Few movie villains have captivated fans like the Sith Order from Star Wars. The counterpart of the peace-seeking Jedi, the Sith use the Dark Side of the Force to gain immense power. Ruthless, ambitious, cruel, they’re tough opponents who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Most Star Wars fans will know Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, and Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) from the movies, but the extended Star Wars universe is full of Sith Lords and Ladies that possess powers beyond what you could imagine.

The Sith have rich, extended backstories, and while some are, simply put, purely dark, others have much more complex personalities and stories. No matter which Sith you’re thinking of, however, there’s definitely a few weird things about them—using the Dark Side of the Force comes with a price. Whether it’s total or partial disfigurement, secret identities, outfits that keep people alive, or some other strange fact about the Dark Lords and Ladies of the galaxy, there’s always something interesting to say about the Sith. As a side note, this list will not mention Snoke from the prequels, as he is technically not a Sith Lord.

Perhaps the reason they fascinate so many fans is that, in contrast to the Jedi and their seemingly restrictive rules, the Sith embody freedom to do whatever you want. However, as you’ll see in this list of 30 weird facts about the Sith, they are not as “free” as they seem. A Sith apprentice serves his or her master, after all, and they are all trapped in an endless cycle of violence and hatred.

30 Their Villainous Eyes

Having yellow or snake-like eyes is a common trope in movie villains, and the Sith are no exception.

Anakin’s eyes turn orangey-red when he becomes a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious’ eyes are positively reptilian, and Darth Maul’s eyes are definitely spooky.

Whether the scary “Sith eyes” are a result of anger or a side-effect of using the Dark Side of the Force, they’re a very noticeable Sith characteristic. Interestingly enough, some Sith seem to be able to hide their “sinister” eyes.

29 The Effect Of Sith Lightning

Sith lightning is a tough weapon, an emanation of the dark side of the Force so strong it has the power to cause intense pain. In the movies, we mostly see Darth Sidious/Palpatine use Sith lightning.

We also get to see just how devastating its effects are when Sidious’ lightning is turned against him.

He is then disfigured and no longer able to disguise himself as the benevolent chancellor Palpatine: the Sith lightning transformed him to the point that his appearance now matches his twisted personality.

28 Darth Vader’s Burns

Darth Sidious’s disfigurement is nothing next to Lord Vader’s, of course. The once-handsome Darth Vader was not only disfigured but also lost his limbs in a battle against his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan left Vader half-alive in Mustafar’s lava, and the Sith Lord was grievously burned, forcing him to live the rest of his life in a metal suit that would take care of most of his bodily functions. Of course, the suit also makes Vader look fearsome, and became an iconic villain costume.

27 Darth Maul’s Resurrection

Darth Maul fell to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hands during the battle in Naboo’s power generator, right? Wrong. Thanks to the Star Wars extended universe, we learn that the Sith apprentice survived the encounter.

He was able to use pure hatred to stay alive and get out of Naboo, despite having lost both his legs.

Later on, he got mechanical legs, reappearing in Rebels, The Clone Wars, and Solo. Looks like it’s hard for Sith to keep all their limbs intact! Regardless, Maul is even scarier as a half-robot.

26 How Buff Kylo Ren Is

Not all Sith Lords and Ladies get really disfigured (or put in half). Kylo Ren has become something of an internet sensation since his shirtless scene in The Last Jedi. And really, can you blame the internet? Kylo’s clearly been working out. A lot. Apparently, however, there’s a reason for the shirtless Kylo scene. It’s meant to echo Anakin Skywalker’s shirtless scenes in the Star Wars prequel—both men are shown in a vulnerable moment. It also shows that Rey can see Kylo when their minds are linked.

25 Darth Sidious’ Secret Identity

Darth Sidious first appears as a mysterious hooded figure—until we learn he’s actually none other than Anakin’s good friend Chancellor Palpatine. Incredibly, one of the galaxy’s most feared Sith Lords manages to make himself look like an innocent, benevolent man. That is, of course, until his true nature is revealed—but by then, it’s too late, and Darth Sidious becomes the sinister Emperor, ruler of the galaxy.

24 No One Knows Sidious’ Lightsaber Form

There are seven lightsaber forms, and most Jedi and Sith have their favorite. For instance, Darth Maul fights using the Juyo branch of Form VII, which is a ferocious, aggressive, chaotic fighting style. Yoda and Qui Gon Jinn favored the acrobatic Form IV, also known as Ataru. Count Dooku used Form II, the dueling form known as Makashi. But no one really knows which lightsaber form Sidious uses—it seems like the Sith Lord mixes several to create his own style. The only thing that’s certain is that he’s a fearsome opponent.

23 How Darth Vader Eats

Because of the injuries he sustained during his fight against Obi-Wan on Mustafar, Darth Vader cannot eat normally. Makes sense, if you ask us—being gravely burned and beaten to within an inch of one’s life tends to have a few consequences.

He must nourish himself with the help of a nutritive paste.

However, whether it’s because the paste tastes horrible or because the Sith Lord simply has better things to do, he opts to receive his food via injections, instead.

22 Vader Can’t Survive Without His Suit For Too Long

Talking about Vader’s injuries, his suit quite literally saved his life. In fact, it saves his life every day. The injuries he suffered were so grave that the infamous suit and mask are the only thing that keeps him from falling apart. Vader can’t really take off his suit, as it takes care of a lot of his bodily functions—including his breathing, causing Vader’s signature rasp. He can only take off part of his mask in a hyperbaric chamber, and then again, not for long.

21 Vader Can’t Use Sith Lightning Because Of His Mechanical Limbs

Not only does Darth Vader depend on his suit to survive, but his mechanical limbs are also somewhat of a problem when it comes to fighting. He can’t raise his lightsaber above his head too much because of the sheer weight of the suit, and most importantly, he can’t channel Sith lightning. Unlike his Master, Darth Sidious, Vader is never seen using this particular Sith power. That’s probably because his artificial limbs don’t allow him to; instead, his signature move is the infamous Force choke.

20 Sidious Kept Vader From Using His Full Abilities

Don’t get me wrong, Darth Vader was an incredibly powerful fighter and Sith Lord, but he was actually capable of much, much more. He was meant to be the Chosen One, after all, the one who would bring balance to the Force.

Sidious kept him from using his true abilities, which makes sense, as Sith apprentices have a tendency to get rid of their masters to gain power.

It makes one wonder how powerful the young Anakin could have grown, had he not turned to the Dark Side…

19 Darth Plagueis’ Master Wanted To Possess Him

Darth Plagueis The Wise was one of the few Sith Lords to prefer intellectual brilliance over physical power. He was, of course, tremendously powerful, he just didn’t care for fighting much. His Sith Master, Darth Tenebrous, actively despised him, and sensing the end of his life, planned on possessing his apprentice to gain his body and stay alive. Unfortunately for him, Darth Plagueis ended him before he could do that. I wasn’t lying about Sith and their tendency to get rid of their masters…

18 Sidious Was Only An Apprentice In Phantom Menace

In fact, Darth Plagueis later met his end at the hands of his own apprentice, Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious was actually only an apprentice in The Phantom Menace, making his apprentice Darth Maul unlawful, as per the Sith Rule of Two (more on that later). He got rid of his Master while Plagueis was sleeping, becoming the galaxy’s reigning Sith Lord, and later took on Darth Vader as his apprentice (only to—guess what—meet his end at Vader’s hands in Return of the Jedi).

17 Count Dooku (Darth Tyranus) Was Originally Meant To Be A Woman

While the Star Wars sequels are full of amazing, strong, female protagonists, the earlier movies didn’t feature that many women, especially among the Jedi and the Sith. But did you know that fan-favorite villain Count Dooku was, at some point, meant to be a woman? George Lucas thought of a lot of different designs for Darth Tyranus, as he is also known. Some of them were female Sith Ladies, which we can’t deny would have been really awesome—even though Sir Christopher Lee’s performance as Dooku is incredible.

16 Dooku’s Fight Scenes Are The Result Of Digital Manipulation

Talking about Sir Christopher Lee, while the actor usually does his own fight scenes, digital manipulation had to be used for some of his fight scenes. Of course, in his fight against Yoda, the Jedi Master was animated.

Lee also had a stunt double for some scenes, and his face was digitally placed over the double’s.

This makes senses, as even though Christopher Lee is a talented swordsman who prides himself on having done most of his fight scenes, he was 79 during the shooting.

15 Darth Revan: The Struggle Between Light And Dark Personified

You might not know about Darth Revan if you haven’t played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. If you have, however, you know just how complex of a character he is. Revan was a former Jedi Knight turned Sith Lord and then brainwashed into becoming a hero of the Republic. In other words, he’s a true embodiment of the struggle between light and dark. His story is certainly worth looking into—he’s both one of the coolest Jedi and the coolest Sith Lords out there.

14 Darth Sidious’ First Name Is Sheev

Here’s a fun fact for you: Darth Sidious’ full real name is Sheev Palpatine. In the movies, he’s mostly referred to as Chancellor Palpatine, Emperor Palpatine, or simply Palpatine, and then, later on, Darth Sidious or the Emperor. Knowing his full name feels odd, as it humanizes him, in a way. It’s a reminder that before becoming the vicious, cruel Emperor, he was once a regular—though ambitious—politician. Sheev Palpatine quickly abandoned his former identity to become one of the most fearsome, powerful Sith the galaxy had ever known.

13 Darth Maul’s Sometimes Forgotten Brother

Darth Maul had a brother named Savage Opress. Though he was not really mentioned or seen in the movies, Savage Opress apprenticed with Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) in the Clone Wars. He was actually chosen by Dooku’s former apprentice (and former Jedi) Asajj Ventress, who wanted to get revenge against her old master. Opress is actually the one who helped his brother Maul regain his strength and survive after his encounter with Obi-Wan and Qui Gon Jinn on Naboo, so he actually had a pretty important role in the series.

12 The Reason Sith Lightsabers Are Red

Ever wondered why Jedi have to stick to pastel colors for their lightsabers, while Sith get (arguably much cooler) red lightsabers? It’s because the crystals used to make lightsabers aren’t naturally red.

However, those lightsaber crystals can be turned red with the Dark Side of the Force.

This is why most Sith prefer red blades! As for General Grievous, who wields green and blue lightsabers, he’s not Force-sensitive, and, as such, not a Sith. His blades are the lightsabers of fallen Jedi he’s fought.

11 Some Sith Use Sith Sorcery

Did you know there was such a thing as Sith Sorcery? There’s a lot you can do with the Dark Side of the Force. According to Wookiepedia, “Sith magic, also known as Sith sorcery, was an arcane expression of Force ability first developed and practiced by the original Sith species through which they manipulated the power of the dark side’.’ From necromancy to powerful illusions to Force blasts and magical artifacts, Sith Sorcery is an incredibly powerful use of the Dark Side of the Force.