Marvel’sStar Warscomics have introduced a much-heralded Dark Side faction,and they have one major advantage over their Sith counterparts –they do not follow the restrictive “Rule of Two,“which allowed the Sith Order to survive for a thousand years, and eventually conquer the galaxy, but ultimately led to their downfall at the Battle of Endor.
InStar Wars: The Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege (2024)#1 – written byAlex Segura, with art by Stefano Raffaele – Luke Skywalker and his ally Rynn Zenat must fighting the Acolytes of the Beyond for posession of an ancient Jedi relic.
While they are fighting, the leader of this specific group of Acolytes, Yuan Howzell, says to Rynn,“the Acolytes of the Beyond are everywhere – if you defeat one, another will rise.“This is very different from the Sith’s rule if two, and it may give them an advantage over Luke Skywalker that the Sith didn’t have.
The Acolytes Of The Beyond Have Many Members, In Contrast To The Sith
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege (2024)#1 – Written ByAlex Segura, Art By Stefano Raffaele; Color By Alex Sinclair; Lettering By Joe Caramagna
The Sith Rule of Twowas part of a millennia-long plan, which required the two Sith left to remain secret, allowing them to seek revenge on the Jedi for their destruction in the Jedi-Sith war. The plan was fulfilled by Darth Sidious when he corrupted the Galactic Republic from within and discredited and diminished the Jedi Order, ultimately eliminating them and ruling the galaxy through a new Empire. Except Sidious, or Palpatine, deviated from the plan in one key way: he didn’t reinstate the Sith Empire, but rather made it his own, and maintained the Rule of Two.
Star Wars' Acolytes of the Beyond Are Rising to Power After Return of the Jedi, Uniting with Palpatine’s Successor
As the Empire fractures in the wake of Return of the Jedi, Star Wars' Acolytes of the Beyond have an important new role in the saga.
This preservedPalpatine’s stranglehold on power, but it also created a weakness for the Sith; when Sidious was killed on board the Second Death Star, and Darth Vader redeemed,it ended a line of Sith tradition that had gone unbroken for thousands of years. It did not, however, rid the galaxy of Dark Side users, andRepublic Under Siege#1 reminds readers that theStar WarsExpanded Universe is full of threats to test young Luke Skywalker, now that he is officially a Jedi.
The Acolytes Of The Beyond May Be A Bigger Threat To Luke Skywalker Than The Sith
An Enemy That Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon
InRepublic Under Siege,the Acolytes of Beyond ominiously promise that they will keep coming no matter how many times Luke strikes them down, setting them up as potent adversary for Luke Skywalkeras he seeks to re-establish the Jedi Order, and protect the fledgling New Republic, as Marvel’sStar Warscomicsexplore the post-Return of the Jedieraof the franchise’s timeline. Even if they’re not as powerful as the Sith, the Acolytes have the numbers, and that could become overwhelming for Luke.
Luke Skywalker is in for a bigger challenge as he becomes a Jedi Master, and his next great test asStar Wars’greatest hero comes in the form of the Acolytes.
The Acolytes of the Beyond worship Dark Side-users who have passed into the “Beyond”, and collect dark side relics. They then let the dark side presence of the relics' former user influence their actions. So, not only do the Acolytes have the numbers, but they also have the influence ofsome of the most dangerous Sithfrom the past.Luke Skywalker is in for a bigger challengeas he becomes a Jedi Master, and his next great test asStar Wars’greatest hero comes in the form of the Acolytes.
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege#1isavailable now from Marvel Comics.
