sith are ruthless and totalitarian by design, in which a supreme autocratic authority is concentrated in a single individual granted the honorific dark lord of the sith. transfer of power is conducted through state-sanctioned assassinations: when a sith lord grows complacent, begins to show weakness, and is eventually killed, their property and authority are transferred to the apprentice who killed them. robberies, betrayal, and sabotage are commonplace; murder is acceptable so long as the culprit is not caught. this kraterocratic system ensures that sith society nurtures some of the most vicious and competitive individuals in the galaxy and is only governed by those strong enough to seize control.