Palpatine
Template:Spoiler Template:SW character
Palpatine (c. 84 BBY - 11 ABY), (also known as Darth Sidious and the Emperor), is one of the main characters, and the major villain in the Star Wars universe. He was a Sith Lord, who had the sole intent of taking over the galaxy, and attaining complete power.
Although first mentioned in A New Hope, Palpatine did not actually make an appearance until the 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back, where he appeared as a holographic image. Originally, this hooded image was played by an unnamed actress with superimposed chimpanzee eyes, and was voiced by actor Clive Revill. Palpatine was played by Ian McDiarmid in all of the subsequent films, beginning with Return of the Jedi. In the 2004 DVD special edition of The Empire Strikes Back, newly shot footage of McDiarmid as Palpatine replaced the original footage.
Biography
Palpatine in the films
Senator Palpatine
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Like Yoda, many details regarding Palpatine's past have not been revealed, making him an enigmatic character. Few details of Palpatine's early life are known, although he was presumably born on the peaceful backwater planet of Naboo circa 84 BBY. As an adult, Palpatine ran for political office numerous times, suffering an early string of defeats. In 52 BBY, however, he was elected sectorial senator for the Naboo system.
Originally regarded as somewhat unambitious and unassuming by his peers, Senator Palpatine surprised everyone as he became increasingly popular, cultivating friendships with respected public figures, military commanders, and even Jedi Masters (such as Jorus C'Baoth). Palpatine wrote extensively, his notes on power becoming popular texts among political and military science students, his theories even taught at leading universities throughout the galaxy. Despite his growing influence, Palpatine shunned publicity, and would spend many hours alone reflecting in his modest quarters.
Palpatine was a political genius with a cunning understanding of the human mind - he became a trusted and beloved Senator in the Galactic Senate, with a sterling reputation as a just and modest man. In addition to broad expertise in areas such as psychology, bureaucracy, and philosophy, he had the ability to foresee countless possible futures so that he could manipulate events as a grandmaster moves pieces on a dejarik board.
Palpatine as Darth Sidious
While it is unknown when Palpatine first turned to the dark side of the Force and took the Sith name "Darth Sidious," it may be assumed that his Sith Master was Darth Plagueis. Plagueis reputedly was capable of manipulating midi-chlorians to create life and avert death. Sidious murdered his master in his sleep, but not before (he claimed) he had learned Plagueis' power. A self-proclaimed savior, Darth Sidious would go on to accomplish the ultimate goals of the shadowy Sith Order: the nigh complete destruction of the Jedi Order and the domination of the galaxy.
Sidious began training an apprentice, Darth Maul, sometime before 52 BBY. Maul was a Zabrak kidnapped from Iridonia as an infant, then trained in the ways of the Sith and all forms of combat; he was especially taught aggression, anger, and boiling hatred toward the Jedi. Even though much effort went into perfecting Maul into an ultimate Jedi-killing weapon, he was merely a pawn in Sidious' grand strategy.
Palpatine used Maul to assassinate early political enemies, gaining him influence, especially in illicit circles. This eventually led to a secret alliance with the Trade Federation, a consortium which controlled shipping throughout the backwaters of the galaxy, that was large and powerful enough to be granted full representation in the Senate along with representation of its smaller customer systems. (This political clout was one of the Trade Federation's methods of forcing its backwater customers to remain loyal, since they could threaten to withdraw Federation representation.)
Palpatine becomes Chancellor
At Palpatine's behest, the Senate had voted to levy taxes on commerce in order to raise funds for the Republic. Palpatine, in his role as Darth Sidious, persuaded and intimidated the Trade Federation into blockading Naboo as a protest. He assured them that the blockade would bring them greater control and profits, as the Senate would be unable to act. Meanwhile, in his role as Naboo's Senator, Palpatine convinced Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo to endure the blockade; he advised her that the Trade Federation could not force the issue, and that the Senate wouldn't let the dispute continue for long. This led to the events opening The Phantom Menace.
Chancellor Finis Valorum secretly requested the Jedi Council's assistance in mediating the dispute on Naboo. The Council dispatched Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Jedi attempted to meet with Nute Gunray, viceroy of the Federation, aboard his flagship. When it seemed the Trade Federation would be forced to end the blockade, Sidious ordered them to kill the Jedi and invade Naboo instead. He assured them that it would be over before the Senate could respond, as he would keep it occupied with other matters. Sidious goals were apparently to weaken the power of the Trade Federation (one of the key galactic power blocs at the time), and to leverage sympathy from the invasion of his homeworld into political power.
The Jedi escaped to the planet below; but once there, found themselves far too outnumbered to deal with the newly ordered invasion themselves. They were left with little choice but to run the blockade, and to relay news of the invasion to the Galactic Senate where they would be able to elicit aid. However, their ship was damaged in the escape, and the Jedi were forced to set down somewhere to make repairs. Jinn and Kenobi sought these repairs on the nearest non-Federation controlled planet - Tatooine. There, Jinn would find the young slave Anakin Skywalker and discover his extraordinary connection to the Force. Believing the young boy to be the "Chosen One" who, according to an ancient Jedi prophecy, would destroy the Sith and restore balance to the Force, Jinn brought him to the Jedi Council on Coruscant, the Republic's capital, to be trained as a Jedi.
As Palpatine intended, the Jedi brought Queen Amidala to Coruscant, as well. There she testified to what the Federation had done and pleaded for help. Her reputation and testimony were enough to convince the Senate to take action. However, Valorum, under pressure from the Federation and bound to the bureaucratic Republic protocol, was unable to act. The Queen saw all this and at Palpatine's suggestion, called for a vote of no confidence. The Senate agreed and Valorum was soon voted out of office.
The sympathy for Naboo concerning the ordeal was enough to earn the already well-respected Palpatine a nomination to be Valorum's successor. His secret alliances further assured that he would be the one elected. Queen Amidala, realizing that it would still be some time before any real action could be taken on the matter, decided that her place was with her people and returned with the two Jedi to Naboo, where she helped to orchestrate and lead the battle to reclaim the planet from the Trade Federation. With help from the Gungans, as well as young Anakin Skywalker, the Federation's military expedition was ultimately defeated and ruined.
Future plans for Anakin Skywalker
Palpatine knew he would need the aid of someone with extraordinary power and strength with the Force if he was ever to defeat the Jedi Order. After Kenobi killed Maul during the Battle of Naboo, Palpatine set his sights on recruiting another, even more powerful Force-adept: Anakin Skywalker.
The true extent of Palpatine's influence on Anakin's life remains unclear. It has been suggested that Plagueis created Anakin by manipulating midi-chlorians; it has also been theorized that Palpatine, Plagueis' apprentice used this power to create his future second-in-command. The latter idea was actually in the first draft of the screenplay for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but was cut very early, possibly because director George Lucas wanted the issue of Anakin's creation to be more ambiguous. It is possible, however, that Palpatine was aware of the boy from conception.
When Anakin was brought before the Jedi Council by Jinn, they initially refused to allow him to be trained, because they sensed a dark cloud surrounding the boy's future. He was allowed to remain the Jedi Master's ward, however. When Jinn and Kenobi returned to Naboo, Sidious ordered Darth Maul to confront them. In the climactic battle of Episode I, Maul proved his prowess and killed Jinn. Though Maul was in turn defeated by Kenobi, Sidious considered it worthwhile. Jinn's dying wish was that young Anakin be trained, a wish which even the Jedi Council was unwilling to deny their fallen hero. Kenobi thus became Anakin's teacher despite the council's concerns, and Anakin was put on the path to being a Jedi. After the Battle of Naboo, with Anakin having proved himself strong in the Force, Palpatine took an immediate interest in the boy.
The Clone Wars
Around the time of the Battle of Naboo, the Jedi Master Count Dooku resigned from the Jedi Order, and eventually became Darth Tyranus, Sidious' new apprentice. At the same time, an obscure and mysterious Jedi Master named Sifo-Dyas, who was a friend of Dooku's, was believed to have ordered an army of clone troopers on the distant planet Kamino. Darth Sidious ordered Tyranus to murder Sifo-Dyas and take over the project, in what is believed to have been a proof of loyalty. Tyranus hired the bounty hunter Jango Fett as the template of the clones; as Count Dooku, Tyranus slowly assembled and became the de-facto political leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (also known as the Separatists). These plans would prove to be vital to Sidious' ultimate objective a decade later. Though Dooku and Palpatine had grand plans for a future Galactic Empire, Palpatine only intended Dooku to be a placeholder for Anakin Skywalker.
A decade after Palpatine's nomination, Dooku's Separatist forces became a severe threat to the Republic. Palpatine wanted to negotiate with them, but the discovery of a secret droid army made it obvious that they had no interest in peace. However, Palpatine lacked the authority to activate the Republic's new clone army. To that end, he had several of his supporters in the Senate make a motion to confer absolute authority on him to deal with the Separatist threat. The motion was carried. Feigning sorrow at this decidedly undemocratic turn of events, Palpatine promised to return this authority once the crisis passed. As Darth Sidious, he had already ensured that the crisis (and hence his authority as Chancellor) would last for many years by playing both sides against each other. While advocating more power for the Chancellor as Palpatine, he secretly advised the Separatists as Sidious, funneling them information and materials.
At about this time, he renewed his friendship with Anakin, now an angry, headstrong young man in his late teens, chafing under Kenobi's stern tutelage. Sensing Anakin's ambition and need for an encouraging father figure, Palpatine fed the young man's ego by assuring him that he would one day be the greatest Jedi in the galaxy, even greater than Master Yoda.
Once the Clone Wars broke out, he issued one decree after another due to the Senate's inability to effectively wage the war. Over the years, the Senate granted him more and more emergency powers until he could effectively take any action without Senate approval; he had a substantial majority in the Senate in any case. This made him a virtual dictator. Each time, Palpatine claimed that he accepted these new powers only reluctantly, when in fact he had carefully orchestrated events behind the scenes to ensure that the Senate would vote the way he wanted. The people and the Senate willingly gave up their freedoms in the name of security, as the ominous specter of a Separatist assault on Coruscant virtually eliminated all opposition.
As shown in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, the novel Labyrinth of Evil, and Revenge of the Sith, General Grievous, the Supreme Commander of Separatist Army, kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine under the command of his alter ego, Darth Sidious, shortly before the end of the Clone Wars. Kenobi and Anakin returned from the Outer Rim sieges to rescue the Chancellor and stop Grievous from escaping in the Battle of Coruscant. There Anakin killed Dooku/Tyranus at Palpatine's urgings, leaving Darth Sidious without an apprentice and the Separatists without a political leader. Grievous took the helm to some extent, reporting directly to Sidious, but soon died at Kenobi's hands.
The Great Jedi Purge begins
Soon after his rescue, the Senate gave Palpatine — who again feigned reluctance — personal control over the Jedi Council. Palpatine's first act with this new authority was to appoint Anakin as his personal representative on the Council; Anakin was accepted, but denied the rank of Master because other members were suspicious of his friendship with Palpatine and of Palpatine himself; in addition, they were by no means sure Anakin was experienced enough to merit the title. Aside from spying on the Council, Palpatine used Anakin's appointment as a means of manipulating the young Jedi; appealing to Anakin's anger towards the Council, his desire for power, his fear for the life of Padmé (now his pregnant wife), and the Council's apparent distrust of him, to help turn him to the dark side. However, the Council saw a chance to turn this to its advantage. The Jedi Masters had tracked Darth Sidious to Palpatine's inner circle, and wanted Anakin to spy on the Chancellor as the Clone Wars drew to a close.
Palpatine soon revealed to Anakin that he was, in fact, Darth Sidious. He encouraged Anakin to become his new apprentice, and promised him power over life and death — including the power to save Padmé. Disillusioned, Anakin reported Palpatine's true identity to Jedi Master Mace Windu. When Windu arrived (along with Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin) to arrest him, Palpatine revealed his masterful lightsaber skills, quickly dispatching all but Windu. Palpatine kept Windu on the defensive until he sensed Anakin arriving at his office and allowed Mace to disarm and disable him. Moments later, the young Skywalker arrived only to see Windu towering above an unarmed Chancellor. Using this distraction to his advantage, Palpatine fired deadly Force lightning at the Jedi, who barely blocked the barrage with his lightsaber and deflected it back unto its source, revealing the visage of a wizened man with glaring yellow eyes and corpse-gray skin.
At this point, Windu seemed to have Palpatine at his mercy. Anakin pleaded for Palpatine's life out of guilt for killing the unarmed Dooku, as well as fear of losing his last chance to save his wife. Windu, however, insisted that Palpatine needed to be executed since, as he controlled the Senate and the courts, a fair trial was impossible. As Windu prepared to put Palpatine to death, however, Anakin came to the Chancellor's defense, severing Windu's saber hand. With Windu disabled, Palpatine blasted a stunned Windu with another torrent of Force lightning, hurling the Jedi Master out the window and to his death. Emotionally drained and left with little choice, Anakin then pledged allegiance to Palpatine, becoming his new apprentice: Darth Vader.
Along with partial audio recordings, Palpatine used his new deformed image as evidence of an assassination attempt by the Jedi. Citing the Jedi rebellion as a justification, Palpatine declared martial law and issued Order 66, directing the clone troopers to kill their Jedi generals. He also sent the 501st legion of clone troopers, led by Darth Vader, to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple, including the younglings. Prominent Jedi who died at this order included Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, and Aayla Secura. Among the very few known survivors were Yoda and Kenobi.
Palpatine becomes Emperor
Using the additional sympathy from the attempt on his life, combined with his already significant power base, and the apparent take-over by the "guardians" of the galaxy, he convinced the Senate to fully sanction and support the Galactic Republic's final transformation into the Galactic Empire, and him as Emperor of the galaxy. In this way, Palpatine finally achieved his shadowy Order's goal of galactic domination. Palpatine did not, and needed not, reveal his identity as a Sith Lord to the Senate or public, for he was the beloved ruler and savior of the galaxy by then.
As his first act, Palpatine tasked Vader with ending the Clone Wars by killing every remaining Separatist leader hiding on Mustafar. Shortly thereafter, Yoda confronted Palpatine on Coruscant in a final, desperate attempt to take back the Republic, while Kenobi set off for Mustafar to battle Vader.
When Yoda entered Palpatine's office, after disabling two Royal Guards, the Emperor unleashed a torrent of Force lightning against the Jedi Master that almost completely stunned him. As Palpatine rose from his chair and taunted Yoda with the phrase "At last the Jedi are no more," Yoda responded with a powerful Force push, hurling the Emperor across the room. Palpatine regained his feet and tried to escape but Yoda blocked his way and challenged him with his lightsaber. Palpatine relucantly engaged Yoda and the two supreme masters of the Jedi and the Sith fought their way from the Chancellor's Holding Office to the Galactic Senate Arena.
In the Senate chambers, Palpatine hurled pods at Yoda, laughing and feigning boredom while the Jedi Master desperately sought to avoid them. Yoda finally managed to engage Palpatine in a last contest of wills, both using the Force in an attempt to knock the other off the senatorial pod. Ultimately, both were sent flying backwards, but whereas Palpatine managed to grab onto the pod and climb up to safety, Yoda's grip failed, sending him plummeting to the floor below. Realizing that even he could not defeat Palpatine, the venerable Jedi had no choice but to retreat from the Senate chambers. Crawling through a ventilation shaft, while Palpatine summoned clone troopers to pursue him, Yoda signaled Senator Bail Organa, who arrived in his speeder to rescue the dejected Jedi. Having failed in his task, Yoda went into exile on the remote swamp planet of Dagobah, where he would wait for a new opportunity to finally destroy the Sith and finally bring balance to the Force.
On Mustafar, Vader did not fare as well as his master, and was severely injured in his duel with Kenobi, losing an arm and both legs, as well as sustaining near-fatal third-degree burns and lung damage. Sensing his new apprentice was in danger, Palpatine traveled to Mustafar, leaving the search for Yoda to his troopers, led by Commander Thire. Palpatine brought Vader's body back to Coruscant, and Vader was soon placed in a black armored suit with life support systems in order to sustain him. Once Vader regained consciousness, Palpatine told him that he had killed his wife and unborn child in a fit of rage (Padmé had in fact died in childbirth after delivering healthy twins, Luke and Leia). As Palpatine intended, this broke what remained of Vader's spirit and bound him permanently to the Empire's service.
Careful viewing of the prequel trilogy shows that Palpatine's aide and Senate Speaker Mas Amedda was important to his plans. He was the first to suggest the Senate should vote emergency power to Palpatine. Palpatine's Sith identity was a secret known only to a few, much as Tyranus's had been. General Grievous, as a servant to Darth Sidious, did not know this secret. Amedda and fellow aide Sly Moore were among the few privy to Palpatine's dual identity, but they were disposed of after the events portrayed in Revenge of the Sith.
With the Jedi Order all but destroyed, the Separatists defeated, and his new Empire inaugurated, Palpatine became a shadowy and detached despot determined to bend the galaxy to his will. To that end, he embraced the use of massive displays of force to cow opposition. One of his most powerful weapons was the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station with laser power so strong it could destroy a planet. Palpatine had manipulated the Geonosians to develop the technical design of this weapon through his late apprentice, Count Dooku. After his escape from the Battle of Geonosis, Count Dooku submitted the design to his master. Palpatine later assigned Wilhuff Tarkin, an ambitious Imperial officer infamous for landing his ship on a platform full of protesters, to supervise the further development of the weapon. The Empire's policy of state terrorism became known as the Tarkin Doctrine, explained by its namesake as "rule through the fear of force rather than force itself."
Palpatine ruled the galaxy from his throne on Coruscant (now renamed Imperial Center), with Vader as his right-hand man. By this time, he had dissolved the Senate and formally devolved power to regional governors and sector moffs — power they had informally possessed for years.
Galactic Civil War
The full-scale Galactic Civil War erupted nineteen years after Palpatine seized power, in A New Hope. With the aid of an X-wing starfighter piloted by the young Luke Skywalker, Anakin's son, (who was briefly trained as a Jedi by Kenobi before the aging Master was killed by Vader), the recently formed Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin.
Three years later, in The Empire Strikes Back, the Imperials found the Rebels on the planet of Hoth, where Vader arrived, looking for Skywalker. Palpatine told Vader that Luke was his son, and Vader lured Skywalker, who had by now been trained by Yoda, to Cloud City. There, father and son engaged in a lightsaber duel, in which Vader cut off Skywalker's right hand and revealed that he was Luke's father. Vader then offered Luke the chance to join him, kill Palpatine and rule the galaxy together. Although profoundly shaken by this claim, Luke refused to be corrupted and narrowly managed to escape.
Fall of the Empire
The following year, the stage was set in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi for the endgame. Palpatine knew that if the Rebels were to discover the location of the second Death Star while he was on board, they would not be able to resist the opportunity to strike directly at him. With this knowledge, he crafted an intricate trap that was to destroy the Rebellion once and for all. Following the suggestion of Prince Xizor, Palpatine allowed Rebel spies to learn of its location and of the shield generator on Endor while planting disinformation which suggested the Death Star was not yet operational. In reality, the station's prime weapon was complete and fully functional, and an enormous contingent of the Imperial Starfleet was there to protect it. The Rebels took the bait and planned to attack the station with all of their resources. First, however, it would be necessary for them to de-activate the protective shield that projected from a generator on the moon of Endor.
Vader, meanwhile, continued to push his quest for the young Skywalker in hopes of luring him to the dark side. While Vader's contact with Luke seemed to awaken something of a conscience within him that Palpatine disapproved of, he agreed to the idea, with the apparent intent of sacrificing Vader to make Luke his new apprentice.
Luke was convinced that his father could be redeemed from the dark side, and so allowed himself to be captured on Endor and brought to the Death Star. There, Palpatine manipulated him into battling his own father so that he could inherit his mantle at the Emperor's side, and become Palpatine's new apprentice. Luke resisted at first, until Vader probed his mind and learned that Leia was Luke's sister. With this knowledge, Vader speculated that he could corrupt her instead, a threat that enraged Luke and drove him to attack Vader with full fury. Although he nearly killed Vader, severing his right hand, Luke controlled his anger at the last minute; realizing that he was dangerously close to suffering his father's fate, he discarded his lightsaber and proudly turned to face the Emperor, stating: "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
Seeing that Luke had become a lost cause, Palpatine attacked him with deadly Force lightning. Luke almost died in the assault. At that moment, however, Vader's horror at seeing his son in pain broke Palpatine's hold on him, and he became Anakin Skywalker once again. Seizing his former master from behind, Anakin lifted up the Emperor, in the process enduring a torrent of Force lightning that shorted out the life-support system in his suit. Mortally wounded, he used his last ounces of strength to cast the Sith Lord into one of the Death Star's massive reactor shafts. The Emperor was incinerated upon collision, in an explosive blaze that engulfed the surrounding area. Redeemed, Anakin Skywalker died peacefully in his son's arms moments later as the two attempted to escape the Death Star. The Rebellion, meanwhile, with unexpected help from the native Ewoks, overcame the Imperial Garrison. This allowed Lando Calrissian to lead a successful Rebel fleet assault against the Death Star, destroying the battle station in a massive explosion. Luke Skywalker would eventually serve as a guiding force for the restoration of both the Republic and the Jedi Order.
Palpatine in the Expanded Universe
Fall of the Republic and Galactic Empire periods
Palpatine appears very frequently in the Expanded Universe material which covers the prequel era. In the novel Cloak of Deception, a prequel to The Phantom Menace, he set up his bid for the Chancellorship by discrediting Chancellor Valorum, and had chosen to stay in politics after Naboo's accepted retiring age of 20, suggesting that he started politics as a child like Padmé Amidala did. In the comic Star Wars Republic, it is hinted that he is behind the assassination of the former Naboo Senator as well as the abdication and murder of Naboo's King Veruna, and also that he assassinated his predecessor, Valorum. In the various Clone Wars stories, he took an increasingly active interest in Anakin Skywalker's development into a Jedi.
Palpatine plays a major role in Shadows of the Empire, where Prince Xizor attempted to discredit Darth Vader through a plot to kill Luke Skywalker and replace Vader as the Emperor's second-in-command. Vader, who was obsessed with the idea of turning his son to the dark side rather than killing him, ultimately killed Xizor. Eventually, it is revealed that Palpatine knew of Xizor's treachery and implied that he would have disposed of him later if Vader had not.
In the computer game TIE Fighter, Palpatine was kidnapped by Grand Admiral Zaarin in an attempted coup d'état, although he was rescued by General Maarek Stele, one of the "Emperor's Hand" secret agents.
Palpatine and the Rule of Two
As revealed in Episode I, there can be only two Sith at a time: one Master and one apprentice—"no more, no less," as stated by Master Yoda. In Episode V, Darth Vader persuades Palpatine that Luke should be turned to the dark side rather than killed, and Palpatine agrees, saying that Luke would be a "great asset." It is possible that each Sith—both Palpatine and Darth Vader—was aware at that moment of the other's desire to turn Luke into their own apprentice, to kill the other and rule the galaxy. Vader's offer at Bespin was made in order to take Luke as his apprentice and overthrow Palpatine, but Palpatine secretly knew Vader was planning treachery against him and tried to prevent it by sending Mara Jade to kill Luke before Vader could reach him again. It is also possible that, with the Sith essentially dominating the galaxy, they had decided the time had come to discontinue Darth Bane's "Rule of Two," instituted a millennium earlier. Palpatine's heavy use of Force-sensitive agents such as the Emperor's Hands, Imperial Inquisitors, Imperial Royal Guard, and Prophets of the Dark Side may have been a first step in this process, as he had intimated years earlier to his second apprentice, Count Dooku.
Palpatine as a writer
Palpatine wrote extensively on political theory, military strategy, and Sith technique, which he combined into a Dark Side Compendium. It was to be composed of hundreds of books, but only three—The Book of Anger, The Weakness of Inferiors, and The Creation of Monsters—were ever completed.
Dark Empire
In the Dark Empire series of comics, Palpatine returned shortly after the Thrawn crisis, as "The Emperor Reborn" or "Palpatine the Undying." After his spirit was resurrected from the netherworld of the Force by the Dark Lord ghosts of Korriban, Palpatine took possession of the body of the Emperor's Hand Jeng Droga on the planet Kaal. It was to the Emperor's secret stronghold on the Deep Core planet of Byss that the possessed Droga fled, where Palpatine's spirt was exorcized from his body by Grand Vizier Sate Pestage and channeled into a clone of himself. (Palpatine claimed to have been cloning himself ever since his first "death," which he said was even before the Battle of Endor; although Star Wars Database administrator Leland Chee has disavowed this claim.)
Once he was resurrected, it is revealed Palpatine intended to eventually replace the Galactic Empire with a "Dark Empire," a universe-spanning magocracy ruled through the dark side of the Force alone, without the need for superweapons and technological domination. The planet Byss was modeled on this concept, serving as the Emperor's vision of a utopian society.
Palpatine attempted to take back control of the galaxy, and successfully converted Luke Skywalker over to the dark side. Luke was able to foil some of Palpatine's plans, and destroyed Palpatine's Spaarti cloning tanks and clones, but was not quite strong enough to pull himself back. Nor was Luke able to kill Palpatine, who defended himself using lightsabers collected during a previous failed attempt on his life by Jedi. With the assistance of his twin sister Leia, Luke was able to return to the light side and the two temporarily cut Palpatine off from the Force, utilizing an as of yet unidentified power. Palpatine lost control of the terrifying Force storm he had conjured to destroy the Alliance fleet aboard his flagship Eclipse, and was consumed by its energies along with the Eclipse.
During Palpatine's second absence, the Empire, under the command of his cadre of Dark Jedi, the so-called "Dark Side Elite," initiated Operation Shadow Hand, Palpatine's master plan to conquer the galaxy. Uniting the Galactic Empire's shattered fragments, they systematically retook the Galaxy from the New Republic. Unbeknownst to the new government (now reduced to the Rebel Alliance in name and fact), Palpatine had an auxiliary cloning facility. Two of Palpatine's dark side adepts attempted to finish the job Skywalker started but failed to complete their task when the still-loyal Dark Side Elite, Executor Sedriss arrived and killed the traitors. Emperor Palpatine's twisted soul had once again manifested itself in a young clone body.
Utilizing insane weapons designer Umak Leth's horrifying brainchild, the Galaxy Gun, he forcefully coerced systems into accepting Imperial rule. With this strategy, he nearly brought the Galactic Empire back to something of its former glory. Despite seeming absolute victory over the Alliance, internal affairs stalled Palpatine's progress. A renegade Imperial Sovereign Protector, Carnor Jax, had bribed Palpatine's head cloning supervisor to tamper with Palpatine's stored DNA samples.
His last cloned body deteriorated at an increasingly alarming rate due to the sabotage by his traitorous agents, and Palpatine began to fall victim to the ravaging dark side energies at his command. Aware of the genetic corruption of his clone supply, he ventured to the ancient Sith burial world of Korriban to seek the wisdom of Dark Lords past. The Sith spirits informed Palpatine that the only way to survive would be to inhabit the body of the infant Anakin Solo, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, and Darth Vader's grandchild.
Taking his new flagship, Eclipse II, with him to the baby's sanctuary on the Jedi stronghold planet Onderon, Palpatine landed and slipped by security using his mastery of the Force. When he arrived at where the baby was being held, Luke and his fledgling Jedi Order confronted him. Palpatine easily dispatched them, despite his physical weakness, killing one and incapacitating the others. Unexpectedly, an enraged Han Solo shot Palpatine in the back while he was off-guard, killing him. With his body dead, Palpatine's spirit made one last lunge for the baby, but was intercepted by an ailing Empatojayos Brand. Brand used all of his remaining strength to keep Palpatine's spirit from escaping. When he died, he took Palpatine's essence with him. After so many years of conflict and bloodshed, Emperor Palpatine, the greatest and most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith, was truly dead.
Dark Jedi
It is also revealed that Palpatine trained a number of Dark Jedi agents, many of which were held in reserve on Byss and played a role in Operation Shadow Hand after the Emperor died at Endor. Additionally, the Emperor had several secret agents known as "Emperor's Hands," notable examples being Mara Jade and Shira Brie (who later became Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith). Each agent was under the delusion that he or she performed a unique role as the only Emperor's Hand. There was also the Inquisitorius, a small and secret branch of Imperial Intelligence composed of Dark Jedi who assisted Darth Vader in hunting down surviving Jedi, and the Emperor's Secret Order of the Prophets of the Dark Side, a shadowy organization of dark side mages who foretold the future and quietly served throughout the galaxy as the Emperor's hands, eyes, voice, and reach. Several dark side adepts served in administrative positions in the Empire. Even the members of the Emperor's Royal Guard were all trained in rudimentary Force skills.
It is also hinted in the Barbara Hambly novels—although later discounted—that Palpatine fathered a son with another of his Force-sensitive female agents, Roganda Ismaren. In the Jedi Prince series, an insane three-eyed mutant named Triclops is revealed to be Palpatine's true son, and the Jedi Prince Ken is his grandson. In the series, Triclops is impersonated by another three-eyed mutant named Trioculous. Trioculus, Triclops, and Ken were all heavily involved in a plot masterminded by a group of con artists posing as the shadowy Prophets of the Dark Side to wrest Imperial authority away from Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard. Following the false Prophets' defeat, Triclops and Ken disappeared, though it is theorized in some fan circles that Ken was one of the first to attend Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy.
Though all information on Palpatine's family history was purged from the government archives of Naboo, some of his family members remained in galactic politics. Besides Triclops and Ken, his known relatives included his grand-niece, Ederlaath Pallopides (mentioned in The Dark Empire Sourcebook), and his third cousin, Voplau (mentioned in the comic book Boba Fett #1/2: "Salvage").
Several years after Palpatine's apparent death at Endor, a peace initiative was secretly arranged by Imperial Admiral Betl Oxtroe, to be negotiated between the New Republic and the remnants of the Empire, where Ederlaath Pallopides, as Palpatine's only known living relative, would be crowned as a ceremonial Empress. A constitutional monarchy would be created with the New Republic's Provisional Council taking over the old positions of the Imperial Advisors, making them the effective power in the new government. The plan collapsed when Betl Oxtroe was assassinated by Noghri. The assassination was implied to be conducted by agents of Palpatine working to pave the way for his return depicted in Dark Empire.
Major themes and influences
Historical
Palpatine is perhaps one of Lucas' most versatile, sinister characters. Lucas cited both US Presidents Richard Nixon and Abraham Lincoln, as well as Julius Caesar, Octavian, and Napoleon Bonaparte as inspirations for the character. [1] [2]. Many fans (and Lucas himself, in the DVD commentary on Attack of the Clones) have also compared Palpatine to Adolf Hitler; like Hitler, Palpatine gains power after the Chancellor of the government is removed from office, and then limits the freedoms of the people, claiming these measures are necessary in order to find and eliminate threats he claims exist in their government. However, unlike Hitler, whose political ruthlessness was fueled by fanatical nationalism and anti-Semitism, Palpatine seems to be completely dispassionate and very Machiavellian, calculating all possible outcomes from a situation with the sole aim of increasing his power.
In Episode III, Palpatine remarks "I am the Senate." This could be seen a reference to Louis XIV, famously remarking "I am the state," or former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay remarking "I am the federal government."
Other fans find parallels to Constantine the Great. Palpatine's name resembles Constantine's, as well as the Palatine Hill in Rome—the seat of imperial government—and to that of Catiline, who led a (failed) attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic in the 1st Century BC.
On May 19, 2005, U.S. senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) brought a picture of Palpatine onto the Senate floor and compared the so-called "nuclear option" of banning the filibuster, which had recently been publicly suggested by Majority Leader Bill Frist, to the Empire's brutal repression of dissent in the recently-released Revenge of the Sith.
Some see parallels to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served more terms in office than any other President in U.S. history. Just as Roosevelt has been accused by some historians of using World War II as a rationale for remaining in office for a third (and part of a fourth) term, Palpatine used the Separatist Movement and the Clone Wars to convince the Galactic Senate to keep him in power long after his term was up. Roosevelt has also been accused of attempting to "pack" the Supreme Court with additional justices who would rule in his favor after the body had judged many New Deal reforms to be unconstitutional; Palpatine solidified his power by taking control of the Republic's courts.
Literary
In a January 24, 2002 Star Wars Insider interview, McDiarmid compared Palpatine's character to that of Shakespeare's Iago, the villain in the play Othello:
"Everything he does is an act of pure hypocrisy, and that's interesting to play. I suppose it's rather like playing Iago. All the characters in the play—including Othello until the end—think that 'Honest Iago' is a decent guy doing his job, and he's quite liked. But at the same time there's a tremendous evil subconscious in operation. There's a moment in one scene of the new film where tears almost appear in his eye. These are crocodile tears, but for all those in the movie, and perhaps watching the movie itself, they'll see he is apparently moved—and of course, he is. He can just do it. He can, as it were, turn it on. And I suppose for him, it's also a bit of a turn-on; the pure exercise of power is what he's all about. That's the only thing he's interested in and the only thing that can satisfy him, which makes him completely fascinating to play, because it is an evil soul. He is more evil than the devil. At least Satan fell; he has a history, and it's one of revenge." [3]
Palpatine's name
The name Palpatine originated in the novelization of Episode IV, in which the name is given as that of the former Senator who rose to power. The name "Emperor Palpatine" was commonly used in many Star Wars references after the release of the original trilogy.
Palpatine's full name, assuming he has any names other than "Palpatine" alone, has never been revealed. The usage "Emperor Palpatine" suggests that Palpatine is his forename, though the use of titles such as "Senator Palpatine" suggests it may be his family name. Of course, Palpatine might be a Name of State, as the name Amidala is, so it may mean that neither Palpatine's given nor family name is known.
The original version of his character in Lucas's early scripts was named "Cos Dashit" and many Star Wars fan fiction writers have adopted the name "Cos Palpatine" in their stories and web pages, so much so that it has become fanon.
The debate over Palpatine's appearance
As Senator of Naboo and Chancellor of the Republic, Palpatine appeared as an unassuming old man with elegant robes. During the fight in which he defeated Mace Windu, he was hit with his own Force lightning, which deformed him and left him with a grayed, sagging face with burning yellow eyes. However, the true cause of Palpatine's change in appearance has been the subject of much debate among Star Wars fans.
When Revenge of the Sith was first released, many fans took this scene at face value, assuming the lightning simply melted and scarred Palpatine's body. Others theorized that Palpatine's changed appearance was not the result of physical injury, but was his true face revealed, previously hidden by an illusion or "mask" of one form or another.
Furthermore, various official and semi-official sources often seemed to contradict each other on which theory was correct. The official Star Wars databank and Lucasfilm representative Pablo Hidalgo supported the theory that Palpatine's face had simply been burned, as they stated that Palpatine's change in appearance was directly a result of being scarred by Force lightning and nothing more. On the other hand, the novelization of Revenge of the Sith and various quotes from McDiarmid have referred to Palpatine's face prior to his fight with Windu as being a mask, and the short story "Sithisis" in Star Wars: Visionaries directly shows Palpatine using a Sith ritual to cast this illusion over himself.
In actuality, both theories are partially true. This is explained by the Episode III Visual Dictionary, which states that some of Palpatine's deformities (presumably those that seem characteristic of concentrated burn wounds, such as melted skin and facial indentations) were caused by the lightning itself, while other supposed deformities (presumably those that couldn't be caused by this injury, such as Sith yellowed eyes, grayed skin, excessively unnatural wrinkling, raw eye sockets, and elonganated and blackened fingernails) were aspects of Palpatine's true appearance being revealed.
Quotes
"The Republic is not what it once was. There is no civility, only politics."
"Wipe them out. All of them."
"And you, young Skywalker - we shall watch your career with great interest."
"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin. Even more powerful than Master Yoda."
"All who gain power are afraid to lose it."
"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to abilities some consider to be unnatural."
"You must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force..."
"I can feel your anger. It gives you focus... makes you stronger..."
"I am the Senate."
"Once more the Sith will rule the Galaxy, and we shall have peace."
"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the FIRST GALACTIC EMPIRE... for a safe, and secure society."
"I'm looking forward to completing your training. In time you will call me... 'Master.'"
"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design."
"Use your aggressive feelings boy... let the hate flow through you."
"So be it... Jedi."
Palpatine's influence on culture
Palpatine inspired many references and parodies in other movies, television shows, and comic books. They include:
- Stargate: SG-1 (TV series): One character, Sokar, is a pale sadist in dark robes, while another, Anubis, is a cloaked evil genius (he has actually no facial appearance at all).
- Dark Knight (TV series): The Master of Templars looks exactly like Palpatine.
- Batman Beyond (TV series): In one episode, there is a cult leader claiming to be from another planet who seems to be an exact carbon copy of Palpatine; he wears black robes and a hood over a pale and skeletal face, and at one point shoots lightning from his hands at Batman in exactly the same manner as Palpatine electrocutes Luke in Return of the Jedi. At the end of the episode it is revealed that the cult leader was only able to shoot lightning due to a cybernetic suit he was wearing underneath his cloak.
- The Simpsons (TV series): C. Montgomery Burns shares some characterstics similar to Palpatine: a wizened appearance, propensity for evil, and a desire for greater power. When something pleases him, he says "Excellent" in an evil tone similar to Palpatine's voice. Also in some episodes the "Imperial March" from Star Wars can be heard playing, and Stormtroopers can be seen working for Mr. Burns.
- Feeble Files (PC game): In this comedic cartoon adventure, the villain, the founder of a totalitarian system, resembles Palpatine almost exactly.
- Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer once said that he was fascinated by the character of Palpatine, so much so that he once bought a pair of yellow contact lenses so he could imitate him.
- In an episode of American Dad, Stan Smith enlists the help of Karl Rove, who is drawn like and acted to resemble Palpatine.
- In ane episode of "Family Guy", as an enraged Cleveland corners Quagmire, Palpatine appears and tells Cleveland, "Let the hate flow through you."
Commentary
In a recent interview, McDiarmid commented on this complex character:
- "He has a black, irredeemable heart. There's nothing that can be said about him that's good. When we first saw Vader in the original trilogy we thought he was the heart of darkness, and nobody could be darker. But now we understand what happened to him. And one of the exciting things about seeing this movie is that you can follow Vader through Anakin's journey every step of the way even if you don't agree with the choices he's making. In part his decisions stem from his traumatic childhood, and his impatient lust for power. And it's that which my character takes and then uses against him." – Homing Beacon/STARWARS.com
Styles of address
- Senator Palpatine of the Sovereign System of Naboo.
- His Excellency Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Galactic Republic.
- His Imperial Majesty Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire.
- Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, or Lord Sidious.
References
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Novelisation, 1st edition paperback, 1999. Terry Brooks, George Lucas, ISBN 0-345-43411-0
- Darth Maul: Saboteur, e-book, 2001. James Luceno, ISBN B-000-05AAM-X
- Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, 1st edition, 2001. Micheal Reaves, ISBN 0-345-43539-7
- Cloak of Deception, 1st edition, 2002. James Luceno, ISBN 0-345-44297-0
- Shatterpoint, 1st edition, 2003. Matthew Woodring Stover, ISBN 0-345-45573-8
- Labyrinth of Evil, 1st edition hardcover, Jan 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-345-47572-0
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Novelisation, 1st edition hardcover, 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1
- The Annotated Screenplays, softcover, 1997. George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, Laurent Bouzereau, ISBN 0-345-40981-7
- Shadows of the Empire, 1st printing paperback, 1996. Steve Perry, ISBN 0-553-57413-2
- The Truce at Bakura, 1st paperback printing, 1994. Kathy Tyers, ISBN 0-553-56872-8
- Mission from Mount Yoda, 1993. Paul Davids, Hollace Davids, ISBN 0-553-15890-2
- Dark Empire, trade paperback, 1993. Tom Veitch, ISBN 1-569-71073-2
- Dark Empire II, trade paperback, 1st edition, 1995, Tom Veitch, ISBN 1-56971-119-4
- Empire's End, trade paperback, 1997. Tom Vietch, ISBN 1-569-71306-5
- Crimson Empire, trade paperback, 1st printing, 1998. Mike Richardson et al, ISBN 1-56971-355-3
- Specter of the Past, 1st printing, 1997. Timothy Zahn. ISBN 0-553-29804-6
- Vision of the Future, 1st printing, 1998. Timothy Zahn. ISBN 0-553-10035-1
- The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook, 1st edition, 2001. Bill Slavicsek, ISBN 0-786-91837-3
- The Star Wars Sourcebook. West End Games, 1987. Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith.
- Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game), 1st edition, 2002. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, J.D. Wiker, Steve Sansweet, ISBN 0-786-92876-X
- The Dark Empire Sourcebook, Wizards of the Coast, 1st edition, 1993. Horne, Michael, ISBN 0-87431-194-2
- Star Wars Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, 1994. Paul Murphy, Peter Schweighofer, ISBN 0-874-31209-4
- Vader: The Ultimate Guide, 2005.
External links
- Star Wars Databank entry
- Entry in Wookiepedia