Star Wars Finally Explains A Sequel Era Sith Cult

A Star Wars tie-in has finally explained a Sith-era cult that operated in the shadows during the sequel era. In 2015 Lucasfilm launched the Aftermath trilogy, a series of books that explored the time period between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The books actually set up Emperor Palpatine’s return years before The Rise of Skywalker finally delivered on the concept. It also introduced a mysterious Force cult called the Acolytes of the Beyond, who initially seemed much more important to the overarching Star Wars franchise than they ultimately proved to be.

A dark side cult that flourished after the Battle of Endor, the Acolytes of the Beyond were formed by Imperial loyalists such as Yupe Tashu, who believed they were serving the Emperor and preparing the way for his return. Members of the Acolytes of the Beyond were not Force-sensitive themselves, but they had an obsession with collecting Sith artifacts. On missions they wore ancient Sith masks, steeped in the dark side of the Force. Although these masks didn’t possess Sith spirits like the mask of Darth Momin, they nevertheless boosted their wearer’s physical abilities and made them dangerously aggressive and bloodthirsty.

Lucasfilm’s new Secrets of the Sith book purports to be a collection of notes from Emperor Palpatine himself, and they include his reflections on the Acolytes of the Beyond:

“Not all who worship the dark side are strong with the Force. Some are merely fanatics who understand that the dark side is the one true path to victory—even if it is a path they are not capable of walking themselves. One such group of adherents was the Acolytes of the Beyond. They believed that the Force is akin to a river, and that the dark side is the only means of changing its currents. To alter the future in their favor, they devoted themselves to gathering Sith arcana, destroying the objects, and releasing the dark energies within as a sacrificial offering to the ancient Sith Lords. Later, the Acolytes wisely decided that these irreplaceable artifacts should be revered, not destroyed. Led by a number of extreme loyalists—including my former Imperial advisor, Yupe Tashu—the Acolytes relentlessly pursued Sith secrets, fueling their unwavering devotion to my cause.”

It’s not difficult to piece together the role the Acolytes of the Beyond played in Palpatine’s plans. In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, Palpatine had his agents initiate Operation Cinder, envisioned as an act of retribution against the galaxy. This was the ultimate scorched-earth policy, with the Emperor’s most loyal followers launching genocidal attacks on countless worlds. Operation Cinder served a secret purpose: destroying Palpatine’s hidden bases and erasing all traces of his secret plans. The Acolytes must have initially served a similar purpose, allowing the Emperor to have ancient Sith artifacts destroyed before Jedi Master Luke Skywalker stumbled upon them. Presumably, the dark lord’s focus shifted when Luke established his Jedi Temple, and he thus had the Acolytes of the Beyond begin collecting these Sith relics in order to pass them on to him.

Secrets of the Sith is written shortly before Rey arrived on Exegol, a desert planet in the Unknown Regions and home to the Final Order, and it’s interesting to note Palpatine used the past tense to describe the Acolytes of the Beyond. The Emperor had always tended to discard tools when they had served their usefulness—as Darth Maul and Count Dooku learned in the prequel trilogy—and it is likely he did the same with the Acolytes. For now, though, at least this sequel-era Sith cult’s place in Star Wars lore has been explained.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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