A new theory suggestsStar Warshas actually introduced a Sith Apprentice inStar Wars: The High Republic. TheHigh Republic Erawas the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic, a time when the light of the Jedi shone brightly across the galaxy. Naturally, the light did not go unopposed; the Jedi faced intense opposition from groups such as the Path of the Open Hand, the Nihil space pirates led by their twisted leader Marchion Ro, andForce predators called the Nameless.
Meanwhile, the threat of the Sith lurked in the shadows. The Jedi believed the Sith to have been wiped out 800 years ago, after the defeat of Darth Bane. They had no idea that Bane established a Sith lineage through theRule of Two; the Baneite Sith played the long game, working to undermine the Jedi slowly and gradually. But there’s actually some evidence that one High Republic character is in fact a Sith apprentice, one who has been forced to step out of the shadows.
Who Is Azlin Rell, The High Republic’s Prospective Sith Apprentice?
A fallen Jedi who feared the horrific threat of the Nameless
Azlin Rell was a Jedi who crossed paths with the creatures known as the Nameless during a tragic confrontation on the planet Dalna. The mere presence of the Nameless distorts the Force, subjecting nearby Jedi to terrifying visions, and they consume the Force from their victims - reducing them to calcified husks.Although Azlin Rell survived, his mind was broken.He fled from the Jedi, and dedicated his life to uncovering the secrets of the Nameless.
This quest took him into the depths of the dark side, as he became absolutely consumed by fear and hatred. He certainly learned some Force powers associated with the dark side, unnaturally extending his own lifespan, only returning to the Jedi 150 years after he’d vanished. The Nihil had unleashed the threat of the Nameless upon the entire galaxy, and Azlin Rell wanted to do his part to destroy them.
Azil Rell Seemed To Know About The Sith
He accidentally hinted at the Sith
Azlin Rell played a key role in Charles Soule and Ibraim Roberson’sShadows of Starlight#1. There, he manipulated Master Yoda into letting him commit planetary bombardment to kill people he believed knew the location of the Nameless' homeworld. Master Yoda was understandably distracted by the atrocity, and never noticed Azlin Rell’s words as he explained his actions.
This act was a gift, to everyone who touches the Force. Jedi, Sith, all of us.
Although Azlin Rell denied being aSith Lord, he claimed his act was a gift - “to everyone who touches the Force.Jedi, Sith, all of us.” The key point is that he used the present tense to describe the Sith, as though aware they still existed. Yoda never noticed this slip of the tongue, but it’s a hint of just where Azlin Rell learned secrets of the dark side.
Azlin Rell Used The Sith Shrine On Coruscant
Again, the Jedi never noticed his wording
The Jedi of the High Republic imprisoned Azlin Rell in theJedi Temple on Coruscant, but this too seems to have been his plan. Azlin Rell was powerful in the dark side of the Force, able to effortlessly slip past the Temple Guards, andhe seems to have been particularly interested in the Shrine in the Depths- the ancient Sith shrine that lay beneath the Jedi Temple, its dark presence capped by the light of the Jedi.
The presence of the Nameless was leading to a strange sickening of the Force, one described in ancientJedi prophecies, and the Sith shrine had been affected. This effect was known as the Blight, and Azlin Rell hinted at its influence in George Mann’sTears of the Nameless. He described a “creeping danger in our own midst,” which the Jedi eventually learned to be the Blight in the Shrine. Crucially, though, they never joined the dots; focused on the Blight, they never realizedAzlin Rell must have visited the Shrine in the Depths.
It seems unlikely that Azlin Rell would be an actual Sith Lord. The more reasonable explanation is that his quest led him to the Sith, and he apprenticed himself to the Sith Lord of the High Republic Era, learning secrets of the dark side from them. Then, when the Nameless re-emerged, he stepped out of the shadows - sacrificing himself for what he believed to be the greater good. By this interpretation, he is not exactly Sith, but rather is Sith-adjacent - and well aware of their existence.
There is a certain tragic irony to the story of Azlin Rell, one that deepens the sorrow of the Skywalker saga itself. He may be manipulative, but he’s not exactly subtle; he’s inadvertently dropped two hints at his awareness of and involvement with the Sith, but the Jedi never picked up on them, because they were focused on the problems of the day.Star Wars: The High Republicreally has potentially added a whole new wrinkle to the story of the Jedi and the Sith.
