If you look at a rundown of all the canon Sith lords of Star Wars history, you’ll find that most of them look evil and deformed. Aside from a select few, they all give off a strong menacing presence.
From Emperor Palpatine to Darth Maul, some of the most terrifying looking creatures in Star Wars are Sith lords. There’s horns, scars, grotesque features, yellow eyes, and more.
Given all the alien species in Star Wars, Sith are still the most frightening. So why are Sith deformed? What makes them so ugly and evil-looking?
To give a quick answer, Sith are deformed because their anger and hatred fuel their lust for the dark side of the Force. This gives them unnatural power, and sometimes an unnatural appearance.
Still not convinced? Keep reading for all the details.
Table of Contents
Why Are All The Sith Disfigured?
While not all Sith are completely disfigured like Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) or Supreme Leader Snoke, it is common for Sith to have horrid yellow and red eyes.
While many people have their thoughts on why Sith have these eyes, most agree that it is due to the overwhelming power of the dark side of the Force.
In this scene, we see Anakin with his Sith eyes for the first time. In a matter of hours after pledging allegiance to Darth Sidious, Anakin has become full of the dark side of the Force, warping his mind and turning his eyes yellow and red.
Other Sith can become deformed through their use of unnatural dark power. For example, Darth Sidious rapidly becomes disfigured by his use of Force lightning in his fight with Mace Windu.
He looked like Chancellor Palpatine at the beginning of the battle, but by the end he had become grotesque due to his excessive use of the dark side of the Force.
Even Palpatine himself has to address it to the Senate as Chancellor since it’s such a big transformation. He calls himself, “scarred and deformed.”
While some think that his use of Force lightning deformed him, others believe that it just revealed his true face. Since Sheev Palpatine has always been Darth Sidious, it’s implied that Palpatine was the mask that Darth Sidious wore. In using the dark side of the Force so freely, he finally revealed his true self.
Why Do The Sith Look Ugly?
Some Sith become scarred in battle. Others become deformed by their unnatural power rooted in the dark side of the Force. Then, there are others that are “ugly” by other means entirely.
For example, Darth Maul is one of the most cruel and terrifying Sith in Star Wars canon. Not only does he have Sith eyes, he also has horns and a devilish appearance.
His skin is red and black, and he looks more monstrous than other Sith.
However, this is partially because of his alien species. Darth Maul and his brother Savage Oppress are from the planet Dathomir.
Dathomir is a planet that’s aesthetically dark and twisted. It’s almost entirely red with jagged terrain and creepy plantlife.
Its inhabitants are naturally just as dark and twisted. While Darth Maul and Savage Oppress may have gotten their Sith eyes from the dark side of the Force, the rest of their horrendous appearance comes from birth.
Even the female Sith like Asajj Ventress look inhuman. She appears normal aside from her ghostly skin and sunken features. Most, if not all Sith have been distorted by their pursuit of the dark side of the Force.
That much envy, rage, hate, and selfishness leaves a person hollowed out and twisted.
Has There Ever Been a Handsome Sith Lord?
Of all the Sith, Darth Vader (pre-Mustafar battle) and Kylo Ren are by far the most handsome. However, as Anakin’s power in the dark side grew, he grew more disfigured.
Anakin developed yellow and red eyes, iconic marks of a Sith. After his battle with Obi Wan on Mustafar, he was left scarred for life.
That’s how he managed to gain his protective suit and mechanical limbs. This made him even more evil-looking, being half machine and half man.
Kylo Ren (also known as Ben Solo) looked like a normal adult male, except for his menacing-looking helmet and subtle facial scar.
Unlike Anakin, his grandfather, he never developed Sith eyes. This is possibly due to the fact that he never fully gave himself over to the dark side of the Force.
In addition, you could argue that Darth Tyrannus (Count Dooku) was relatively handsome for an older man.
Unlike other Sith, he had not become deformed or developed the infamous yellow Sith eyes. He still resembled the man he once was when he was a Jedi knight.
Conclusion
Though there are many reasons Sith may be “ugly” or demented-looking, it all comes down to their use of the dark side of the Force.
No matter what they looked like before turning to the dark side, that unnatural power leads them to appear unnatural as well.
As we see with Sith, the evil inside eventually transforms the outside. With Jedi, the opposite happens. Their inner peace and balance translate into a healthy and young outward appearance.
This is just another way that the Force, when flowing through someone, can dramatically change their wellbeing and appearance. It is more powerful than we can imagine. As Yoda once said, “my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”
Mitchell Layton is a freelance writer and touring musician living in Philadelphia. When he’s not playing guitar or writing for clients, he enjoys rewatching cult classics like Star Wars, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and more. Mitchell has been published by sites like HM Magazine, Glassworks Literary Magazine, GameRevolution, Pif Magazine, and others.