Join The Infernal Brotherhood of the Scruffy Looking, Nerf Herders as they explore Star Wars lore via their own personal Holocron. This episode will focus on Ajunta Pall, the leader of the Exiles and the very first Dark Lord of the Sith.
Transcript
Cold Open
The Jedi thought they had won. After a century of blood and alchemical nightmares, the Hundred-Year Darkness had finally come to an end at the Battle of Corbos. But the Jedi Order made a choice that would haunt the galaxy for seven millennia. They chose mercy over execution. They marched twelve high-ranking Dark Jedi—the leaders of the rebellion—onto an unarmed galleon and cast them into the Unknown Regions. They hoped the vacuum of space would claim them. Instead, they found a throne.
Intro
Greetings, my fellow Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herders, and welcome back to The Infernal Brotherhood! Today, we are profiling the man who bridged the gap between “Fallen Jedi” and “Sith Lord.” His name was Ajunta Pall. He was a Master, a General, and a God-King. We’re going to look at his rise on Korriban, his founding of the First Sith Empire, and the tragic irony of his final resting place. Pull up a chair—we’re diving deep into the shadow of the first Jen’ari.
Discussion
The Fall of a Master
Before the war, Ajunta Pall was a highly respected Human Jedi Master. He was a scholar who pushed the boundaries of the Force, specifically in the forbidden realm of Alchemy. Pall discovered the secret to literally shaping and creating life—a power the Jedi High Council viewed as a direct abomination of the Force’s will.
When the Council barred his teachings, Pall didn’t just walk away; he took his followers and declared war. As a High General during the Hundred-Year Darkness, he was legendary and lethal, personally slaying over a dozen Jedi during the final stand at Corbos. Even in defeat, he remained defiant. When he was loaded into that exile galleon, he wasn’t a broken man—he was a conqueror looking for a new world.
The Stygian Caldera and the Discovery of Korriban
The journey of the Exiles was not an aimless drift. Guided by the brilliant and ruthless alchemist Sorzus Syn, who had spent years tracking rumors of an ancient “Kingdom of the Sith,” the twelve Dark Jedi navigated the treacherous Stygian Caldera.
They emerged from the dust clouds to find Korriban. The world was harsh, red, and primitive—but it was pulsing with the Dark Side. Upon landing, the Exiles encountered the native Sith species. To the Sith, these visitors—with their shining lightsabers and mastery of the Force—were the manifestation of their gods. Specifically, the priest caste, the Kissai, believed Ajunta Pall was the physical return of Typhojem, the Left-Handed God.
The Beheading of King Graush
The conquest of Korriban wasn’t just a display of brute force; it was a masterclass in Sith manipulation. The reigning Sith King, Hakagram Graush, was not easily impressed. However, Ajunta Pall was smarter. He identified the King’s Shadow Hand—his second-in-command—and promised him power.
With the Shadow Hand’s betrayal, the palace gates were opened. In a moment that would define the Sith transition, Ajunta Pall personally beheaded King Graush with his own sword. The message was clear: the old ways of Korriban were dead. The era of the Jen’ari, the Dark Lord, had begun.
Founding the Empire and the Alchemy of Blood
As the first Dark Lord of the Sith, Pall didn’t just rule; he transformed his subjects. He established his citadel on the cold world of Ziost and began a process that changed the galaxy forever. Using his knowledge of alchemy, he and the other Exiles began blending their own human DNA with that of the Sith species.
This created a new hybrid lineage where “Sith” no longer just meant a species, but a rank and an ideology. However, not all Exiles were content. Some grew impatient and tried to return to Republic space within the first year to seek revenge. This premature attack was a failure, but it alerted the Jedi that the Exiles had not only survived—they had built an empire.
The Remorse of a Ghost (The Redemption)
Perhaps the most powerful part of Pall’s story happens nearly 3,000 years after his death. During the Jedi Civil War, the hero—or villain—Revan entered Pall’s tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords. There, he found the spirit of the first Dark Lord, bound to the physical world by his own alchemical ties.
But Pall was not the proud conqueror he once was. He was a ghost filled with agonizing regret. He watched for centuries as his successors murdered each other, proving that the Sith philosophy of “survival of the fittest” only led to a cycle of self-destruction. In one of the most significant moments in Star Wars Legends, Revan convinced the first Dark Lord to let go of his hate. Ajunta Pall finally turned back to the Light, becoming one with the Force and leaving the Sith path behind forever.
Outro
Ajunta Pall’s life is a warning. He achieved everything a Dark Sider could want: an empire, godhood, and eternal life through alchemy. And yet, in the end, he realized he had betrayed everything that truly mattered.
If you enjoyed this look at the first Jen’ari, make sure to like and subscribe to the Brotherhood. Tell me in the comments—do you think the Sith would have been more successful if they had followed Pall’s more cautious approach, or was their eventual infighting inevitable?
Thank you to my Creator Patrons Aaron Hardy & D. Robert Handy, Developer Patrons Chris Androu and Sam Ruiz, and all our YouTube Members.
Until we convene again, my fellow Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herders… May the Force be with you.