Star Wars: Top Five Female Dark Side Users

The Star Wars franchise is home to some of the most powerful individuals in all of pop culture. Most of these individuals are either members of the heroic Jedi Order or the sinister Sith. While the villainous female Force users on this list aren’t considered full-fledged Sith Lords, they are no less cunning, twisted, and bloodthirsty. They won’t hesitate to exert their corrupting influence over the Force to get what they want, no matter how many people they have to kill to get it. Without further ado, activate your lightsabers, ready your blasters, and let’s dive in to the top five female Dark Side users from Star Wars.

Asajj Ventress

No other female Dark Side user compares to the phenomenon that is Asajj Ventress. The seductive and dangerous Dathomirian Dark Jedi debuted in the 2003 mico-animated television series Star Wars: Clone Wars, voiced by Grey DeLisle. The character also appeared in multiple comic books before Disney acquired LucasFilm and the rights for Star Wars in 2012. Another version of the character, voiced by Nika Futterman, was made canon in 2008 with the animated Clone Wars movie.

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Ventress is a member of the Nightsisters and trained with the Jedi before the death of her master. She eventually becomes an assassin and acolyte for Sith Lord Count Dooku during the Clone Wars. Whether she’s hunting down Jedi or seeking vengeance against her masters who betrayed her, Ventress is an effective villain (later hero) and enthralling character. Her story arc takes her in several different directions throughout the franchise’s history and she has three different fates depending on what you consider canon. Besides Zam Wesell, Ventress is the first prominent female villain of the franchise.

Reva Sevander

Moses Ingram debuted as Reva Sevander AKA the Third Sister in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latest Star Wars television series from Disney+. Only two episodes of the series have aired, so several aspects of Reva’s character remain surrounded in mystery. Here’s what I like about her: she’s ambitious and cruel (love that in a villain), it’s implied she works directly with Darth Vader, she’s deeply intelligent and she has own side gigs that further her quest for power, and she has clear stakes in the plot which ties directly to Obi-Wan.

I’m excited to see another female member of the Inquisitorius; the Second Sister and the Seventh Sister are some of my favorite Inquisitors, so I’m looking forward to what the show has in store for Reva.

Mother Talzin

Mother Talzin is the shaman and Clan Mother of the Nightsisters, a coven of Force-sensitive witches skilled in dark magick. Talzin’s considerable talent in magick was enough to attract the attention of Darth Sidious, who abducted her son Maul and trained him as his apprentice. Like her sisters in the coven, Talzin manipulates the spirit energy that flows from the depths of the planet Dathomir, making her a terrifying and skilled opponent.

Talzin’s usage of the Force was never really seen in Star Wars before until her debut in the animated Clone Wars television series. She summons spirits in battle, controls a version Force lightning, and can exist in a ghostly form outside her body, among other mysterious and dark abilities. Usually surrounded by thick green smoke, Mother Talzin is a striking figure, with her dark red robes, elaborately painted face, and deep echoing voice. She’s one space sorceress you don’t want to mess with.

The Seventh Sister

The Seventh Sister appeared in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels and operated as a Jedi hunter shortly after the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Darth Vader tasked her and her fellow members of the Inquisitorius with tracking down Ahsoka Tano. This brought her into direct conflict with the main characters of Rebels on several occasions; the whirling sounds of her crimson double-bladed lightsaber always signaled trouble for the Ghost crew.

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Eventually, the Seventh Sister dueled Maul and Ezra Bridger while trying to obtain a Sith Holocron on Vader’s orders. Ezra and Maul gained the advantage against the Seventh Sister, though Ezra couldn’t bring himself to kill her. Maul delivered the killing strike against the Seventh Sister, which was a shame because I wanted to see so much more of her character. She was also voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar, which is always a huge plus.

Maris Brood

For our fifth and final entry (for now), I’m looking to Legends— or Star Wars material that exists outside of Disney’s established canon. Maris Brood, who appeared in the 2008 video game Star Wars: Force Unleashed, was a Zabrak Jedi Padawan who went into hiding with her master Shaak Ti on the planet Felucia following the outbreak of the Jedi Purge. She was eventually corrupted by the Dark Side following her master’s death. 

Hoping to secure herself a life free of Vader and the Empire, Maris kidnapped Senator Bail Organa and offered him to Vader as her prisoner; however, Vader’s secret apprentice Starkiller defeats her in battle instead. Rather than killing her, Starkiller allows Maris to escape. There’s a layer of tragedy to Maris that makes her compelling, as well as her unique look and her skill in lightsaber combat. It’s a shame the character was never revisited following her appearance in Force Unleashed.

Do you have a favorite female Dark Side user who isn’t on this list? Let me know in the comments. For all things Star Wars and pop culture, check out my website. Stay nerdy!