What The Sith Lord Title Darth Means In Star Wars

The "Star Wars" franchise takes place in one of the best fictional universes in film history. It's an expansive and lived-in world that can support countless different stories of all kinds of tones — from the kid-friendly pirate adventure of "Skeleton Crew" to the tense political intrigue of "Andor."

Ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker that his father fought in the Clone Wars without elaborating in the very first "Star Wars" movie, the property has expanded its mythos and lore, introducing legends, mythic figures, and much more to its setting. The "Star Wars" films have similarly explored the fall of the Jedi while leaving it to various comic books, video games, novels, and TV series to provide answers to the many other unsolved mysteries of the galaxy far, far away.

Indeed, although there are many things that have been explained about the "Star Wars" universe — sometimes well, sometimes very poorly (cough, Han Solo's name) — there are still plenty of mysteries and unanswered questions that've yet to be addressed. That includes such matters as what, exactly, is in the Unknown Regions, the name and origins of Yoda's species, what the Loth Wolves really are, and much more.

Then there's the franchise's big villain: the Sith. They've provided some of the most iconic antagonists in cinema like Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and Darth Sidious, yet the Sith are still shrouded in mystery. While George Lucas' prequel trilogy depicted the Sith's rise to power, those films barely got into their actual philosophy, beliefs, or greater backstory.

Back in the day, though, there was a big mystery around what exactly a "Sith" even is. After all, the word was originally only used in a scene that was ultimately cut from the first "Star Wars" movie before being later included in the novelization, in which Vader was described as a "Dark Lord of the Sith" without any context as to its meaning. It wasn't until the prequels that we learned more. Meanwhile, comics and novels in the Expanded Universe (which is now officially known as Star Wars Legends) provided their own origin story for the Sith — one which we may or may not see become canonical in James Mangold's "Dawn of the Jedi" movie. 

Though we now know plenty about the origin of the Sith as a splinter group of former Jedi, "Star Wars" canon doesn't have quite so clear an answer to another oft-asked question: Why do so many Sith go by the moniker Darth, and what does that mean, exactly?

We first hear the word Darth in relation to Darth Vader, whom Obi-Wan once taunted by calling him "Darth" as if it was his first name. In the 1980s, it wasn't that hard to believe Darth was actually a unique name or title for Vader. After all, the only other Sith Lord that folks were aware of at the time, Darth Sidious, was only referred to as "The Emperor" until the prequels. There, everyone started going by "Darth," from Maul to Tyranus, Sidious, and, ultimately, Vader.

In the Legends mythology, there were a few explanations for the meaning of "Darth." One was that it was derived from "Daritha," a Rakata word that meant "Emperor," or that it was actually just a shortened version of "Dark Lord of the Sith." Legends also had it that the first person to hold the title of Darth was Darth Andeddu, the "Immortal God-King of Prakith" and a learner of Sith lore.

In the current canon, the truth of the moniker "Darth" is quite simple. It means "Dark Lord" and is the title adopted by someone as they shed their former name and embrace their new identity as a Sith. In a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, Lucas explained his own origin for the name Darth Vader. "Darth is a variation of dark. And Vader is a variation of father. So it's basically Dark Father," he noted.

Just as — technically — there isn't a clear and straight answer to the meaning of "Darth" in the actual movies, there also isn't an answer as to who gets to be called Darth in the "Star Wars" franchise. Take Naga Sadow, for instance, one of the oldest Sith Lords in the canon. The character has never been referred to as having the title "Darth," even though he was, at one point, the supreme leader of the Sith.

Likewise, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), despite sharing a lot of iconography with the Sith, is technically not one. Instead, he took over the lightsaber-worshipping, dark side-wielding cult Knights of Ren after killing their previous leader. Since Kylo doesn't actually follow the lore and philosophy of the Sith, he isn't considered a Darth. Similarly, "The Acolyte" antagonist Qimir (Manny Jacinto) is not really a true Sith, even if he is an acolyte of Darth Plagueis the Wise. "The Acolyte" creator Leslye Headland herself once confirmed Qimir wasn't a true Sith during an appearance on "The George Lucas Talk Show."

Based on the prequel trilogy, it seems Darth is a title bestowed only once a Sith decides their apprentice is fully worthy and they are the one in charge. It's why Palpatine gave Maul and Vader the title Darth, but Tyranus couldn't do the same with his own trainee, Asajj Ventress, as he himself was still technically a student and not yet a true Dark Lord of the Sith.