Star Wars: Who is Darth Talon, The Female Sith Lord?

Darth Talon is the female Sith most people have never heard of, despite her fan-favorite status among those devoted to all things Star Wars. Created by Jan Duursema and John Ostrander, this fierce female Sith is infamous for her Twi’lek silhouette, black tattoos, red light saber, and force-lightning talents. As part of what used to be the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as Star Wars Legends – stories forced out of canon by Disney’s new trilogy of films, but which often find themselves being welcomed back where convenient), Darth Talon has yet to appear in any mainstream big screen or silver screen projects. But, with so many easter eggs popping up in recent Star Wars projects, fans are hoping the winds are shifting in their favor. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the killer female Sith, Darth Talon.

2006’s Star Wars: Legacy: Broken #1 introduces fans to a brand new adventure and cast of characters. Set long after the events of Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker, the story jumps light years ahead into an exciting, futuristic journey where the descendants of Jedi and Sith find themselves at war one more. Loyal to the new villain of the series, Sith Lord Darth Krayt, readers are introduced to the deadly Sith apprentice, Darth Talon. Under Darth Krayt’s New Sith Order, Talon swears she’ll only serve him and kills her competition – her original Sith Master – cementing herself as Krayt’s Sith assassin and right-hand woman.

Comic Origins

Talon grows up (and trains in all things Sith) on the dark planet Korriban. The Sith Academy shapes her assassin mentality, talent for murder, and strength with the force. When Darth Krayt notices her skill with the force and an unwavering loyalty toward him in Star Wars Legacy 2: Broken, Part 2, he brings Darth Talon into his most trusted circle. Her first big mission begins as she sets off to find the princess of the planet that she and Darth Krayt’s followers have just conquered. But right when she’s about to snatch the princess, Talon is foiled by her future pupil and lover, Cade Skywalker.

In the unlikely pairing of a Sith and a Skywalker, the comic gifts readers with an epic enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies romance, filled with twists and turns between the two characters. Talon first notices Cade Skywalker’s force abilities in Star Wars Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4, where he successfully injures her in battle. Darth Krayt then sends her to track down Cade to utilize his force abilities, as he guesses Cade comes from Skywalker blood. Darth Talon captures Cade, and she and Darth Krayt plot to seduce Cade to the dark side. Talon becomes Cades’ Sith Master and trains him in the ways of the Dark Side and New Sith Order in Star Wars Legacy 16: Claws of the Dragon, Part 3, though it’s shown that Talon isn’t quit convinced Cade will ever truly be Sith. Several duels and showdowns follow between Talon and Cade, making for stellar literary parallels to other Star Wars master and apprentice feuds.

Talon later continues her journey as Krayt’s right-hand servant when she helps him recover from death and bring about yet another new order of loyal Sith, the Sith Troopers. With help from Darth Nihl, Talon successfully regains power for her Dark Lord. Her story ends in the final battle of Coruscant, where Cade Skywalker faces off against Dath Krayt. Following the Sith’s defeat, Talon goes into hiding. So, while the Legacy story is over, perhaps it’s not the last readers will see of Darth Talon. After all, she vows to re-establish the Sith in the close of Star Wars: Legacy – War 6, and ventures off with her Sith allies.

Powers and Abilities

Darth Talon is strong with the force, particularly talented at wielding force lightning. She’s been known to favor force-torture as a means for gaining information from unwilling subjects. She can pilot most aircraft, and is a natural at lightsaber duels. Star Wars Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4 showcases her versatile force talents, including her ability to control other living organisms under her command, such as planetary fauna. A fan of the incredibly acrobatic Ataru lightsaber form of combat, Darth Talon favors strong, swift, flexible aggression in battle. As is popular for Twi’lek individuals, Talon also incorporates graceful and dance-inspired moves during her fights. She’s incredibly strong and cunning, having survived several close calls during her duels against Cade Skywalker.

Though much of her personality comes off as cold, Talon isn’t afraid of using her good looks to manipulate her way into power and information. She can be charming when required, and her tattoos aren’t just for decoration. Not only do they intimidate opponents and underscore her commitment to the Dark Side, but each Sith tattoo serves as a claim to victory, indicating Darth Talon’s incredible strength among Sith and Jedi ranks alike.

Is Talon in Star Wars canon?

The 2015 book, The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, shows that early development of the film flirted with the idea of a villain heavily based off of Talon’s design and talent for killing Jedi. Concept Art shows a Darth Talon-like character, with the only difference being two red sabers instead of her single red saber. As it turns out, instead of having a female Sith turn Ben Solo evil, the film chose to start with Kylo Ren already in the throes of the Dark Side. Looking at the direction the films ultimately chose to take, it’s possible that having too many new backstories to reveal would have muddled the already lengthy tapestry woven into The Force Awakens. Sadly, she was left out, but readers are still able to enjoy her stunning concept art through this book, and fans can take some heart from the fact that Darth Talon clearly hasn’t been forgotten by the forces that decide Star Wars film canon, and may yet return.

Darth Talon understandably remains a huge fan-favorite Sith from the Star Wars: Legacy comics, and cosplayers and fan artists just can’t stop obsessing over her iconic look. Star Wars Legends characters have been brought back into the canon for less, and as Disney continues to explore their options with Star Wars, it’s possible this striking and complex Sith could be picked up for further adventures. Whether she’s retreading her loyalty to Darth Krayt or fulfilling her promise to resurrect the Sith, Darth Talon has many more stories to tell.

About The Author