The Jedi are well known for building Jedi temples, places where Force-sensitives can study the ways of the light side and meditate. But what about the Sith? Did the Sith Order ever build a temple dedicated to the dark side?
Yes, there are many Sith temples scattered across the Star Wars universe. Temples were erected and destroyed as the Sith Empire rose and fell. There are temples on the Sith homeworld Moraband, a temple built by Vader, and rumors of a Sith temple on Coruscant.
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Where Are the Sith From?
A Sith, or member of the Sith Order, is simply a Force-sensitive individual who devotes themselves to the dark side of the Force. But where did they come from, and what spawned their beliefs?
Where is the Sith Homeworld?
Korriban, known later as Moraband, was the official homeworld of the Sith.
The Sith Order was originally part of the Jedi Order, but a difference in beliefs caused a schism. War broke out, and the Jedi that left the Order fled to Korriban, where they formed the Sith Order.
The name Sith likely comes from the Sith teachings they would have found on Korriban. The planet was originally the homeworld of a red-skinned species known as the Sith, who were known to wield the dark side of the Force.
In Legends, the fallen Jedi took over Korriban and forced the Sith species to worship them. They then interbred with them, eventually driving the species extinct. But, this version of events has since been removed from the Star Wars canon.
The nearby planet Ziost was also considered a Sith homeworld as the Sith took over the planet and used it as their capital for a time. (Legends)
But, considering the Sith Order were once Jedi, you could also call their homeworld Coruscant.
And much later, after the Republic’s fall and then the rebels’ victory over the Empire, Exegol became the homeworld of the Sith. This is where Sidious hid and built a fleet with the purpose of taking over the galaxy.
Where is the Sith Academy?
After the dark side practitioners in the Jedi Order relocated to Korriban, they built an academy to train Force-sensitives in the ways of the Sith.
While the specifics of the Sith Academy were later removed from Star Wars Canon, the Sith temple built on this training site remains part of Star Wars Canon.
Why Do the Sith Build Temples?
The Jedi built temples as holy sites, where they could meditate and grow their knowledge of the Force. These are also locations where they can pass on the ways of the Jedi to the next generation.
The Sith build temples for similar reasons, but instead, they seek to consolidate and enhance dark side power. The temples might be places for the next generation to learn, but they are not taught; they must find the knowledge they seek on their own.
The Sith temples are often constructed around strong sources of the Force. This includes light side energy, which they seek to corrupt, and dark side energy, which they seek to harness.
Many temple sites are also fortresses designed to guard Sith secrets, the remains of the deceased, and rare, dangerous weapons.
Where Are All the Sith Temples?
There are numerous Sith temples scattered across the Star Wars universe. During the course of history, there were times when the Sith ruled the galaxy triumphantly and others when they remained hidden on unknown worlds.
Due to the rise and fall of the Sith Order, temples were erected and then destroyed across many different planets. But there are a few key Sith sites where temples were built and still retain much of their dark side power.
How Many Sith Temples are on Moraband?
Moraband is more commonly known by the name Korriban. After many wars, the planet became the wasteland known as Moraband. The name Korriban fell out of use, only to be found in ancient texts.
Being the homeworld of the Sith, many temples were erected across the planet, but none are so well known as the Sith temple at the center of the Valley of the Dark Lords. This temple houses the tomb of Darth Bane.
There is at least one more canon Sith temple on Moraband, the one that protected the Sword of Khashyun.
But considering this was the Sith homeworld, and the Sith Order built temples to worship and protect their secrets, there were likely dozens if not hundreds of Sith temples erected across Moraband and nearby Ziost.
Is There a Sith Temple on Malachor?
Those who played the Knights of the Old Republic video games will be very familiar with the name Malachor and the Sith temple that resides there. This Sith temple is featured heavily in Revan’s storyline.
The Sith temple on Malachor is built to house a Sith superweapon capable of destroying life. Activated by a Sith holocron and powered by a giant kyber crystal, the superweapon immediately petrified all combatants during the Great Scourge of Malachor, Jedi and Sith alike.
Darth Sidious was aware of the superweapon but never used it.
Darth Vader confronted his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano at this Sith temple. The Jedi managed to prevail and stop the weapon from firing, but the energy rebounded and destroyed the weapon and much of the temple.
Darth Vader later explored the Sith temple’s remains on Malachor to gain a greater understanding of its secrets.
Where is Darth Vader’s Temple?
Once Darth Sidious and Darth Vader overthrew the Galactic Republic and exerted their control over the galaxy, they were free to come out as Sith.
While Darth Vader often traveled at his Master’s will from system to system, he did build a sort of home for himself on Mustafar.
The castle he built, titled Fortress Vader, was built on top of a cave infused with dark side energy. This same site once held a Sith temple. Although the temple had long since been destroyed when Vader took over the planet, the dark side cave remained.
Vader was even able to use the dark side energy from the cave to open a portal where he unsuccessfully searched for his deceased wife.
Even after Vader’s demise, the fortress remained a sort of Sith temple in its own right, guarding the Sith wayfinder that Kylo Ren later retrieved.
Was There a Sith Temple Under the Jedi Temple?
The Jedi Grand Temple on Coruscant is considered one of the holiest of places for the Jedi. It is the home of all Jedi. But the Jedi Temple wasn’t the original building at this site.
Many millennia before the Jedi built their temple here, the Sith found the location steeped in light side energy. In an attempt to capture that energy and corrupt it, they built a Sith shrine on the site.
They were eventually successful in turning the light side vergence to the dark, but the Sith Order was ultimately defeated by the Jedi.
The Jedi, in turn, reclaimed the site, building their temple on top of the shrine to cleanse the dark side from the ruins. The remains of the shrine sat underneath the meditation area and were only opened when dark artifacts needed cleansing.
Sidious learned of the shrine’s existence, passed down from his predecessors, and after the fall of the Jedi Order, had the temple excavated secretly and used this ancient Sith site for his own meditative purposes.
Does Exegol Have a Sith Temple?
Exegol has long been a place steeped in the dark side and eventually became the home to the Sith Eternal Cult.
During Darth Sidious’s reign, he returned to Exegol and began work in secret to rebuild and modernize the shipyards and carry out dark experiments, including experiments in cloning.
The site on Exegol wasn’t simply a Sith temple, though; it was a Sith city (or citadel). The place had many halls of worship, but the primary purpose of the citadel was for secret experimentation and the building of a fleet to end all fleets.
When Rey ultimately defeated Sidious, the fleet and much of the citadel were destroyed.
Conclusion
The Sith did not just have one temple; they had many temples. There were temples on planets that served as a home to the Sith like Moraband, Exegol, and Ziost. There were also Sith temples constructed on other worlds such as Mustafar and Coruscant.
The existence of these temples and other Sith-constructed sites means that there will always be secrets of the Sith, just waiting to be discovered by the next new Sith acolyte.