Star Wars: Is Darth Nihilus The Most Powerful Sith?
Since it debuted in 1976, the "Star Wars" franchise has introduced numerous Force users through movies, television shows, books, and more, with some being especially powerful. As far as dark side users go, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious tend to dominate the conversation about who deserves to be called the most powerful of them all. But while there's certainly a case to be made for them, it's difficult to argue that Darth Nihilus doesn't have one of the most compelling claims to that title of anyone to exploit the darker aspects of the Force.
Active during the Old Republic Era, Nihilus was once a human. However, he became a wound in the Force — a point of weakness within the Force often caused by a traumatic event — following a battle on the planet Malachor V that ended with the activation of a superweapon called a Mass Shadow Generator. Nihilus then manifested an insatiable craving for Force energy, leading him to eventually shed his human form and scour the galaxy for more Force energy to absorb via his Force Drain ability. In doing so, the Lord of Hunger joined his master, Darth Traya, and Darth Sion to form the feared Sith Triumvirate.
Nihilus is undoubtedly a formidable foe for the heroes of the "Star Wars" universe. He may not be the clear-cut most powerful Sith out there, but he's certainly among them — even though he's not a part of the new canon.
Nihilus' immense power doesn't carry over into Star Wars canon
Darth Nihilus' incredible power and dangerous allies are not part of the current "Star Wars" canon. He made his debut in the 2004 video game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords" as the main antagonist. He went on to be name-dropped in various pieces of print media and reemerge in the game "Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes" in the following years. Unfortunately, all of these mentions and appearances couldn't save him from the sweeping "Star Wars" canon reset Disney enacted upon purchasing the franchise and Lucasfilm at large in 2012.
Thus, Nihilus has resided in the realm of Star Wars Legends ever since, but that's not to say that he can't return to the franchise's canon in the future. After all, Lucasfilm and Disney haven't shied away from bringing other Legends characters into the canon fold over the years. Speaking specifically to Sith Lords, "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker" features nods to the likes of Darth Revan and Darth Tenebrous, thus lifting them from Legends into the new continuity. Perhaps Nihilus will get the same treatment in a future project.
In the event Darth Nihilus does someday make it to the main "Star Wars" continuity, it would be interesting to learn if he's more, less, or just as powerful as his Legends self.