How The ‘Nightsisters Of Dathomir’ Defied Both The Jedi And The Sith
The Nightsisters of Dathomir
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While the Jedi and Sith clashed for thousands of years of their existence over the fate of the galaxy far, far away, another group of Force-wielders, The Nightsisters of Dathomir, stood alone and separate, and occasionally defiant against both sides. The Nightsisters of Dathomir were originally introduced in the Star Wars Legend novel, The Courtship of Princess Leia. The Nightsisters of Dathomir were introduced into the official canon in the third season episode, Nightsisters, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The Nightsisters have continued to be fleshed out in Star Wars media such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the comic book series, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and the television series, Ahsoka. This article will examine the origin of The Nightsisters of Dathomir in both Legends and Canon and how this mysterious group of Force-wielders stood apart from and defied both the Jedi and the Sith.
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Legends Appearances
The Courtship of Princess Leia (Novel)
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In Star Wars Legends, The Nightsisters of Dathomir were introduced in the expanded universe (EU) Legends novel, The Courtship of Princess Leia, which was also their primary appearance. Set post-Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia was faced with the prospect of marrying Prince Isolder of the royal family of the Hapes Cluster, over Han. Han did what any other guy would do to woo a woman. Han won a planet, Dathomir, and kidnapped Leia and took her there to try to get her to fall in love with him. Luke and others soon followed them to Dathomir, which was also under the control of an imperial warlord. It was also home to competing clans of Force-wielding “witches” known collectively as The Nightsisters of Dathomir. The Nightsisters’ use of the Force appeared as “magicks” and spells, as opposed to how the Jedi and Sith traditionally wielded it.
Through a complicated set of circumstances, the love triangle was ultimately resolved in Han’s favor and one of the witches from the friendly clan of Nightsisters, The Singing Mountain Clan, Tenneniel Djo, became the bride and Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium instead of Leia. In time, Tenneniel Djo and Prince Isolder had a Force-sensitive daughter, Tenel Ka, who trained with Luke Skywalker and his New Jedi Order. Upon Djo’s death, Tenel Ka later became Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium. She later had a child, Allana, with Jedi Knight Jacen Solo. In addition to the Nightsisters introduced in the aforementioned novel, the villain of the Star Wars television film, The Ewoks: Battle For Endor, Charal, was later retconned as a Nightsister.
In Legends, The Nightsisters had no recorded contact with the Sith, especially since by the point in time that they had been discovered, the Sith had seemingly been eliminated. However, centuries earlier, they had some contact with the Jedi when their training vessel, The Chu’untor, crashed on Dathomir years centuries earlier and Yoda and other Jedi had to negotiate the release of the surviving Jedi. Aside from Tenneniel Djo, and, later, her child, Tenel Ka,who would both go on to play important roles within the greater galaxy, the surviving Nightsisters remained isolated on Dathomir and continued to keep their own ways.
Canon Appearances
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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The Nightsisters of Dathomir were introduced into Star Wars canon in Season 3 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Nightsisters. As with Legends, they were introduced much the same with their Legends counterparts, with them being a group of Force-wielding witches whose use of the Force appears as magicks. Sith assassin and protege of Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, was revealed as a Nightsister of Dathomir. After evading an assassination attempt by Count Dooku at the orders of Darth Sidious, Ventress returned to Dathomir to seek help from her fellow Nightsisters and to plot her revenge against Dooku for his betrayal of her.
The leader of the Nightsisters clan, Mother Talzin aided Ventress by creating the monstrous Zabrak Nightbrother warrior, Savage Oppress to be used by Ventress and Talzin in their revenge plot against Dooku. The plot to kill Dooku ultimately failed, but, in response to Ventress and Talzin’s actions, Dooku ordered General Grevious to subsequently attack the Nightsisters, leaving only the head of the Nightsisters clan, Mother Talzin, and a handful of survivors alive.
Darth Maul
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Mother Talzin subsequently sent Savage on a quest to find his fellow Nightbrother and Talzin’s son, Darth Maul, who was left for dead on Naboo where Obi-Wan defeated him over a decade prior. Darth Sidious later used Maul, who he had briefly captured, in a plot to eliminate Mother Talzin, leaving Mother Talzin finally vanquished. Years later, Order 66 survivor Cal Kestis befriended and fell in love with a Dathomirian Nightsister named Merrin in his travels. She aided Kestis and later roamed the galaxy, helping people escape the Empire.
A new, previously unknown clan of Nightsisters were introduced in the television Ahsoka from another galaxy, serving Grand Admiral Thrawn during his long exile in Peridea. One of Thrawn’s allies from the days of the Empire, Morgan Elsbeth, was revealed to be a Nightsister who escaped Grevious’ massacre on Dathomir. This new clan of Nightsisters on Peridea accompanied Thrawn back to Dathomir, along with their mysterious cargo by the end of Season 1 of Ahsoka. As of right now it is unknown what role they will play in Thrawn’s machinations against the New Republic or whether they will come into conflict with Luke, Ezra, or any other surviving Jedi alive during the New Republic era.
With the upcoming animated series, Darth Maul: Shadow Lord, and, especially the upcoming second season of Ahsoka, it is likely that the Nightsisters will continue to play some role in these series.
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