As always at CloneIntel, only Lucas-era on-screen material is canon, as well as disney-era on-screen material which does not conflict with
Lucas canon. Legendary universe material, disney-era guides, video games, books, and comic books are not canon. Any information
from them is used only to fill informational holes, and only if said information serves to clarify and reinforce the Lucas canon.

Awareness of the Jedi and the Sith
How widely and how well the Jedi and the Sith are known within the SW galaxy is an essential matter of continuity. There seems to be a great deal
of confusion amongst fans and disney era SW creators, despite the clarity about these matters from Lucas era canon. Most of this confusion stems
from the manner in which Episode IV first reveals the Jedi to the viewer. Although the Jedi have been gone from public life for two decades by
the time Obi-Wan introduces the Jedi to Luke, knowledge of their having existed is essentially universal. Luke had been taken to the remote ends of
the galaxy as a baby to prevent his being discovered, and sheltered against knowledge about the Jedi by the uncle who raised him. This meant that
Luke was unusually ignorant about even the legends about the Jedi and the Force. This was not only essential to his character and his backstory,
it was also the perfect storytelling vehicle in which to introduce these concepts. Luke plays the part of the viewer, allowing Obi-Wan to explain these
new concepts to the audience directly. This is also essential to the story, since it is this new information about his father and the excitement of
learning about the grand mythos of the Jedi and the Force which sets Luke on his life-altering path. On the other hand, the Sith are so obscure and
have been gone from public life for so long that only select circles of well-informed individuals are even aware of them. Most who do encounter
them, even after their return to public life, think of them as essentially a kind of rogue Jedi. General ignorance about the Sith, their intentions, and
their abilities lead most who have dealings with them to underestimate the threat they pose, even the Jedi. Although the specific knowledge about
either the Jedi or the Sith obviously differs greatly with each individual in the galaxy, generally speaking the Jedi are well-known while the Sith are not.


Awareness of the Jedi
The Jedi have existed in the SW galaxy for over 25,000 years by the time of the 'modern' era of the SW films and shows. Their religion and its teachings
have effected every major interstellar belief system or philosophy, while their character and exploits have been the stuff of legends for millennia. Their
religious order has been an essential component of the galactic state for most of their history, and they have held a position of semi-nobility far above
the average citizen through their role as the First Estate in the stratification of Republic society. As the Knights of the Republic, they were leading military
authorities, and as servants of the Senate, they were leading diplomats. Their counsel was actively sought by the Chancellor and leading Senators, which
allowed the Jedi to play a vital role in shaping and guiding Republic policy. Even two decades after their Order was almost wiped out, the fame of the Jedi
was so great that nearly everyone still knew of them. There are many apt parallels which can be drawn between the Jedi and various groups in Earth
history, however in this case the best comparison is probably with the knights of medieval Europe. Knights were a central component of European society
for a thousand years and nearly everyone knew what a knight was, although most people probably rarely saw one in person, except perhaps those who
lived in and around their places of residence. Long after knights had faded from relevance, the average person in the modern world has heard of knights,
knows something about what their purpose was, even if it is a poorly informed concept of them, and would recognize a knight by their appearance, their
weapons, and their demeanor. In the SW galaxy, the Jedi are likewise known by all, however most have an incomplete or uninformed concept of them.


The Legend of the Jedi
The Jedi are known on most worlds as timeless heroes of legend, especially worlds which began as colonies of Republic worlds. Famed as much for
their righteous defense of justice as for their supernatural abilities and iconic lightsabers, the Jedi are seen as a symbol of hope. The collective actions
of the Jedi in historical era to defend against oppressors has given them a positive reputation, however it is usually the selflessness and heroism of one
or two Jedi in specific exploits and adventures which has contributed most to their legend in view of the masses. This image of the Jedi is somewhat
divorced from reality, but is the most common perception as promulgated by "folklore" and "children's tales", creating a mythohistorical concept of
the Jedi in galactic society, one that combines something of their past and historical reality with the idealized myth. The Jedi of legend represent
righteousness, so much so that even the altruistic and admirable Jedi of reality can rarely live up to expectations. The complexities of the real Jedi are
sometimes disappointing to adults that interact with them, having imagined them from a child's perspective as paragons of altruistic virtue, rather
than imperfect beings who deal with pragmatic realities. Regardless, although most people may never see a Jedi in person at any point in their lives,
they are widely known even by children, and usually highly regarded as the protectors of the galaxy and allies of the Force. There are even those
whose religions worship the Force, to whom the Jedi are seen as holy figures with a divine mission, which is not entirely dissimilar from how the Jedi
view themselves. The Jedi would downplay their role in the process, but nonetheless see themselves as conduits to enact the will of the Force.

The average citizen of the galaxy is far less invested in concerns about the Jedi, but is nonetheless aware that they do exist. The phrase "do the Jedi
use the Force?" is a colloquial equivalent of "does a bear crap in the woods?", as in a phrase that means it goes without saying. It is clear from this
phrase and other dialogue that the idea of a Jedi is an archetype and cultural reference, which is as universally understood as words like cowboy or
ninja are in our culture. Those who are better educated, simply interested in history, or who come from cultures with more accurate views of the Jedi,
tend to see Jedi as historical actors rather then as superheroes. Mandalorians know the Jedi from their history with the Jedi and because of their
culture's priority with warfare. The Jedi were historical adversaries, and thus the Jedi took on an important role in their culture as antagonists. This
means that the average Mandalorian would have a less mythological view of the Jedi, but would nonetheless consider them legendary for their skills
as martial artists. Other cultures, like the Bardottans, have less favorable views of the Jedi due to history, which become something of a legend which
sees the Jedi as something to be avoided. Regardless of how accurate any person's view of the Jedi was, nearly everyone was at least aware of them.

The Jedi in the Galactic Republic
In the Republic era, the Jedi were not only legendary, they were also contemporaries and an important part of the galaxy's federal government.
This meant they were not only known by nearly everyone, they were also political actors whose actions and positions could conceivably effect any
person's life. Despite this, very few people have actually seen a Jedi in person, and probably not even on HoloNet. Only a tiny percentage of
the galactic population is involved in federal politics and may actually interact with living Jedi in their work, while the vast majority of the galaxy is
totally divorced from that world. Even those who care enough about politics to follow it on HoloNet are unlikely to see many Jedi, as they work
from behind the scenes and are reclusive, while the politicians who are the face of the Republic are eager to occupy the spotlight. The Jedi do not
seek credit or fame, and largely keep to themselves when not in the field. The most likely place for someone to run into a Jedi would be while that
Jedi was involved in their constant struggle against organized crime, which would often take Jedi into more mundane settings where they might
interact with average citizens. Jedi would also be seen in person by top ranking officials, associated functionaries, and regular people on planets
where their work would take them. Even though there were thousands of Jedi Knights, the population of the galaxy is in the trillions. That meant
that the chances of having met a Jedi, or even seen one in person, were astronomically small. Even Nute Gunray, the leader of a galactic trade
guild of extreme importance, had never met a Jedi in person before Episode I. Rune Haako asks him, "have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight
before?" indicating that he had, and was therefore aware of how incredibly powerful a single Jedi truly was. Gunray had not, probably because
the Trade Federation was represented on Coruscant by their Senator, who might have personally dealt with the Jedi on occasion as part of Senate
business. Gunray would have been usually on Cato Neimoidia or some other part of their domain, and would not have personally met a Jedi unless
involved in a unusual situation which warranted a Jedi visit. Those who frequented the capital districts of Coruscant were the most likely to know
a Jedi, especially those who were ranking members of the government. Senators and others who worked with the Jedi were more likely to know
something about Jedi practices and tenants, having known Jedi personally. The same would also be true of any well-educated individual.

A good analogy for the fame of the Jedi would be that of the military leaders of any country on Earth. Most, if not all, adult citizens know that they
exist, and that they are important authorities of the government, but most have never met one and probably don't know what most of them
look like, with the occasional exception of those military leaders which some citizens might have seen in some official broadcast. Nevertheless,
if a General were to show up somewhere in person they would be widely recognized by their dress and accouterments, as most people are
aware of what a General should look like. A Jedi may be recognized by their clothing in some settings, however it is close enough to many of
the various fashion styles in the galaxy not to necessarily give them away. Lightsabers, on the other hand, are always taken as an indication of
a Jedi, so much so that anyone who is seen to have one is usually assumed to be a Jedi. A saber does not have to be turned on to recognized as
such in most instances, a further indication of how uniquely identifiable they are. Jedi are most easily recognized by their supernatural abilities,
which are known by even those who have never seen them demonstrated. Young Force sensitive individuals are often recognized on their
homeworlds by manifesting one of the unique abilities with the Force, whether anyone there had previously seen such abilities or not.
At the same time, even those who have reason to know the Jedi generally are unlikely to recognize any of them from their face and appearance.
Even the members of the Jedi High Council aren't celebrities with known faces anyone could recognize as the galaxy has a massive population
and to be recognized widely one would need to be as famous as someone like Palpatine or Dooku, unless known to someone personally.

The Clone Wars increased the average person's existing awareness of the Jedi, as they were deployed throughout the galaxy on countless
worlds in their crusade to stop the Sith Lord Dooku. Even those who did not encounter them would hear of them in the news as the heroes of
the Republic or as villains fighting against Separatist freedom. As the war progressed, the Jedi were universally framed as the cause of the war
which decimated the galaxy and effected the lives of everyone, mostly due to the efforts of the Sith and their allies on both sides of the conflict
to defame them. This was not entirely undeserved, as the Jedi who many once saw as heroes of justice now seemed to be politically motivated
war-leaders who were in charge of a galaxy-wide war which was causing so much death, suffering, and destruction. It is also important to note
that like medieval knights, the samurai, or other similar examples, the Jedi had been around for so long, and were so well-known and influential,
that they were starting to become archaic, both politically and in military terms. Politically, the Jedi were seen as an impediment to various
agendas, most of which were markedly anti-democratic. Although the Jedi were as powerful as ever, with each passing century and millennium
the galaxy's population grew larger and the collective weight of its wealthy entities grew along with it. Despite the strength of resilience of the state
with the Jedi as a primary pillar, these forces would eventually marginalize even the power of the Order. As a result, many were eager to remove
this religious society from the heart of the state, and saw that finally the opportunity might be close at hand. This coincided with the advent of
technologies which could overwhelm even the collective power of the Order, like massive armies of moderately effective battle droids, armies of
military clones, and superlasers powerful to obliterate battlefields and eventually even planets. These developments were the culmination of
centuries of work which was knowingly or unknowingly geared towards making the Jedi irrelevant to the battlefield, as they were the standard by
which all military prowess was measured. This was first felt in more subtle ways, such as the Mandalorian development of armor and weapons
designed to confront the Jedi, or the development of techniques to resist the Jedi mind trick. The Jedi had been using their mind trick for many
thousands of years, and some techniques were developed to teach even the weak-minded to resist this ability, particularly amongst groups like
the Mandalorians with a history of conflict against the Jedi. The abilities of the Jedi were routinely referred to as 'archaic magic', typical of
the attitude of those who dismissed ancient Force religions as increasingly irrelevant given modern technology and tactics. These new military
technologies proved to be a significant counter to the abilities of any single warrior, diminishing the importance the Jedi held during most of
the prior 20,000 years. Once the war began, the Jedi were actively hunted by Separatist forces, bounty hunters looking to claim the prizes
offered by the Separatists, and even by Trandoshan sport hunters eager for challenging prey, as the Jedi's fame continued to work against them.

The Jedi in the Galactic Empire
The Jedi Rebellion against Chancellor Palpatine turned the Jedi into enemies of the state, and they were subsequently blamed for the war itself.
Although the Jedi were still widely regarded favorably, the efforts of the Sith and their allies to discredit the Jedi had already weakened their public
image, which only deteriorated further with the announcement of their attack on the Senate and fugitive status. Jedi would now be regarded as
a dangerous rogue element, and even those who would still invite the presence of a Jedi would be fearful of harboring them, or even being
associated with them. While this public campaign against the Jedi certainly kept them in the minds of the population for a time, the success of
Order 66 and the initial efforts to eliminate surviving Jedi made the likelihood of actually running into a Jedi statistically insignificant. Although
the fervor about the threat of a Jedi would soon die down, enough of the population would remain vigilant about reporting possible Jedi
activity even decades later, making it dangerous for a Jedi to be recognized in public. Jedi were still officially public enemies in the Empire, and
while the rhetoric about this and the hunt for Jedi were now long past, there were a great many people in the galaxy who viewed the Jedi as
a dangerous threat to the public good, whether they know anything about the Jedi or not. Although belief in the Force and the telling of heroic
tales of the ancient Jedi were still widespread on countless worlds, the Empire's official prohibition against pro-Jedi messaging meant that only
the most enthusiastic about these ideas would still pass them on to their children, and could only do so safely in private.

Thus began the slow process of the Jedi and the Force transforming from historical realities entirely into legends, which over centuries would
have eventually led to doubt about whether they truly existed at all. This process would not fully begin so long as contemporaries of the Jedi were
still alive. Decades into Imperial rule, few would have doubted that the Jedi had actually existed, however with no one left to actively demonstrate
their incredible abilities made possible by the Force, doubt about the existence of the Force had become increasingly common. Luke, for example,
was purposefully told as little as possible about the Jedi while growing up, and yet had clearly heard the word Jedi before while never having heard
of the Force. This was also the case for Ezra Bridger, who like Luke had grown up in the Empire and had heard of Jedi and even lightsabers but knew
nothing of the Force. Han Solo also spent his formative years in the early Empire, and like most people he had heard about the Force, but he
personally thought the idea of Force wielders is "just simple tricks and nonsense", rejected the idea that a "mystical energy field" controlled his
destiny, and called the Jedi a "hokey religion," all of which shows that he was aware of what the Force is supposed to be, and what a Jedi could
supposedly do, but he simply didn't believe in it. The attitude of those who were already adults when the Jedi Order fell was obviously different,
however many of these people would share some of Han's sentiments, as the Jedi were already being dismissed by certain quarters as archaic
and obsolete when the Order was still an important power in the Republic. Admiral Motti famously dismisses their "ancient religion" as mere
"sorcerer's ways", suggesting the Jedi and their ways are as obsolete as their "ancient weapons" which Han foolishly suggests are no match for
a modern blaster. On the other hand, those who placed faith in the Force, like Lyra and Galen Erso, taught their daughter Jyn about the Force
and also about the Jedi. The Force was still widely known about and believed in outside of the context of the Jedi religion, and faithful people
tended to positively associate the Jedi with the good aspects of the Force. The Jedi were still looked upon as holders of great wisdom by many
who were not concerned with Force-based beliefs, as the Jedi religion remained as mysterious to outsiders as it was in the Republic era. Many
young people still dreamt of becoming a Jedi, as despite their notable absence they were still regarded as the archetype of a righteous hero.

Although nearly everyone still knew something about the Jedi and their abilities, most people seemed quite certain that the Jedi were extinct, or at
the very least, exceedingly rare. Even the Emperor and his Sith agents were convinced that the Jedi have been almost entirely eliminated by the era
of the Civil War. As a result, those who did encounter one usually didn't believe they were actually a Jedi. This is also due in part to many Jedi being
young, having been trained after the fall of the Order, which doesn't fit the mental image most people had of a Jedi as a mature and wise older
master. That usually changed when that Jedi used the Force, which instantly identified them as such even though most who encountered them
in this era had certainly never seen a demonstration of abilities using the Force. This seems to have been relatively universal, from simple peasants
who knew of Jedi abilities only from legends to older and more worldly individuals like Jabba who had actually seen Force wielders and Jedi use
the Force decades earlier. It is clear that the Jedi mind trick, their telekinetic abilities, and their use of lightsabers were all taken as definitive signs of
a Jedi. Even the use of the Force by other Force wielders was automatically ascribed to the Jedi, even when it was derided as "Jedi devilry", as Jedi
were directly associated with supernatural powers in the public psyche. The Jedi, their weapons, and their incredible abilities were still widely
known two decades after their exile from public life, and they began to reemerge in the galaxy long before their memory would have faded away.

The legend of the Jedi and their great fame continue to be a significant issue for them, since they were considered to be the enemy of the powerful.
Their greatest defense historically was their numbers, which prevented their enemies in the establishment from singling them out, or risk drawing
an irresistible reprisal. Most authorities who met Jedi in this era were eager to kill them, whether that was the Empire, the Sith and their agents,
or crime lords like Jabba. The return of the Jedi would pose a significant threat to oppressors, about which most of the powerful were well aware.

Awareness of the Sith
Although their religion is much younger than the Jedi, the Sith were likewise ancient by the time of the 'modern' era of the SW films and shows, having
existed in the SW galaxy for 7000 years. The major role they played in galactic history, as well as their infamous oppression, ensured that the Sith
were legendary, not to the extent of the Jedi perhaps but certainly widely-known. Nevertheless, awareness of the Sith in the 'modern' era was unusual,
as was any sort of accurate understanding of their nature and intentions, for a number of reasons. Foremost was that the Sith were presumed to be
extinct for almost 1000 years, and had made every effort in the interim to avoid detection. This was a strategic choice, but one that worked very well
with their nature as a secret society. The Sith do not need credit or fame, only power, and prefer to manipulate others and remain hidden, as it is
the best strategy for self-preservation. Even in historical eras when Sith Lords ruled vast empires, or others when various Sith Lords ruled domains in
conflict with each other, the Sith were a ruling elite who were cloistered from the general population. They were a secret society even then, and were
all the more so in the last millennium when they worked to slowly take control of the Republic from within. Although their name was widely known,
their actual activities and influence on society could only be speculated about, and their members did not make their association public, as is usually
the case with secret societies amongst the ruling class of a society. Although many in the galaxy would probably recognize the name Sith, they had been
gone from public view for so long that they had become fully mythohistorical, meaning that any who knew of them probably understood very little
about them with any accuracy. Few outside of the Jedi Order cared what a Sith was, and even they had turned the Sith into something of a legend.


The Legend of the Sith
The Sith of history were mostly remembered in the many references to them in folklore and children's tales in which they were the embodiment of evil.
They were remembered more for their Jedi-like unnatural abilities, their incredible power, and their mysterious ways than for their political and military
prowess, having become primarily imagined a faceless, formless, and terrifying force of evil rather than a small cult of fallible and limited individuals.
Much of this has to do with how the Sith places of power retained a forbidding quality long after the Sith were driven from them. Sith planets, temples,
buildings, and monuments were often already locations which were strong in the dark side of the Force, and the presence and practices of the Sith
tended to increase this bias in the Force which would remain long after their death, unlike the Sith themselves. The colloquial phrase, "there's no way
in Malachor" approximates 'there's no way in hell', in this case equating Malachor, an infamous Sith planet of legend, with the worst place imaginable.
Moraband, the ancient Sith homeworld formerly known as Korriban, remained an infamous name widely known in the galaxy for many millennia
after the collapse of the Sith civilization there. Its infamy is noted even in databanks, and as such even droids seem afraid of that world. The strange
things the dark side might show any visitors, as well as the danger of any Sith technology still operating, kept most from exploring Sith ruins.

The fear of Sith places and the relative obscurity of their ruins facilitated the fading of their memory, leaving few in the galaxy with any accurate knowledge
of the Sith and their ways. The notable exception to this was the Jedi Order, who were the only ones in the galaxy with an active memory of the Sith,
beyond historians and academics whose field of study would have included them. The Sith were essentially legendary to the Jedi by the later days of
the Republic, however despite their misconceptions they at least had accurate information about the Sith practices, philosophy, and intentions, as
the Sith were primarily an offshoot of their own religion and had historically been their primary antagonists. Jedi students were still imparted essential
information about the Sith, as the Jedi had studied their enemy closely and wished to guard against any possible Sith revival in the future. The Jedi could
therefore still recognize a Sith from their abilities and trappings, or their buildings and art from their characteristic designs, despite no one in the Order
having ever met one. At the same time, the Jedi prohibition against studying the dark side or the ways of its practitioners largely kept them away from
Sith locations, texts, and artifacts which might have given them a better knowledge of the Sith. Thus, the danger of even studying the Sith served to
magnify their veil of secrecy. Nevertheless, the Jedi knew the real danger of the Sith, having had their history scarred by the Sith's hatred towards them.
Other select groups, such as the Nightsisters of Dathomir, still knew of the Sith because they were concerned about matters of the Force and also had
a history of interaction with the Sith. The average person in the galaxy would have had little reason to care about a long-extinct religious order.

The Sith in the Galactic Republic
The Sith went undercover in the Republic after their public extinction at the end of the New Sith Wars, almost 1000 years before the era of the films and
shows. The Sith had been forgotten by most, save the Jedi and in myths and legends, however they were also historical, meaning that educated people
would still at least recognize the word Sith. Those with any knowledge of history should have known that the Sith were real, but would have been as
surprised to actually meet one as we might be a medieval knight or samurai. Nevertheless, the Sith were still around and working to slowly and carefully
build their influence behind the scenes, over criminal enterprises, economic concerns, politicians, and corporate entities. These groups would not form
the core of a new Sith domain, but would instead be used to subtly and carefully influence galactic trends and critical events. The Sith would only act
with minimal interference such that the actions of their agents would seem to be choices they might have naturally made without outside interference,
which allowed the Sith to avoid detection by the Jedi. The Sith did have to reveal themselves at times in order to gain the attention and interest of
powerful individuals they wished to ally with, particularly in the era preceding the Clone Wars when the Sith plan was finally coming to fruition. This
meant that there was always a select group of individuals who were aware that the Sith were still around, having been in contact with a Sith Lord.
Nute Gunray and Rune Haako of the Trade Federation had clearly forged an alliance with Darth Sidious due to the fame of Sith power, which Sidious
no doubt demonstrated through his ability to manipulate events and the Senate. Although these two Nemoidians didn't seem to realize the danger
which the Sith pose to their allies, the appearance of Darth Maul led to immediate concern that two Sith are probably too powerful to deal with.
It is likely that the majority of Sidious' allies, especially in the Senate, were unaware of his Sith nature, and equally likely that most who knew he was
a Sith for some reason didn't really care what his religion was, only that he was powerful and willing to work with them towards what they thought were
mutual goals. As the Sith began to slowly reemerge into public view in a limited fashion prior to the Clone Wars, it became more common for average
people to encounter a Sith. Those who had no particular reason to know about the Sith would usually mistake them for Jedi due to their lightsabers
and Force abilities and were often surprised by their lack of ethics, showing that knowledge about the ways of the Sith and a negative view of them
were not necessarily prevalent. Most who encounter them seem to regard them as simply "Jedi gone rogue", however the Jedi and those familiar with
Sith philosophy would be wary of the Sith and seek to oppose them, knowing their power, intentions, and devastating impact on galactic history.
Although the Sith did not usually advertise that they were Sith unless it served their purpose, their vanity usually demanded that those they worked with
regard them as Lords, or at least refer to them as such. The Sith made sure not to reveal their identity to the majority of their agents and co-conspirators.

Most of the Jedi refused to believe the Sith could have returned even when the Sith finally moved to reveal themselves to the Jedi. The Jedi were unwilling
to believe the Sith had returned primarily due to the patience and secrecy of their enemy's millennium-long plan. The Jedi incorrectly believed that
the last of the Sith Lords was killed almost a thousand years prior, leaving no one to pass on their religion. This had not stopped the Sith historically, as
at least twice in history all the Sith Lords were made extinct without eliminating enough of the religion and its knowledge to prevent their eventual return
hundreds of years later. The difference was that in those interim time periods, evidence of agents of the dark side and their activities could be found, and
thus there was reason to believe the Sith might still be out there or could one day be seen again. The Jedi had grown complacent in their certainty that
the Sith could not come back, and the stealthy Sith plans had concealed their active hand in the galaxy from Jedi detection. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council
did not dispute the possibility of a Sith return, only that the Jedi's unfailing vision with the Force would have alerted them if the dark side had once again
grown that strong. This reaction was also typical of the Jedi leadership in this era, who were paralyzed by an eternal policy of caution and skepticism.
The Jedi realized how seriously they had underestimated the Sith after discovering that Dooku had gone to the dark side, and eagerly used this point in
their anti-Separatist propaganda. This succeeded in garnering limited attention from some in the Senate, and no doubt in the galaxy at large, however
the vast majority of those in the galaxy concerned with politics were not concerned about what religion the Separatist leader was, or whether or not he
were part of some obscure ancient cult. This would be seen by many as a distraction from serious political concerns, and even those who knew that
the Sith were Force users would have been unconcerned with one or two Separatist Sith knowing that there were 10,000 Jedi Knights on the side of
the Republic. Once the Clone Wars had begun, the Sith were less concerned about revealing themselves when it suited their purpose. Dooku attempted
to intimidate a group of pirates into standing down with the warning that he was a Sith Lord. Their leader seemed to know what a Sith Lord was, or at
least they were something he had heard of before, however he only seemed interested in that it might make Dooku a more valuable hostage. Cad Bane
was aware that Sidious was a Sith Lord when he was hired by him, and told Sidious that kidnapping children seems like "small-time for the likes of you,"
which shows that he had some idea of the Sith's methods and reputation. The Jedi told Bane they thought that the "fear of whoever you work for
outweighs your fear of us", further evidence that Bane knew just how powerful a Sith Lord truly was. Although Sidious was known only to a small circle
of agents, Dooku's Sith nature was known by many of his agents, since the Jedi denouncement of him as a Sith meant that this knowledge could no
longer effect him negatively, in fact it was usually an enticement for those with unscrupulous interests. When Pre Vizsla met Maul, he asked him if he
served Dooku, who was known by Death Watch to be a Sith Lord having previously worked with them. Vizsla knew of the Rule of Two, saying "I thought
there could only be two Sith, a master and an apprentice." Vizsla was clearly better educated and more worldly than the average person, and as
a Mandalorian and also a former Sith ally he had some knowledge of whom the Sith were and what their religion was about.

The lack of awareness of the Sith, in particular their methods, intentions, and selfishness, led most who interacted with the Sith to completely misjudge
the danger they posed to both their opponents and their allies. Other than the Jedi, most who were involved with the Sith were economically motivated,
and logically assumed that the Sith were as pragmatic and interested in wealth as they were. Anyone who understood who the Sith were and what they
were about would have known that revenge, and dominance for dominance's sake, was a principal Sith priority. The Sith were selfish, emotional, hateful,
and egotistical, not to mention unconcerned with petty concerns like money. They were also obsessed with taking revenge on the Jedi for their historical
defeats, and in removing the Jedi as the principal impediment to their plans. It is not surprising the philosophy of an obscure ancient religion wasn't widely
known, however this ignorance led most who interacted with them to misjudge the goals of the Sith and how associating with them would work out.
The Kaminoans who were so essential to the Sith takeover of the galaxy were ignorant of the Sith's goals, the Sith's ultimate intention toward them, and
even the difference between the Sith and the Jedi. Lord Tyranus was placed in charge of the cloning project by Sifo-Dyas, while the Kaminoans had been
an isolationist society which hadn't interacted with intergalactic civilization for a very long time. They were introduced to the Jedi and this Lord as
working together, seeming to see Sifo-Dyas and Tyranus being part of a different circle or degree within the Jedi religion. There is no evidence to suggest
any Kaminoans knew what the Sith were, or that Tyranus had murderous intentions towards the Jedi. Dooku had himself made the same mistake despite
knowing something of the Sith and the danger they posed. Prior to his final fall to the dark side, Dooku believed that he could work with Sidious to attain
his goals for galactic reform and then deal with the Sith Lord, the same way Anakin would immediately after becoming Darth Vader, totally underestimating
the power of the Dark Lord. Dooku was regarded as a fallen Jedi in the galaxy at large, and even those who might have known enough to regard him as a Sith
seemed to have assumed he was simply unscrupulous Jedi. Even after the war, Dooku was considered to be "a Jedi who betrayed the Republic and led
the Separatists in a war" by even knowledgeable clones who had worked closely with the Jedi, showing that the Sith had clearly gained little notoriety.

The Sith in the Galactic Empire
There is some uncertainty about how well-known the Sith were under the Empire, however the evidence strongly favors the notion that Palpatine's Sith
identity was not widely known. Most people would consider his political power as the Emperor far more impressive than his religious views or his
membership in a cult, and would be unlikely to care much whether or not he was a Sith. Maul told Ahsoka that Sidious was "behind everything, always
in the shadows," but that "very soon he will reveal himself." Although it would be less of a concern after Order 66 if anyone did know his Sith identity,
the ones who he revealed himself to were the Jedi, who he promptly had eliminated. Once he could operate openly as a tyrant, there was little need
for his secretive alter ego Darth Sidious, and as part of covering his tracks and eliminating the loose ends of the Republic era Sidious proceeded to
eliminate most of those who knew him as a Sith, including the Jedi and members of the Separatist Council. He showed his full face to the Separatist
Council after he was deformed fighting the Jedi, since he wasn't identifiable as Palpatine and because they would all be killed by Vader shortly. He told
the Senate the Jedi attack had left him with his new appearance, which allowed him to dress in robes like a member of his cult while not appearing to
make too much of a personality change too quickly. He had adjusted his public persona to seem understandably bitter and betrayed by the Jedi he
thought were his allies, and thus could take a harder line on security than he was already taking. What made his plan so effective had always been his
patience and pageantry, and having removed the Jedi, he could openly advance his plans without hindrance. Provoking strong sentiment against his
new order by moving too quickly would threaten this, and thus Palpatine needed to maintain some appearance of a well-intentioned politician,
something that became less and less necessary the longer he reigned as Emperor. The fact that he was a Sith was clearly not public knowledge,
as Padme was surprised to learn that he was the Sith Lord who orchestrated the entire war. Palpatine was never seen using the Force by anyone
but the Jedi, and thus it is likely that very few in the galaxy knew he was Force sensitive, let alone a Sith Lord. It would not have made sense for him
to make this public knowledge, considering Sith tactics, popular opinion and political optics, and the long-term nature of Sidious' plans which were
still unfolding decades later. Outside of Palpatine's inner circle, the only people in the galaxy who seemed to know of his Sith nature were the Jedi,
who were eager to defeat the Emperor but wary of revealing themselves to him and Vader. After the defeat of Palpatine, there is little reason to
believe knowledge of his Sith nature became widespread. Most people in the galaxy did not share the concerns of the Jedi, or of SW viewers, and
would be unlikely to care about what would have seemed like a trivial detail. Palpatine was an oppressive tyrant, his political power and how he used
it was all that mattered. The philosophical motivations for his tyranny would not have been a matter of great import to anyone but scholars.

On the other hand, the Sith certainly were better known than they had been in the Republic era simply because they no longer had to hide from the Jedi.
There were no doubt situations like when the Emperor discussed bringing Luke to the dark side of the Force with Vader within earshot of Moff Jerjerrod,
his Ministers, and a few other officers. It is clear that Palpatine wasn't concerned at that point about anyone knowing that he was a Sith Lord, particularly
his most loyal agents. In Episode IV, Moff Tarkin calls Vader the last of the Jedi religion, which naturally implies he didn't consider Palpatine to be part
of the Sith he clearly regards as essentially Jedi. Tarkin's staff on the Death Star in the deleted portion of the conference room scene openly discussed with
disdain the inclusion of a "Sith Lord sent by the Emperor", a scorn which they would likely not have been so vocal about if they were aware that Palpatine
was a part of that religion. Only Vader and the Imperial Ministers were definitely aware that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, as they were complicit in his
philosophy and goals. Palpatine did not need his high ranking officers to know that he was a Sith, since his political power alone was impressive enough to
guarantee their obedience. Darth Vader, on the other hand, was known in certain Imperial circles as a Sith Lord who was the Emperor's top agent. Vader's
Sith religion may have been meaningless to most, and although at least some people were aware he was part of a secretive religious order, most Imperial
officers were not concerned about anything beyond how Vader's inclusion in military operation would affect their prestige and authority. The fact that
a Sith Lord and his Inquisitors worked for Palpatine would have been no more notable or concerning to most than when the Jedi had worked for Palpatine.
Admiral Motti's statements suggest that Vader was seen as a dark "sorcerer", but like most people in the galaxy he conflated the Sith with the Jedi religion.
Neither Motti, General Tagge, nor Tarkin seemed to distinguish between Force religions like the Sith and Jedi. Of course, those conversations were taking
place almost two decades after the Sith seized power. Much like cultic political movements from Earth history, their true nature may have become more
commonly known over time, having been initially kept somewhat muted until the full security apparatus was in place, and it was too late for anyone to
do anything about it from within the Empire. If Palpatine and Vader could have announced they were Sith like the ancient Lords of legend as soon as
the Jedi were eliminated without causing a crisis of loyalty for many in the Empire, there would have been little need for most of Palpatine's cautious
plans. The Inquisitors added to canon in the disney era were also seen to have been relatively unknown to the average person. If even a worldly Jedi like
Kanan who was constantly poking his nose in Imperial business knew little to nothing about the Inquisitors when he encountered them, it seems unlikely
that most people in the galaxy knew anything about them unless they worked with them in the Empire, or happened to see one in action in the field.
These Inquisitors were mere Sith acolytes, but like Vader they were sometimes identified as the Sith of legend by their red lightsabers, in the rare times
when they were seen by anyone using them in the field. It is also clear from the reaction of Imperial officers to Vader in the original trilogy, as well as
Director Krennic in Rogue One, that Vader's supernatural powers were well-known by those he worked with, and appropriately feared.

Leia spoke the name "Darth Vader" to him as though she was emphasizing that she knew what that meant. Leia was well-educated and was raised by
those who remembered the Jedi fondly, and she was familiar with important Imperials like Vader through her work in the Senate. Vader's role in the Empire
seems to have been as the Emperor's proxy, and unlike the Emperor, he made no effort to hide his Sith nature from the public. Only Leia, Obi-Wan, Luke,
and Yoda explicitly discuss him as Darth Vader in canon material. For all others it was Lord Vader, and of course that is what Darth means as it is an ancient
title used by Sith Lords, and even Sith Lords address each other as Lord so-and-so. It is unlikely that most officers addressing him as "Lord" knew he was
'officially' a Sith, but regardless of whether they did or did not, no one in the Empire was going to insult him by not using that title. This is consistent
with how Lord Sidious and Lord Tyranus were addressed during the Clone Wars era, even by those who probably didn't know anything about the Sith.
While it is possible Vader was officially ordained as an Imperial Lord, just as Palpatine crowned himself Emperor, this seems to have been unnecessary given
that there are a great many noble persons with high titles throughout the galaxy in either era, and no one would question Vader being addressed as such
considering his close association with the Emperor. Sidious used Vader in the same traditional Sith manner in which he employed Dooku, having him run
certain Sith business for him, operating from behind the scenes and sending their minions to do the majority of their work, but also sending him into
the field for vital missions which required direct Sith intervention, without ever risking himself in such ventures. Although Sidious sought to limit Vader in
many ways out of fear of his power (just as the Jedi had done to Anakin) including limiting his sharing of knowledge concerning the dark side, limiting
Vader's direct political authority, and isolating Vader from the central workings of the Empire at his remote palace in the Outer Rim, Vader was regarded
as the Emperor's right-hand man and a powerful warleader. Leia's statement that only he "could be so bold" suggests a known history of Vader's work.

Vader was certainly well-known, and in certain circles even known to be a Sith Lord, however virtually no one knew that he was Anakin Skywalker. The known
exceptions to this were the Emperor, Moff Tarkin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda, as well as eventually Luke. Vader having seemingly emerged from nowhere and never
showing his face was part of his Sith mystique, and there was no reason why Palpatine or Vader would have told anyone who he used to be. Obi-Wan and
Yoda learned that Anakin was now Darth Vader from the security recordings in the Jedi Temple, however they initially believed that he had perished from
injuries sustained fighting Obi-Wan immediately after. They obviously learned later that Vader had indeed survived, and knew who was under his mask,
however since Vader was not identified to anyone who lived into the Imperial era during the brief period before he always wore his mask in public, it is unlikely
that anyone else other than his old personal friend Tarkin was aware of his identity. His old identity as Anakin was not definitely a secret, however it was also
the case that Vader considered Anakin to be dead, and he and Sidious even refer to Anakin as if he were a third person in conversation. Ahsoka also learned
that Vader was Anakin later in the Imperial era, but this still meant that Palpatine and Tarkin were the only non-Jedi who definitely knew Vader's identity.

Disney Star Wars
SW creators in the disney era seem to have a very weak grasp of many aspects of Lucas canon, and that certainly includes the awareness of the Jedi or
the Sith at any given point in the timeline and with any particular character. This was partly because disney was eager for content despite not having any
coherent or meaningful story to tell, while different creators were being brought in to produce and were invited to make things up as they went along.
The series Rebels was their first project, and was very encouraging since it did a respectable job with most aspects of continuity, including Jedi and Sith
awareness. This trend would not continue, and subsequent disney era material has been all over the map in regard to the vital matters of continuity
and adherence to Lucas' canon. Even later projects by Rebels and The Clone Wars producer Dave Filoni have fallen victim to disney-Lucasfilm's
inability to maintain essential points of canon continuity. In The Mandalorian, set 28 years after the fall of the Jedi Order, the Mandalorians seem to
have no idea what a Jedi is. The armorer, who is their go to for a wealth of information and wisdom, talks about the Jedi as if they were some obscure
ancient faction that people would be unlikely to know. Din Djarin has somehow never head the legend of the Jedi and their powers, despite the fact that
they were the principal protagonists in the massive war he lived through as a child. The Mandalorians in the Clone Wars era knew all about the Jedi, in large
part because the Jedi were of great importance to their history and even the military equipment central to their religion was designed around combating
the Jedi and their abilities. Even Mandalorians seen late in the Imperial era knew what a Jedi was and could recognize them from their abilities. They
were about the least likely group in the galaxy not to know of the Jedi. Subsequent seasons of the show attempted to course correct this a bit, with limited
success. The final episode of the third season had Moff Gideon announcing that he had studied the Jedi in order to take their best aspects to add to his
clones, then claims that he will gain "the one thing I never had - the Force." If he had studied the Jedi at all, he would be aware that as a living being he
has the Force just as much as everybody else. This could be dismissed as more of this series' bad writing, as he obviously means the 'ability to use the Force',
however it's hard to believe a character who is supposedly as knowledgeable as Gideon would be so obtuse. The writers seem to have a childish notion of
many aspects of the SW universe, the philosophies behind it, and the intricacies of a huge and complex society, and thus their creations are very mediocre.

Creating material whose only goal is to show visuals, characters, and locations, with stories and events which have no real meaning may be fine for superhero
movies, but is completely undeserving of the label Star Wars, in fact it is the complete opposite of Lucas' vision and purpose in creating this universe. Such
was the case with the completely unnecessary Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which had no real point, accomplished nothing of value, and made a complete mess
of continuity and canon along the way for no reason. There are many small problems with awareness of the Jedi and the Sith in this series, but by far
the worst issue is Reva knowing Vader's identity. Anakin is officially listed as dead in Imperial records. Vader and Sidious certainly weren't sharing Vader's
prior identity, so there is no logical reason for this, other than that the writers wanted to set up their forced scene of Reva blaming Obi-Wan for Vader's
massacre of the Jedi Order. This series is probably incompatible with canon anyway, but it is very indicative of the conceptual issues in disney SW.

The less said about the non-canon disney "sequel" trilogy, the better, however it is a masterclass in totally ignoring and destroying the canon and continuity of
the universe it was supposedly set in. These stories were created by some very unimaginative people of questionable intelligence and don't warrant a detailed
analysis, but suffice it to say in this alternate universe the Sith are famous the way the Jedi are supposed to be, while the Jedi at first are as mythical and obscure
as the Sith are supposed to be, but by the second film every character not only knows all about both the Sith and the Jedi but also seem to have watched
the DVDs of the original trilogy and the prequels. Rey doubted the Jedi were anything but a myth, but only days later seems to inexplicably know all the details
of Luke's confrontation with Vader on the Death Star 30 years earlier, including the moral takeaway that Lucas was implying in that story, which makes zero
sense for a plethora of reasons. In the nonsensical final installment of this series, everyone knows that Palpatine was a Sith, and takes it for granted that the Sith
can probably just resurrect someone from the dead because of their supposedly well-known "dark science." This is supposed to be the same universe where
people had stopped believing the Force was real three decades earlier because the Jedi hadn't been around for a few years. There is no evidence that the Sith
were famous for being Sith even when Dooku, Palpatine, and Vader were publicly operating in the galaxy. Having been gone for 30 years would have diminished
any resurgence of interest in the Sith and their powers which might have temporarily made the Sith something more than a forgotten legend. So much more
could be said about this issue alone, but there is little point. The so-called sequel trilogy is like a child's drawing of a stick figure attached to Lucas' masterpiece.

Although it is fair to say that much of the disney material has not been as bad with continuity as its worst examples, its overall record is not good, which calls
into question whether any of its material is truly consistent with Lucas' well-thought-out universe. Continuity regarding awareness of the Jedi and the Sith is
integral to this story, and disney's confused efforts in this regard have inadvertently ruined what had formerly been coherent and fascinating concepts, which
had meaningful implications for our modern society on Earth, the human condition, and the ways in which legend and myth interact with culture and politics.


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