Darth Bane

**Darth Bane**, born under the name Dessel, was the Dark Lord of the Sith that created the Rule of Two. The Rule of Two was created in response to what Bane viewed as inevitable self-destructing infighting in the Sith Order and to grow stronger in secret. It states that there can only be two Sith at once, a master and an apprentice. He was killed by his apprentice, Darth Zannah.

## Biography

### Early life and Sith training

Bane was raised on a mining planet in the Outer Rim called Apatros. After he got into a fight, killing an ensign of the Galactic Republic, he was in danger of being arrested by the Republic. His friend Groshik suggested that he should join the Sith brotherhood of darkness. With Groshik's help, Bane escaped off-world and served as a soldier in the Gloom Walkers. He was later recognized as Force-sensitive during a mission and was taken to the Sith Academy on Korriban. Bane flourished and became one of the academy's best students before he lost his trust in the brotherhood of darkness. He believed the brotherhood to be flawed and that they did not stay true to the true ideals of the Sith. He then deserted the order and went to the planet Lehon to study the Holocron of Darth Revan. He destroyed the brotherhood with this new knowledge and implemented the Rule of Two. On the planet Ruusan, Bane found a Force-sensitive girl and took her as an apprentice. Her name would have become Darth Zannah.

### Darth Zannah

Ten years later, Bane wanted to learn how to make a Holocron where he would pass down his knowledge to future Sith Lords. Bane and Zannah journeyed to Tython looking for the Holocron of the ancient Sith Lord, Belia Darzu. A Jedi named Johun Othone learned of the Sith's existence. He and four other Jedi went to Tython to destroy the Sith. After a fierce battle, the Sith emerged victoriously, but Bane was severely injured. Zannah took him to Ambria and convinced Caleb, the healer, to help healing Bane. Caleb informed the Jedi council that the Sith were on Ambria, but Zannah used her sorcery to drive her cousin Darovit insane. When the Jedi arrived, Zannah killed Caleb after she healed Bane, and Zannah and Bane hid. Zannah then used her powers to make Darovit attack the Jedi. They believed Darovit was actually the Sith Lord and killed him, thinking that the Sith were now destroyed. Bane and Zannah stayed hidden, and their existence remained a secret.

### Another apprentice

After another ten years later Bane began to worry that Zannah was too weak to overthrow him. He started researching secrets to prolonging his life by transferring his essence into another body. To achieve this, he traveled to Prakith to obtain the Holocron of Darth Andeddu. When Bane returned, he was ambushed by assassins hired by Caleb's daughter and was captured. Bane was imprisoned and tortured but was released by Serra's aide, Lucia, a woman who recognized Bane as Des, a man who saved her life while they served together in the Gloom Walkers. He encountered Zannah on Doan and dueled Zannah despite not having his lightsaber. Zannah was unable to defeat Bane even without his lightsaber, and the fight ended in a draw. Bane escaped and headed to Ambria with Darth Cognus and Iktochi's assassin, who Bane planned to replace Zannah with as his apprentice if Zannah proved that she was unable to defeat him.

### Death

Zannah and Bane then engaged in a fierce duel which resulted in Zannah being victorious. She then claimed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith and took Darth Cognus as her apprentice.