separated, the roster does not produce a single authoritative total. A broad compilation can reach the high thirties by combining:
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- fully established Sith Lords such as Bane, Plagueis, Sidious, Maul, Tyranus, and Vader;
- briefly referenced ancient Sith;
- names attached to Sith Eternal legions;
- names connected with statues on Exegol;
- mythic or in-universe legendary figures;
- characters whose detailed biographies belong to Legends;
- and dark-side users who were never actually Sith Lords.
That method may produce a fan list of 39 names, but it is not a canonically published count. It also risks double-counting Sidious, Tenebrous, or other figures whose names appear in more than one source.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Names commonly—but incorrectly—added to a canon Sith list
Several famous Sith names remain associated with Legends rather than current canon. Their presence in fan lists does not make them canon simply because other ancient Sith names have been reintroduced.
- Darth Cognus — Her full identity and biography remain Legends material.
- Darth Millennial — Legends.
- Darth Krayt — Legends; the canon Sith Eternal does not canonize the One Sith or Krayt’s later empire.
- Darth Talon, Darth Wyyrlok, Darth Maladi, and Darth Nihl — Legends.
- Darth Malgus and Darth Vitiate — associated with the Legends continuity of The Old Republic.
- Darth Ruin — Legends.
- Ommin — His detailed Tales of the Jedi biography is not restored to canon by general references to ancient Sith history.
- Ulic Qel-Droma — Canon reference material preserves his name and a version of his history in the quasi-historical “Qel-Droma Epics,” but not the original comic storyline as a whole.
- Exar Kun — Similarly referenced in canon without restoring the complete Legends account of the Great Sith War.
- Darth Krist-Ov and Neer — No reliable current-canon source supports counting either as a named Sith Lord.
- Darth Siberus — A Sith figure from Dark Legends, not part of the commonly cited official Sith Eternal legion list. If mentioned, he should be labeled an in-universe legendary figure rather than a fully documented historical Sith Lord.
Dark-side users who are not confirmed Sith Lords
“Sith” is not a synonym for “person who uses the dark side.” Canon treats the Sith as a particular order and tradition. A red lightsaber, an association with an Imperial faction, or an apprenticeship under a Sith does not automatically confer the title.
| Character or group | Why they should not be counted as a confirmed Sith Lord |
|---|---|
| Asajj Ventress | A dark-side acolyte and Dooku’s unofficial apprentice, but not a Rule-of-Two Sith Lord. |
| Savage Opress | Maul’s claimant and temporary apprentice, but not a formally recognized Sith Lord under Sidious’s order. |
| Quinlan Vos | Temporarily trained by Dooku as an unofficial apprentice; not a Sith Lord. |
| Pong Krell | A fallen Jedi, not a Sith. |
| The Grand Inquisitor and other Inquisitors | Imperial dark-side servants, not members of the Sith Rule of Two. |
| Kylo Ren, or Ben Solo | A dark-side warlord and master of the Knights of Ren, but not a Sith. The Knights of Ren and the Sith are separate traditions. |
| Snoke | A strand-cast artificial being created by Sidious, not a Sith Lord. |
| Dagan Gera | A fallen Jedi from Jedi: Survivor, not a Sith. |
| Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati | Dark-side Force-users who have not been established as Sith. |
| Nightsisters and other witches | Dark-side practitioners belonging to different traditions; using the dark side does not make them Sith. |
| The Presence | The entity associated with the Sith holocron in Rebels is not a separately named Sith Lord. |
How to describe the canon Sith roster accurately
- Do not call 39 an official total. Lucasfilm has not published a canon roster containing exactly 39 Sith Lords.
- Separate direct narrative evidence from references. Vader and Sidious are not supported in the same way as a name visible only on a legion list or statue.
- Label myths and in-universe stories. A character can be canonically present in a story without every detail of that story being reliable history.
- Keep canon and Legends biographies apart. Reusing a name does not automatically restore the character’s former continuity.
- Count identities, not aliases. Sidious and Sheev Palpatine are one person; Vader and Anakin Skywalker are one person; Tyranus and Count Dooku are one person.
- Do not count every dark-side user. Sith identity is a specific affiliation, not a general description of evil or Force use.
The accurate bottom line
The phrase “all 39 Sith Lords in Star Wars canon” describes a fan-made compilation, not an official Lucasfilm number. The known canon roster includes a small, well-established lineage—Bane, Zannah, Tenebrous, Plagueis, Sidious, Maul, Tyranus, Vader, Qimir, Momin, and Shaa—alongside ancient names preserved in stories, reference books, Sith Eternal legion titles, and Exegol statues.
Other names belong exclusively to Legends, appear only as mythic or quasi-historical references, or describe dark-side users who were never Sith. The most accurate headline is therefore “The Known Sith Lords of Star Wars Canon”, not a claim that canon contains exactly 39.
Sources and further reading: StarWars.com’s Sith Databank entry; StarWars.com on notable Sith; StarWars.com on The Star Wars Book; and the cited canon reference material, including The Acolyte, Dark Legends, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Master & Apprentice, Shadow of the Sith, The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, and the junior novelization of The Rise of Skywalker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there officially 39 Sith Lords in Star Wars canon?
No. Lucasfilm has not published an official canon roster containing exactly 39 Sith Lords. The number comes from fan-made lists that combine different evidence levels, include Legends characters and non-Sith dark-side users, and may count Darth Sidious twice.
How can there be more than two Sith Lords if the Rule of Two exists?
The Rule of Two means that the Sith order should have one master and one apprentice at a time. It does not mean that only two Sith can exist across all of history. Apprentices replace masters, and masters replace or discard apprentices, creating a succession of many named Sith.
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Is Kylo Ren a Sith Lord?
No. Kylo Ren was a dark-side warlord and leader of the Knights of Ren, but canon does not identify him as a Sith Lord. The Knights of Ren and the Sith are separate traditions.
Is Darth Revan canon again?
No. Darth Revan’s name was reintroduced in canon as the namesake of a Sith Eternal stormtrooper legion. His detailed biography from the former Legends continuity is not automatically canonized by that reference.
Is the canon character called Darth Naga Sadow?
No. Naga Sadow is the canon-referenced name. The “Darth” styling comes from Legends usage and should not be added to the canon name without a current-canon source.
The Bottom Line
There are not officially 39 Sith Lords in Star Wars canon. That number comes from fan lists that mix confirmed Sith with obscure references, in-universe legends, Legends characters, duplicates, and non-Sith dark-side users. The reliable approach is to identify the known canon Sith and label the evidence behind each name.
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