To understand the cycle of endless conflict the Star Wars universe is doomed to, let's take a look at the true conflict driving every war in the Star Wars universe. The Jedi vs Sith order. Indeed, every other war almost seems like a minor skirmish in comparison.
The Jedi and Sith were once united force wielders some 25,000 years before the events of the movies. The term “Sith” didn’t even exist, but during the First Great Schism, various dark side users attempted a peaceful break with the Jedi order. The proto-Sith were exterminated for refusing to follow Jedi teachings. The ideology of these Sith survive though.
A few thousand years and much technological advancement later, the Jedi Order experienced a second schism. This was far more violent than the previous schism and resulted in a conflict later referred to as the Hundred-Year Darkness.
The dark side wielders who survived this conflict were exiled and became the first true Sith, forming their own Empire far away from the Republic and the Jedi.
Then 3000 years later, a Sith warlord named Naga Sadow launched the Great Hyperspace War, with the ultimate goal of destroying the Jedi and conquering the galaxy. He failed.
After being betrayed by his own apprentice and having his armies wiped out in several defeats, Sadow fled into hiding. The Republic and the Jedi meanwhile, launched a huge attack on Sadow’s empire and tried very earnestly to exterminate Sadow’s fellow Sith and their subjects. This genocide also failed.
The remnants of the Sith fled even further from the Republic to establish a new empire and to plot their revenge against those who had displaced their people and destroyed their homes. These forces formed a new Sith Empire which went into hiding.
After the Great Hyperspace War, several rogue Jedi Knights fell to the Darkside and formed the Brotherhood of the Sith. These dark Jedi were not true Sith, but that didn’t stop them from trying to take over the Republic in the Great Sith War. It was a war that saw many worlds and lives destroyed and the Brotherhood wiped out.
Then 40 years after the Brotherhood fell, a pair of Jedi named Revan and Malak, inspired by the Brotherhood, fell to the dark side and proceeded to do the same thing all over again. Creating more division, more bloodshed and more hate.
Remember the old Sith fleeing into hiding? It turns out they had done a damn good job preparing. After the Jedi and Republic had dealt with their renegade elements, the true Sith Empire returned and launched the Great Galactic War.
This ferocious new order then proceeded to literally tear the Republic apart and deal a devastating defeat to the Jedi. They expanded their territory massively, to the point that it dwarfed whatever their ancestors had created.
This Sith Empire was ultimately defeated after almost two millennia of intermittent conflict. Though they came extremely close to wiping out the Jedi on several occasions, the Jedi always managed to survive through luck and skill, giving back just as much as they received.
At the end of this fighting, the Jedi finally managed to destroy this Sith Empire (completely this time). It looked like finally the Republic had dealt with the Sith at last.
Then a few centuries later a Jedi named Phanius fell to the dark side, naming himself Darth Ruin.
Predictably, Darth Ruin and his followers proceeded to repeat the same actions as his predecessors, condemning the galaxy to a new thousand year conflict, the New Sith Wars.
This ridiculously long conflict ended in the Ruusan campaign, where the last major Sith army was cornered and annihilated in a series of brutal battles.
Only two Sith survived the final battle. Darth Bane and his apprentice, Zannah. They fled into hiding, creating the Rule of Two Sith Lords.
This leads us into the films….which if you’re reading this answer, you probably already know about. More of the same. Jedi vs Sith.
At this point, it’s impossible to not see the pattern. This is a game where instead of pieces on a boards its billions of lives across a galaxy over millennia. The rules and the players change. The times change. There are breaks in the game that can last eons. But the game stays the same, repeating itself ad infinitum. The Jedi and Sith killing each other over and over. Again and again. The same hatred. The same history. The same mistakes.
One side gains power and fights the other to scattered pockets of survivors. These survivors flee into hiding, bide their time and build up their strength. Then they return and jumpstart the next war trying to get revenge or justice for the past, with god knows how many innocent lives being caught in the crossfire. Maybe they use proxies or take direct action, but the sides rarely change.
And the bitterness in those left alive will pass from one generation to the next, until a new war starts, the true cause of which, none of those fighting will remember.
It never ends.
If you've made it this far, thanks. Here's the crux of the whole thing:
TLDR:
The Force as a whole exists in balance. As long as there are Jedi, there must be Sith. Darkness cannot exist without light. There is a necessary symmetry. If the Jedi are in control, the galaxy stagnates (as shown in the prequel trilogy). If the Sith are in control, the galaxy is stuck with tyranny (as shown in the original trilogy). In both there is suffering and in both, one side has won, before being toppled by the other.
The very thing that makes Star Wars compelling also makes it horrible.
Think about it. This is a galaxy where two sides of religious fanatics are locked in an eternal struggle. These powerful beings who could use their powers to do anything, waste their resources and lives fighting away at each other due to differences of beliefs.
No negotiation, or compromise or lasting peace. Just an endless cycle of revenge and war that will go on repeating itself until the stars themselves blink out of existence.
I got all this from another site and made minor edits, but still a fascinating read. Even tho the Jedis are "good guys", they've got a long bloody history, filled with actions to not be proud of as well. They hunt Sith just as Sith hunt Jedi, one side seeking to exterminate the other. And The Force needs that balance, too much domination of either side brings it's own problems. It's pretty fascinating all things considered.
The Jedi and Sith were once united force wielders some 25,000 years before the events of the movies. The term “Sith” didn’t even exist, but during the First Great Schism, various dark side users attempted a peaceful break with the Jedi order. The proto-Sith were exterminated for refusing to follow Jedi teachings. The ideology of these Sith survive though.
A few thousand years and much technological advancement later, the Jedi Order experienced a second schism. This was far more violent than the previous schism and resulted in a conflict later referred to as the Hundred-Year Darkness.
The dark side wielders who survived this conflict were exiled and became the first true Sith, forming their own Empire far away from the Republic and the Jedi.
Then 3000 years later, a Sith warlord named Naga Sadow launched the Great Hyperspace War, with the ultimate goal of destroying the Jedi and conquering the galaxy. He failed.
After being betrayed by his own apprentice and having his armies wiped out in several defeats, Sadow fled into hiding. The Republic and the Jedi meanwhile, launched a huge attack on Sadow’s empire and tried very earnestly to exterminate Sadow’s fellow Sith and their subjects. This genocide also failed.
The remnants of the Sith fled even further from the Republic to establish a new empire and to plot their revenge against those who had displaced their people and destroyed their homes. These forces formed a new Sith Empire which went into hiding.
After the Great Hyperspace War, several rogue Jedi Knights fell to the Darkside and formed the Brotherhood of the Sith. These dark Jedi were not true Sith, but that didn’t stop them from trying to take over the Republic in the Great Sith War. It was a war that saw many worlds and lives destroyed and the Brotherhood wiped out.
Then 40 years after the Brotherhood fell, a pair of Jedi named Revan and Malak, inspired by the Brotherhood, fell to the dark side and proceeded to do the same thing all over again. Creating more division, more bloodshed and more hate.
Remember the old Sith fleeing into hiding? It turns out they had done a damn good job preparing. After the Jedi and Republic had dealt with their renegade elements, the true Sith Empire returned and launched the Great Galactic War.
This ferocious new order then proceeded to literally tear the Republic apart and deal a devastating defeat to the Jedi. They expanded their territory massively, to the point that it dwarfed whatever their ancestors had created.
This Sith Empire was ultimately defeated after almost two millennia of intermittent conflict. Though they came extremely close to wiping out the Jedi on several occasions, the Jedi always managed to survive through luck and skill, giving back just as much as they received.
At the end of this fighting, the Jedi finally managed to destroy this Sith Empire (completely this time). It looked like finally the Republic had dealt with the Sith at last.
Then a few centuries later a Jedi named Phanius fell to the dark side, naming himself Darth Ruin.
Predictably, Darth Ruin and his followers proceeded to repeat the same actions as his predecessors, condemning the galaxy to a new thousand year conflict, the New Sith Wars.
This ridiculously long conflict ended in the Ruusan campaign, where the last major Sith army was cornered and annihilated in a series of brutal battles.
Only two Sith survived the final battle. Darth Bane and his apprentice, Zannah. They fled into hiding, creating the Rule of Two Sith Lords.
This leads us into the films….which if you’re reading this answer, you probably already know about. More of the same. Jedi vs Sith.
At this point, it’s impossible to not see the pattern. This is a game where instead of pieces on a boards its billions of lives across a galaxy over millennia. The rules and the players change. The times change. There are breaks in the game that can last eons. But the game stays the same, repeating itself ad infinitum. The Jedi and Sith killing each other over and over. Again and again. The same hatred. The same history. The same mistakes.
One side gains power and fights the other to scattered pockets of survivors. These survivors flee into hiding, bide their time and build up their strength. Then they return and jumpstart the next war trying to get revenge or justice for the past, with god knows how many innocent lives being caught in the crossfire. Maybe they use proxies or take direct action, but the sides rarely change.
And the bitterness in those left alive will pass from one generation to the next, until a new war starts, the true cause of which, none of those fighting will remember.
It never ends.
If you've made it this far, thanks. Here's the crux of the whole thing:
TLDR:
The Force as a whole exists in balance. As long as there are Jedi, there must be Sith. Darkness cannot exist without light. There is a necessary symmetry. If the Jedi are in control, the galaxy stagnates (as shown in the prequel trilogy). If the Sith are in control, the galaxy is stuck with tyranny (as shown in the original trilogy). In both there is suffering and in both, one side has won, before being toppled by the other.
The very thing that makes Star Wars compelling also makes it horrible.
Think about it. This is a galaxy where two sides of religious fanatics are locked in an eternal struggle. These powerful beings who could use their powers to do anything, waste their resources and lives fighting away at each other due to differences of beliefs.
No negotiation, or compromise or lasting peace. Just an endless cycle of revenge and war that will go on repeating itself until the stars themselves blink out of existence.
I got all this from another site and made minor edits, but still a fascinating read. Even tho the Jedis are "good guys", they've got a long bloody history, filled with actions to not be proud of as well. They hunt Sith just as Sith hunt Jedi, one side seeking to exterminate the other. And The Force needs that balance, too much domination of either side brings it's own problems. It's pretty fascinating all things considered.
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