In the New York Times bestseller Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, author Drew Karpyshyn painted a gripping portrait of a young man's journey from innocence to evil. That man was Darth Bane, a twisted genius whose iron will, fierce ambition, and strength in the dark side of the Force made him a natural leader among the Sith -- until his radical embrace of an all-but-forgotten wisdom drove him to destroy his own order... and create it anew from the ashes. As the last surviving Sith, Darth Bane promulgated a harsh new directive: the Rule of Two.
What happened next is the subject of the new Bane novel, Darth Bane: Rule of Two (out in hardcover from Del Rey Books on December 26th, 2007). Bane is ready to put his policy into action, and he thinks he has found the key element that will make his triumph complete: a student to train in the ways of the dark side. Though she is young, Zannah possesses an instinctive link to the dark side that rivals his own. With his guidance, she will become essential in his quest to destroy the Jedi and dominate the galaxy.
There is one who is determined to stop Darth Bane: Johun Othone, Padawan to Jedi Master Lord Hoth, who died at Bane's hands in the last great Sith War. Though the rest of the Jedi scoff at him, Johun's belief that there are surviving Sith on the loose is unshakable.
What follows is an interview with author Drew Karpyshyn, courtesy of Del Rey Books. StarWars.com readers can also check out Karpyshyn's blog here.
Rule of Two is the second novel featuring Darth Bane, the legendary Sith master who introduced the rule that subsequently defined the history of the Sith: "Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody the power, the other to crave it." Is this just a darkly twisted version of the Jedi-Padawan relationship, or is there more to it?
There is definitely a parallel between the Master-apprentice and Jedi-Padawan relationships, in that you have a mentor passing on teachings, knowledge and wisdom to a student. However, the Jedi use this relationship as a way to prepare individuals for a life of service by teaching obedience to a greater authority, whether it be a Padawan's Master, the Jedi Council, or the Force itself. In contrast, the Sith see the Master-apprentice relationship as the first step in a journey that will free the individual from all service. The ultimate purpose of the Rule of Two is to have the student surpass and replace the teacher... something the Jedi most certainly do not encourage.
You've fleshed out Bane considerably since he appeared in the Dark Horse comics Jedi vs. Sith series. How has your take on Bane changed from your original conception in the course of writing these novels?
Like many who first met Bane in the comics, I saw him as a larger-than-life figure. In some ways he seemed to be the embodiment of the dark side itself; a monster who was pure evil. However, when I went to write the novels I began to wonder how such a being came into existence. Obviously he wasn't born as a monster, and as I explored and played around with his back-story, I realized that -- on many levels -- Bane could actually be a character people could identify with. He's just doing what he feels is necessary to survive, and I think he brings an interesting perspective to the morality of the whole light side--dark side argument.
You've said before that you don't consider the philosophy of the dark side to be inherently evil. Yet if that's the case, why does it always lead to betrayal and treachery and murder, as it does in Rule of Two and elsewhere? Why does it always corrupt individuals, from Bane to Vader to Jacen Solo?
The dark side is a philosophy that celebrates the power of the individual, which on its own isn't necessarily bad. The problem comes when this philosophy is pushed to extremes, resulting in a lack of respect for the rights and lives of others. However, at least in Bane's era, followers of the dark side don't have any choice but to be extremist in their actions. The Jedi are fanatical about trying to wipe out the followers of the dark side, so the only way for the Sith to survive is to meet their enemies with the same level of fanaticism. If the Jedi were more moderate and tolerant of those who follow the dark side, Bane might have evolved into something very different . . . but that wouldn't necessarily make for a good story.
One of the main plot threads in Rule of Two concerns Bane's choice of an apprentice: the young girl Zannah, who develops into an intriguing character in her own right. If anything, she is more frightening than Bane! Tell us about her.
Zannah appeared as a young girl in the same Dark Horse series that introduced us to Darth Bane. She's interesting because, although she's incredibly strong in the Force, her power manifests itself in a very different way than her Master's. She lacks his physical size and strength, so she's forced to rely more on her wits and cunning. Like Bane, she didn't start out planning to be evil. She's been dealt some tough hands in life, and she does what she has to in order to survive. This is especially important later in the book as she must decide what path she wants to follow, and I'm hoping readers will be able to identify with her internal conflict.
Where did you get the idea for the orbalisks, the symbiotic parasites that Bane uses to enhance his physical and Force-related abilities?
The orbalisks were part of the established lore around Bane. As I looked into them I saw an interesting parallel in their relationship with Bane and Bane's relationship with Zannah. The orbalisks augment Bane's power and protect him against lightsabers and other weapons, but they also force him to live in constant, agonizing pain, and there is the chance that they will one day be the cause of his destruction. Zannah could say the same thing about her Master: he makes her strong, but he also causes pain and suffering and it is very likely he will one day be the cause of her death . . . unless she proves strong enough to kill him instead.
