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“Always two there are: a master, and an apprentice.” That line of dialogue, spoken by Master Yoda in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was what basically summed up the infamous “Rule of Two” incorporated into the Sith Order. It specified that there were only ever two Sith serving at a time, it was a cornerstone of understanding how the evil Force users operated. At least it was, until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not only introduced one big pile of Sith witnessing the supposed victory of the clone of the deceased Emperor Palpatine, but also rewrote yet another presumed rule of the Star Wars saga.
In the Junior Novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, there was a pretty important detail that was included when it came to how Sith Lords truly operate. Those details, unveiled via ComicBook.com are divulged in a cryptic sort of language:
The Prime is one, but the Jedi are many. The Sith were Many but often emerge ruled by Two. The Seeds of the Jedi have been Sown throughout the Galaxy, on Ossus, Jedha, Xenxiar, and Others. The Sith have no Seeds, since what they Bury does not Grow. They are the Despoilers of Worlds, and have Laid to Waste once Fertile Habitats such as Korriban, Ziost, Ixigul, Asog, and Others.
Now the presence of so many Sith during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s climactic events makes perfect sense, as they seemed to hide out on dead worlds that they despoiled throughout the course of the Skywalker Saga. And all it took was Daisy Ridley’s Rey reading these details in an ancient text present in the junior novelization of the film.
So if you’re looking to truly get the entire experience, you need to read the junior novelization, in addition to the expanded edition novelization and the Visual Dictionary, as well as playing the Fortnite tie-in. Which is odd, considering that this is quite possibly bigger than any other revelation that’s been had outside of the Star Wars cinematic canon.
For some time now, the assumption that only two Sith could be operating at a time was a pretty major consideration when dealing with the story of Star Wars. It’s something that basically explained the lack of evil Force users being on equal footing with the Jedi population through most of the saga. But The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Palpatine had a mass of Sith followers, which is why the fans had some lingering questions.
Of course, there’s now even more leeway for any future Star Wars spin-offs, midquels, and side stories that work their way into the future of the series. This is especially important considering films like the recently announced Taika Waititi film, and literary expansions such as the High Republic era, are both currently the spearhead of the Star Wars future.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently available on Digital HD, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. But, if you’re a Disney+ subscriber (or if you want to check out a 7-day free trial of the Disney subscription service) you can enjoy this movie today, with only a simple click.
