Revisiting Darth Bane’s Apprenticeship in a Post-Zannah World

In the vast expanse of the Star Wars universe, the lineage of Sith is a closely watched topic. If Darth Zannah were no longer considered canon, the next most notable character who could be seen as Darth Bane's apprentice would be a figure from the Expanded Universe now known as Legends.

The Weight of Legacy

In the Legends continuity, Darth Bane primary apprentice is indeed Darth Zannah, who plays a crucial role in his legacy and the Rule of Two. However, if we explore other characters who could potentially fill the role of Bane's apprentice in a hypothetical scenario where Zannah is not in canon, there are a few options, though they would not carry the same weight as Zannah.

Darth Cognus: A Significant Sith Figure

Darth Cognus becomes the apprentice of Darth Bane after Zannah in the Legends continuity. She is a significant Sith character in her own right and continues the legacy of the Rule of Two. In this hypothetical scenario, Darth Cognus would be the most fitting and significant character to consider as Bane's apprentice.

Darth Millennial: An Introduction in New Legends

Darth Millennial is another character from the Legends continuity, but he is introduced in a later narrative. While interesting, his role as an apprentice to Bane would be less impactful compared to Darth Cognus in the established continuity of the Legends universe.

The Current Canon Status

At the moment in canon, we don’t know for sure if Darth Bane had an apprentice. It hasn't been explicitly confirmed, but it would make sense if he did, considering he started the Rule of Two, which involves the Sith passing down their power and knowledge to an apprentice.

While Zannah could still get recanonized at some point, it would be strange if a whole new story and apprentice were invented for Bane but his name was kept. Conversely, Bane's spirit on Korriban appearing as a samurai-esque warrior in Canon (replacing his usual Orbalisk armor) in Star Wars: Legacy, which is now in Legends, makes the situation even more complex.

Future Possibilities and Revisions

The exclusion of the apprentice could be explained at a later date or Ret-Conned (retroactively connected) by Disney to suit their needs. At the time Darth Bane was introduced to Yoda in the animated Clone Wars, the second Sith Lord was not required to further the plot.

There is also the possibility that Bane is being selected for further development in a canon-approved novel or movie. In that case, the entire backstory and settings could change, causing any previous potential apprentice to become falsely connected to him or rendered irrelevant.