Originally posted by DarthAnt66So did Plagueis lol. Look at how it turned out for him. That type of arrogance is why there never really is a last Banite sith.
In Legends, a majority of sources indicate Sheev recognized himself as the last Banite Sith, but kept Maul, Dooku, and Vader in its tradition and their practical uses as assassin, pawn, enforcer, and bodyguard.
As mentioned, in Legends Palpatine himself made it abundantly clear that he vowed to gain immortality and become the last Sith... That he only chose underlings to do his bidding, but never chose a successor:
-Book of the Sith
Palpatine's "Rule of One" was even foreseen by Darth Tenebrous prior to his death:
https://i.imgur.com/pDHKYfT.jpg
-The Tenebrous Way
....And a few other sources confirm the same.
_______________________________________________
As for canon, there is evidence to suggest that Palpatine may have initially intended Anakin/Vader to succeed him:
"Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us!"
-RotS
Soon after destroying the Jedi, the Emperor had told Vader that he would one day be tempted to kill him. He'd said that the relationship between Sith apprentice and Master was symbiotic but in a delicate balance. An apprentice owed his Master loyalty. A Master owed his apprentice knowledge and must show only strength. But the obligations were reciprocal and contingent. Should either fail in his obligation, it was the duty of the other to destroy him. The Force required it. Since before the Clone Wars, Vader's Master had never shown anything but strength, and so Vader intended to show nothing but loyalty. In that way, their mutual rule was secure. Perhaps Vader would attempt to kill his Master one day. Sith apprentices ordinarily did. They must, if they were trained well. An apprentice was unquestioningly loyal until the moment he wasn't. Both Master and apprentice knew this.-Lords of the Sith
However, it seems that Palpatine ultimately abandoned the thought of being usurped by an apprentice, and began striving to attain a sort of 'ultimate' power that would enable him to achieve literal godhood/immortality...
[Palpatine] would not allow himself to be sidetracked from his goal of unlocking the secrets many of the Sith Masters before him had sought: the means to harness the powers of the dark side to reshape reality itself; in effect, to fashion a universe of his own creation. Not mere immortality of the sort Plagueis had lusted after, but influence of the ultimate sort.-Tarkin
And the fact that Palpatine lusted after TWBW fully cements the aforementioned machinations...
Minister Hydan: "[TWBW] is a pathway between all time and space. He who controls it, controls the universe."
-Rebels S04E13
Moreover, the fact that Palpatine was in cahoots with Cylo(for a time) implies that he may have been seeking alternative means of attaining immortality.
After all, Palpatine himself admitted that he was heavily intrigued by Cylo's unfettered science:
https://i.imgur.com/azUSm3j.jpg
-Darth Vader #20
And Cylo ultimately mastered the art of scientifically transferring his consciousness into avatars when he 'died':
https://i.imgur.com/pBJN583.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mNQMb9R.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2ENaIjn.jpg
-Darth Vader #24
Cylo: "I have transcended the laws of nature and the trap of the Force. I made myself immortal.":
https://i.imgur.com/yrXiuQp.jpg
-Darth Vader #25
tl;dr
He was indeed part of the Banite line. However, aside from only having one apprentice at a time, Palpatine did not strictly adhere to the Rule of Two in either continuity.
Was he a Banite Sith? Yeah, obviously, as he is a product of Bane's line.
Whether he wanted a successor or not is irrelevant, as the goal of Bane's line was to destroy the Jedi Order, which Sidious succeeded in, thus there was no need for him to continue the line of apprentice taking. His goal of achieving a state of perpetual power and control over the universe is pretty much in line with Sith doctrine.
Stupid why? in TCW Sidious even boasts about following Banes Rule of 2 just before sonning Maul:
"Remember the first and only reality of the Sith- there can only be TWO...."
which is why I asked the question. Based on what I've read here it seems like Sidious only followed the rule when it was convenient for him. When it stopped being convenient he invented the rule of 1
He adhered to the Rule of Two in Canon and with his apprentices not because he wanted them to succeed him, but because he wanted to prevent Sith in-fighting and have someone to rule alongside him. That's why Maul displays all the traits of a Banite Sith when he returns to TCW, why Sidious considers him a rival, etc, why it's stated Savage breaches the Rule of Two. And it's why he offers Luke a place "by his side."
Originally posted by One Big MobSomething similar happened in TCW. Palpatine didn't like the thought of Dooku potentially grooming Asajj as an apprentice to overthrow him, so ordered Dooku to renounce and kill her.
In TFU he was peeved about Vader training Starkiller as he thought Vader was trying to get in on his shit. .
Someone tell me, if the Sith are so selfish and self-obsessed, why do they bother taking up apprentices? Or at the very least why do they bother teaching them more than the bare minimum for them to carry out errands?
Also again, what was Sidious's end goal? The Sith preach that their chains will be broken, but what are those chains for Sidious at this point (assuming he has achieved immortality and wiped out any possibility of the jedi returning)
