One Of Star Wars’ Most Powerful Sith Lords Was Played By … Mark Hamill?

Darth Bane was a member of the Sith Empire — then known as the «Brotherhood of Darkness» — during the Fall of the Old Republic around 1,000 years before the events of «Star Wars: The Clone Wars.» He ended up being the sole Dark Side survivor of the Jedi-Sith War, a conflict that resulted in almost the total destruction of the Sith Order. The Jedi even believed that the Sith had been vanquished forever, but Bane secretly survived the conflict.

Realizing the damage that their constant infighting had done to the Sith, Bane reformed the Order with a new, guiding mandate known as «The Rule of Two.» The directive stipulated that there could only ever be two Sith — a Master to share their knowledge and power and an apprentice ambitious enough to one day take their place. The Rule of Two limited the amount of inevitable Sith infighting and laid the foundation for a seemingly endless cycle of violent ascension. Bane’s mandate was followed closely by his successors, including Emperor Palpatine, which means it paved the way for the eventual fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire.

Darth Bane’s role in the history of the Sith is alluded to during his scene in the Season 6 finale of «The Clone Wars.» When his specter asks Yoda if he knows who he is, the Jedi Master says, «Yes. Darth Bane. The ancient Sith Lord, you are. Created the Rule of Two, you did.» In response, Darth Bane explains, «The Sith killed each other. Victims of their own greed. But from the ashes of destruction, I was the last survivor. I chose to pass my knowledge on to only one. I created a legacy so resilient that now you come before me.»