Summary
War, chaos, and strife are key parts of the history of theStar Warsgalaxy. MostStar Warscontent revolves aroundThe Clone Warsand the Galactic Civil War, though many events in the distant past were just as terrible as those faced by the movies' protagonists. While the good guys usually win, the forces of evil have had their victories as well.
From evil individuals like Emperor Palpatine (or Darth Sidious) to evil organizations like the Galactic Empire, the far, far away galaxy has had its fair share of scum and villainy. These factions show just how bad it can get.
10Deathwatch
Terrorist Sect Of Mandalorians
Mandalorians have always valued strength and fighting skills. Despite their inability to wield the Force, the Mandalorians were able to hold their own in awar against the Jedi Orderbecause of their fighting skills. However, during the time of the Clone Wars, Mandalore’s leadership was determined to remain neutral and peaceful.
Deathwatch was formed by a group of Mandalorians seeking to return to the old ways. Desperate for allies, many Deathwatch members swore allegiance to Darth Maul to retake their homeworld. Their opposition to peace led them to work with the former Sith lord to bring war back into their lives, making them a villainous faction that made the galaxy worse for many people.
9The Pyke Syndicate
Galactic Drug Cartel From Oba Diah
The Pyke Syndicate was one of the largest crime organizations in the galaxy. They focused most of their operations onthe spice trade, to the point that they controlled almost all the spice production in the galaxy. Their wealth bought them enough power to connect with the crime families on Coruscant, the Black Suns, and Maul’s Shadow Collective.
By the time of the Galactic Empire, the Pykes also controlled the coaxium mines on Kessel, and enslaved many people from species to work for them. Their role in drug production, slavery, and even the fall of Mandalore made the Pykes a notorious group in the galaxy’s underbelly.
8Knights Of Ren
Dark Side Order From The Fringes Of The Galaxy
The Knights of Renwere a small order of Force-sensitive marauders that lived in the Unknown Regions at the edge of the galaxy. Though their connection to the Force was not as strong as that of the Jedi or the Sith, they still managed to wreak havoc through their adherence to the Dark Side. Force-sensitive warriors could join their ranks either by killing someone close to them, or defeating a Knight of Ren in combat to the death.
Unlike the Jedi and the Sith, the Knights of Ren did not follow any code. They believed in using the Dark Side of the Force to take whatever they wanted, leading to the destruction of many worlds in the Unknown Regions. Even before deciding to follow Darth Sidious in the years after the Empire’s destruction, the Knights of Ren were the source for many tales of the danger waiting for those traveling beyond the Outer Rim.
7The Nihil
Outer Rim Pirates With Advanced Hyperspace Technology
As its name suggests,the High Republic erawas a time of peace and prosperity for most of the galaxy. The Outer Rim was being explored, and the Sith were not a major galactic threat. Instead, one criminal organization proved a surprisingly effective threat to the galaxy:The Nihil.
At the time, hyperspace technology was limited so that ships could only enter and exit it at specific points. The Nihil, however, had technology that allowed their ships to enter and exit hyperspace whenever and wherever they pleased. This advantage made them a terrifying foe. Their leader, Marchion Ro, had a strong vendetta against the Jedi. Throughout the High Republic novels and comic storylines, he and his cult-like pirates found victory in many devastating events, such as the Great Hyperspace Disaster.
6The Confederacy Of Independent Systems
Eclectic Group Of Business Leaders And Idealists
Confidence in the Republic waned in the decades leading up to the Clone Wars. Following The Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo, many systems felt so disillusioned with the Republic that they agreed to secede from it. This new confederacy was led by Count Dooku with the help of theTrade Federation’s leader Nute Gunrayand other wealthy business leaders.
Ultimately, this paved the way for the start of The Clone Wars and the destruction of the Republic, the Separatists, and the Jedi Order. While many senators joined the Separatist cause out of idealistic views, they ended up doing significant damage. They were also all deceived, as Darth Sidious was a puppet master who played both sides of the Clone Wars in pursuit of galactic domination.
5The Hutt Cartel
Crime Syndicate That Controlled Thousands Of Systems
The Hutts were originally a powerful empire spanning a large portion of the galaxy. 15,000 years before the events of the originalStar Wars, they reorganized into a cartel that wielded power through wealth. For millennia, the Hutts employed drug runners, smugglers, assassins, bounty hunters, and even slavers to exert their influence.
They remained neutral in most galactic conflicts, and only got involved if there was something they could gain for themselves. Hutts only worked with outside forces like the Republic if it meant they could get the upper hand on their rivals.
4The Nightsisters
An Order Of Dark Side Force Users
The Witches of Dathomir, also known as the Nightsisters, use their homeworld’s affinity for the Dark Side to become powerful. Their use of the Force is more akin to magic than that of other Force users. The most powerful Nightsisters could appear as ghosts and bring the dead back to life.
Before the Clone Wars, they were led by Mother Talzin, who shared secrets with Darth Sidious. He betrayed her and tookMaul as his apprentice. Their demise would follow during the Clone Wars when General Grievous attacked Dathomir and left few survivors. Their devotion to the Dark Side, along with their unorthodox powers, made them a formidable group.
3The First Order
The Remnants Of The Empire Re-organized
After Emperor Palpatine’s death aboard the second Death Star, the Empire was declared defeated. Its fleets and loyal officers scattered, and victory for the New Republic seemed guaranteed. Unbeknownst to the Republic, Emperor Palpatine had a plan for a second rise to power if the Empire was defeated. Supreme Leader Snoke, a clone of the Emperor, organized the Imperial remnant into the First Order, but remained in the Unknown Region of the galaxy for several decades.
Eventually, the First Order used Starkiller Base to destroy core worlds of the New Republic. This plunged the newly-restored Republic back into chaos and killed trillions. The First Order’s dedication to the fascist Imperial ways and its Sith overlord made them truly evil.
2The Galactic Empire
Darth Sidious Ruled With An Iron Fist
At the end of the Clone Wars, the Supreme Chancellor declared that the Republic would be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire. For the next few decades, he ruled the largest government that the galaxy had ever seen. He and his apprentice, Darth Vader, hunted surviving Jedi withtheir Inquisitorius programand kept citizens in line with threats of imprisonment or worse.
The Empire also did the unthinkable, using its technological terror called the Death Star to destroy a planet in a single blast. Life under Imperial rule was miserable for anyone who did not bow to the Emperor’s whims, and so the rebellion grew to oppose them.
1The Sith
The Preeminent Order Of The Dark Side
The most evil faction in the galaxy’s history was undoubtedly the Sith Order. They were founded by a Jedi who turned to the Dark Side centuries before the rise of the Empire, and remained a threat until Darth Sidious' defeat on Exegol.Before Darth Bane institutedthe Rule of Two, the Sith rivaled the Jedi in numbers. They founded the Sith Empire and plunged the galaxy into a civil war with the Old Republic.
Even after their apparent defeat, the Sith operated in the shadows. Having only a master and apprentice helped hide their activities from the Jedi and the Republic, to the point that the Sith were thought extinct. However, Darth Sidious took advantage of this to wipe out the Jedi Order and create the Galactic Empire. Between their devotion to the evil Dark Side and the wars they caused, the Sith were the ultimate evil in the galaxy.
