Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
In the original Star Wars trilogy, we only see two Sith. In the prequel trilogy, Yoda makes that two-Sith limit even more explicit in his famous “Always two there are; no more, no less.” quote. But, why is that the case? In the Old Republic era, we have stories of massive armies of Sith and Jedi battling. Why did the Sith become limited to only two at once? What could this “Darth Bane” have done to reduce hordes of Sith down to a single pair, a master and an apprentice?
I read Path of Destruction as part of my read-through of the original Star Wars Expanded Universe. I was excited to get to this one because it is one of the books I owned in my youth, and I remember enjoying it then. I was curious if it would hold up.
Path of Destruction was written by Drew Karpyshyn (author’s website and Amazon page with his other books) who wrote several other Star Wars books (including Revan which I reviewed here). It was published on September 26, 2006, and it is 324 pages long which puts it right at the typical length for these media tie-in books.
“Those who ask for mercy,” he answered coldly, “are too weak to deserve it.”
Review
Roughly 1000 years prior to the rise of Darth Vader, the Sith were completely reshaped by another Sith Lord, Darth Bane. Darth Bane: Path of Destruction follows Bane’s story from his early life to his complete reformation of the Sith. When he rose to prominence, he instituted the famous “Rule of Two” that dominated Sith ideology up until the point that Darth Sidious was able to establish his galactic rule.
This book starts with Dessel (later Darth Bane) as a young man on a mining planet. After a run-in with some Republic army recruiters, Dessel ends up joining the armed forces of the Sith. After his Force skills cause him to stand out as a foot soldier, he is brought to the Sith academy where he begins his metamorphosis into Darth Bane.
Path of Destruction has excellent character development for Darth Bane. Even with the knowledge that Dessel would become one of the most powerful, brutal Sith, I found it hard not to root for Dessel. Karpyshyn did an excellent job giving him motivations that struggles that make him likable and believable.
On the other hand, some of the other Sith that Bane encounters feel less developed and more like simple archetype/throwaway characters. Even the weapon’s master that you are supposed to form some small connection with is fairly standard and, therefore, hard to care much about. Most of the Jedi (when we are shown their point of view) are like that too; they are very standard “good guy Jedi” overall. Master Hoth and Master Farfalla do have some decent conversations about the role of Jedi in armed conflicts, but they mostly retread ground covered in more detail in other works.
As for the plot, it is mostly character-driven (which is why this review focuses so much on the characters) and follows Bane’s path to dominance. It is an overall compelling plot that is paced well. Dessel/Bane has small struggles to overcome as he pursues his larger goal, and these subplots help keep things moving with any slow sections.
For my final thought (warning, this may be a bit of a spoiler): Darth Bane’s acquisition of an apprentice seems forced. He comes upon an abandoned child, Rain, who was orphaned by the war, and he somehow convinces her to follow him almost immediately. She is portrayed as a somewhat sympathetic young girl, yet she craves the power Bane has. Karpyshyn does give a little explanation/motivation, but it seems paper-thin.
Conclusion
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction was the first book in my Star Wars read-through that truly made me remember why I liked Star Wars books. The action is fast-paced, and the characters are compelling enough to make you care about what happens to them. Star Wars books are not and probably never will be major philosophical works; they are meant to be a quick diversion where you can dip into the galaxy far, far away for some adventure. Path of Destruction nails that purpose.
You should read this if …
- You are a Star Wars fan. This one gives a great background for the movies
- You want a quick dose of adventure
- You want a lighter read that still prompts some thought about good vs. evil
