Lucasfilm’s Emily Shkoukani, writing at StarWars.com, explores obscure facts about Star Wars lore and continuity, and in this installment she explores mysteries of the Sith Eternal, Nightsister witches, and more, all in celebration of Halloween.
Occult fans gather, because Star Wars is making its mark on all things creepy, scary, and unexplainable. Over the past couple of years, occultism — mystical or magical beliefs and phenomena that have no explanation — has been growing exponentially in the galaxy far, far away. From haunted cities and fanatic cults to ominous creatures, Star Wars can be downright frightening. So to celebrate Halloween season, here’s a look at all things occult in the Star Wars.
Sith Eternal
Whether intentional or not, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seemed to usher in an age of the occult in Star Wars with its Sith Eternal back in 2019. Amassed on Exegol over decades, the Sith Eternal was a wicked cult of dark side worshippers that revered Darth Sidious as their leader — a huge red flag. In one of the most chilling scenes in Star Wars, Rey comes face to face with the phantom menace, but he’s not alone. As she peers around the throne room, hoards of people look on, chanting for what they hope to come: the sacrifice and the beginning of the end for the galaxy. (Read more about this creepy cult in Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith.)
Misadventures of Doctor Aphra
Notorious archeologist and known trouble-maker Doctor Aphra may be the queen of the occult in the Star Wars galaxy, and has a knack for finding bizarre artifacts littered across the stars. Kicking off Marvel’s 2020 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra series, Aphra finds herself on the hunt for the Rings of Vaale, fabled items that can grant the wearer fortune and eternal life, but not without a cost. Accompanied by grad student Detta Yao, former professor Doctor Eustacia Okka, smuggler/assassin Just Lucky, and bounty hunter Krrsantan, Aphra and the team locate the very real and eerily deserted city of Vaale on the planet Dianth, where the rings were supposedly crafted. Possibly one of the most haunting locations in Star Wars, Vaale’s walls are alive, singing at a frequency that makes people go mad. As the group scours the ruins for the rings, they each experience haunting visions and illusions but unable to find logic in the events, Aphra assumes they’re all hallucinating to explain the unexplainable. (Check out Doctor Aphra: Fortune and Fate for more on these events.)
In another terrifying tale, Doctor Aphra comes across the ancient Ascendent’s “thought dowser,” a device capable of amplifying the user’s thoughts, therefore allowing them to compel others to do their bidding. The Ascendant, a dark side cult existing in the distant past, created technology so dreadful even the Sith were wary of it. But Aphra, in her arrogance, believed she could use the device through a loophole, slicing into it with her electro-tattoos. Aphra was successful in using the thought dowser, allowing her to escape her enemies, but there was a price to pay; as a result of its misuse, the thought dowser fried Aphra’s arm, rendering her tattoos useless. This wouldn’t be the last time Aphra ran into the thought dowser and Ascendant technology, though. (Read more in Doctor Aphra: Crimson Reign.)
Mystics and Magicks
While recent stories continue to explore the occult, there’s precedent from prior storytelling that paved the way. The mystical Nightsisters of Dathomir are the epitome of the occult, dabbling in witchcraft and mysticism.
These women had a profound connection to their world and its dark energies, using it to channel their magic to cast spells, perform rituals, and even brew potions. In the Star Wars:The Clone Wars episode “Massacre,” the Nightsister elder, Old Daka, uses her magic to resurrect her coven’s dead sisters. These sisters rise up to defend their living kin, delivering frantic attacks and frightening shrieks against General Grievous and his droid army — a sure shock to their circuits.
Read more here.
