Stan Banas
English 101
2/1/2016

Sith vs. Jedi Throughout history we have bared witness to many epic battles. Whether they are between nations, people or corporations there have always been great rivalries in our past and will be many more on through our future. Each contestant always has its own advantages over the other as well as the people or organizational backing them. Very commonly the supporters feel very strongly about which side they have chosen and will go to great lengths to support their claim. In the infinite battle between the Jedi order and the Sith, we face this age old dilemma of: “Who is better?”
Within the Star Wars universe, Sith vs. Jedi is also often referred to as the light side vs. the dark side of the force. Nowhere in its history is one labeled as good or evil. Since the ancient Rakatan, the original users of the dark side around 30,000 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), the dark side was just another aspect of the force. Although in our traditional standards of good and evil, where the Jedi are known as keepers of the peace and justice, and the Sith are known to seek out galactic domination and harness there power through raw emotions such as anger, hatred, and greed, it can be argued that neither one is good or evil, and in fact each aspect are both, in fact, good and evil. The Sith were formed out of necessity from infighting within the ranks of the users of the dark side of the force. Darth Bane, around the year 1,000BBY, developed the “rule of two”, in which there could only be two Sith in power at any given time, a master and their apprentice. The purpose of this was to eliminate the infighting and form a sort of structure of government within their belief system. Sith believed that individual strength and passion would guide them, and used the force in this way as a means to an end. They may have looked to control the galaxy, but not always with malcontent. The Sith also align with the ideal that the dark side of the force is more about change and evolution, whereas the Jedi ideal is more used for maintaining the status quo. Two of the most important Sith in their history are Darth Bane, who created the Order of the Sith and Darth Sidious, who eventually fulfilled the original intent of Darth Bane by creating the first Galactic Empire ruled by Sith while imploring the rule of Two. This feat was completed over a 1,000 year era of Sith attempting to bring the galaxy together under their rule. There were many pivotal Sith during this timeframe that played important roles in allowing Darth Sidious to complete the big picture. The Jedi order is an ancient organization of force users that dates back to around ~25,700BBY. Their ideals lay in being the peacekeepers and enforcers of justice in the galaxy. Their belief system leads them to strengthen themselves in the force by adhering to a strict code that included concepts such as rational thought, patience, and benevolence. As said before, Jedi used the light side of the force for maintaining the status quo. Their methods of recruitment were harsher than that of the Sith order. Newborns were identified as force sensitives and were taken from their homes to be trained at the Jedi academy. We have seen this “indoctorinization” in our real world, and typically it is frowned upon. Essentially they are chosen for a higher purpose, a life of sacrifice, without ever being afforded the choice to do so themselves. One of the most notable Jedi to date is Grand Master Yoda. Born ~890BBY, he was rumored to have been trained by Jedi master N’Kata Del Gormo, but never confirmed. Having lived for such a long time, Yoda was able to rise to higher levels of force users that many others. Over his hundreds of years of life he was able to master every aspect of the force, to include mind powers and physical prowess with a lightsaber. Anakin Skywalker is another notable Jedi. Depicted as the “chosen one”, meant to bring balance to force and eliminate the Sith, he ended up joining up with the Sith in order to save the life of his wife, Padme. After turning to the dark side, he would later return to the light after an altercation with his son, Luke.
Upon deep evaluation of both organizations, I believe that the Sith order is the greater of the two. Sith are believed to be evil by our standards of such, but what they view as an endgame is control, which is a form of peace. Nowhere in the history of Star Wars does it say that the Sith intended to rule the galaxy with an iron fist or out of fear. Albeit not all Sith share this viewpoint, as seen in Darth Sidious, who was just power hungry. Essentially the Sith have more of a direct approach when it comes to peace in the galaxy, as well as supporting personal growth and growing into your own beliefs, not forcing their ideology upon others. Jedi are known to take at birth, conforming these “younglings” into soldiers who abide by a strict code, or are otherwise shunned. There is evil in both aspects of the force, some greater than others. However, every road has its bumps, and no to roads are the same.
On many aspects, both orders have things in common. The only differences between the two are the influence behind their power and the road they take to obtain their goal. Essentially they both want the same thing in the end, which is control, or peace. Each side has good and each side has evil. It can be said that one cannot exist without the other, for the force will be out of balance, which I believe to be true. However, without one holding power over the other, the Star Wars universe will never know peace, until one prevails over the other.