Since the introduction of Darth Vader in Star Wars, the Sith have often been seen wearing masks – but why is that the case? Vader set the standard for the Sith in more ways than just one, as many Sith Lords who have followed in his footsteps have also donned their own unique masks.

While George Lucas began this trend with Darth Vader, he wasn’t the one who continued it. Other creators in Star Wars are the ones who have taken direct inspiration from Vader in giving their Sith Lords masks, as opposed to Lucas’ mostly unmasked Sith characters from the Star Wars prequel trilogy era.

Still, while Lucas might not have opted to include more masked Sith, others certainly have, making for a wide array of masked Sith in the Star Wars galaxy. Because of this, there are now several in-universe reasons behind why so many of the Sith wear masks.

Sith Masks Channel The Dark Side

It’s been established in various parts of Star Wars canon that masks actually serve a far greater purpose for Sith than perhaps expected. Many masks are specially designed and crafted to become strong conduits of the dark side of the Force itself, amplifying the emotions that make the Sith who they are, such as their hate and rage.

In some cases, masks like these can be strong enough to essentially possess the person wearing them, as was the case for the mask created by Exim Panshard. Containing the screams of hundreds of innocent people slaughtered by the Sith Lord, this mask had a hypnotic effect on anyone who wore it, making it extremely powerful in the dark side.

Some Sith Use Their Masks To Hide Their Face

Not all masks, however, were made as dark side conduits. Some serve a simpler purpose: hiding someone’s face. With most, if not all, of these Sith existing after Darth Bane and the establishment of his Rule of Two, it’s key to their survival that they hide their true idenтιтies, effectively keeping the Sith off of the Jedi’s radar.

This was seen most prominently with The Stranger, also known as Qimir, in The Acolyte. While Qimir was the persona this Sith Lord embodied while interacting with the galaxy on a regular basis, The Stranger, complete with his mask, was this Sith’s truest self. Even his own apprentice had no idea what his true idenтιтy was.

Some Sith masks are, of course, more functional than others. Darth Vader’s, for example, helps to keep him alive, following his injuries on Mustafar at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hand. For the most part, though, the Sith in Star Wars use masks with intentionality, equipping themselves with the tools they need to truly embrace the dark side.