The Nightsisters of Dathomir and Their Powers Explained

Ahsoka introduces the Nightsisters of Dathomir, a mysterious and powerful Force cult in Star Wars.

The character of Morgan Elsbeth was first seen in The Mandalorian season 2 as a key ally of Grand Admiral Thrawn and a target of Ahsoka Tano. She returns as the main antagonist in Ahsoka, whose search for Thrawn could spark a new galactic war.

Lady Morgan’s origin and identity are deeply rooted in Star Wars canon and lore, as Ahsoka episodes 1 and 2 reveal that she is actually a Nightsister of Dathomir. The Nightsisters made their debut in the 1994 novel The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton, but that story is no longer part of the official canon.

In the current canon, the Nightsisters played a significant role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (especially through Asajj Ventress, one of their members), and one of them, Merrin, is an important ally of Cal Kestis in Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.

This article will explain everything you need to know about the Nightsisters of Dathomir, their Force abilities, and their connection to Ahsoka in episodes 1 and 2.

Contents

1. The Nightsisters of Dathomir are a Cult of Female Magicians

2. The Nature of the Magic Practiced by the Nightsisters

3. The Origin and History of the Nightsisters

4. About Star Wars: Ahsoka

1. The Nightsisters of Dathomir are a Cult of Female Magicians

The Nightsisters are a clan of female practitioners of magic who originate from the planet Dathomir, a nexus of dark side energy in the Force.

Who Are the Nightsisters of Dathomir? A Guide to Star Wars’ Mysterious Cult — The Nightsisters of Dathomir | Source: Fandom

The Nightsisters have a strong connection to their planet, which they also call the Daughters of Dathomir. Dathomir is a significant planet in Star Wars; it has attracted the attention of the Sith for its secrets, and Palpatine chose a male warrior (called a Nightbrother) from there as his new apprentice, who became Darth Maul.

They first appeared in canon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 12. It was revealed that Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku’s assassin, was actually a Nightsister who had returned to her home planet after being betrayed by the Sith.

Ventress sought the help of Mother Talzin, the leader of a group of Nightsisters, and this led to a prolonged conflict between the Sith and the Nightsisters. Darth Maul himself became an instrument of Mother Talzin’s revenge, after she restored his mind.

The Nightsisters suffered a devastating massacre near the end of the Clone Wars in the Battle of Dathomir, when General Grievous led a droid army against their planet. Only a handful of Nightsisters survived, including Asajj Ventress.

However, Dathomir has been visited by other characters since then. In Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis explored the planet while he followed the trail of an ancient Force sect called the Zeffo, and he befriended a surviving Nightsister Merrin. In Star Wars Rebels, Sabine Wren traveled to Dathomir and found the legendary Darksaber there – the Mandalorian weapon that once belonged to Darth Maul.

2. The Nature of the Magic Practiced by the Nightsisters

The Nightsisters harness their powers from a mysterious green energy that emanates from the planet of Dathomir. This seems to be a unique expression of the Force, and it is called magical ichor (or sometimes magickal ichor).

They can perform feats that other Force groups would deem impossible, such as teleportation and transmutation of the elements. Their skills are aptly called “magick” even in the Star Wars universe, because they are so distinct from other Force abilities.

The Nightsisters’ abilities are based on the dark side of the Force. In Christie Golden’s novel Dark Disciple, Asajj Ventress tells Quinlan Voss how the Nightsisters were able to control the dark side of the Force. Ventress says that they “know the dark side better than anyone.” This claim seems to be true, considering that the Sith could not take the Nightsisters’ Magick.

However, it is interesting to note that the Nightsisters viewed the dark side as a tool to be used, rather than a supreme power. Neither Ventress nor any known Nightsister ever joined the Sith, because their views on the dark side were very different.

Nightsister magick is complex, as it is linked to specific places and groups. It is especially connected to Dathomir, which is why the Sith could not take their abilities. In Jedi: Survivor, Merrin revealed that it also depends on a sense of community and belonging. She was only able to access her full powers when she started to bond with others.

Morgan Elsbeth can be seen using a portion of Nightsister magick in Ahsoka episode 2 (as shown by the green flame under the starmap she uses), and this is likely because she was at a Nightsister colony and has strong ties to Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Empire.

3. The Origin and History of the Nightsisters

The origins of the Nightsisters are still unclear. Some legends in the galaxy claim that the first Nightsister was a former Jedi Master named Allya who was exiled to Dathomir about 600 years before the Skywalker saga, but this is contradicted by Ahsoka episode 2.

In the episode, Lady Morgan says that the Nightsisters founded the colony of Arcana thousands of years ago, implying that they are much older than the legends suggest. The fact that Lady Morgan’s Nightsister powers could interact with a starmap from the mysterious Peridea indicates that they may have come from outside the Star Wars galaxy.

The Nightsisters started to cooperate after a species called the Fromprath attempted to colonize Dathomir and exploit its natural resources. They managed to drive away the Fromprath, and their stolen technology became the basis for Nightsister weapons, such as their distinctive energy bows.

Mother Talzin is believed to have been the first to unite the Nightsisters, bringing the clans together into one group. From then on, they became a formidable force, although they rarely left Dathomir. Darth Sidious was intrigued by Nightsister magick, probably interested in their power over death. He eventually decided to exterminate them, considering the Nightsisters a potential threat to his reign.

Ahsoka episode 1 features a temple on the Nightsister colony of Arcana, and it may suggest that some elements of Star Wars Legends have been restored to canon. The temple is remarkable for its three statues.

Daniel Wallace’s reference book, Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side implies a connection between the Nightsisters and three beings called the Gods of Mortis, who are related to the origin of the Force itself. Other aspects of the temple’s design resemble the Zeffo, the ancient race whose relics Cal Kestis explored in Jedi: Fallen Order. It seems that the history of the Nightsisters is not only ancient, but also complex, linked to manifestations of the Force itself as well as to forces from beyond the galaxy.

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