Palpatine

Template:SW character Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire (82 BBY – 4 ABY, spirit incapacitated 11 ABY), often simply referred to as the Emperor, is one of the main characters and the foremost villain in the fictional Star Wars universe. Template:Spoiler Palpatine is also known as Darth Sidious, a cunning and powerful Sith Lord whose sole goal was to rule the galaxy. To this end, he gradually orchestrated the collapse of the Galactic Republic and transformed it into a dictatorship known as the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. Throughout his lifetime, his styles of address have been:

• His Grace Senator Palpatine of the Sovereign System of Naboo and Member of the Galactic Senate
• His Excellency Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Galactic Republic, Leader of the Galactic Senate.
• His Imperial Majesty Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire, Leader of the Imperial Senate.
• Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Biography

Before his rise to power, Palpatine was known as an unassuming Senator in the Galactic Republic.

Senator Palpatine

Like Yoda, many details regarding Palpatine's past have not been revealed, making him an enigmatic character; this obscurity has been explained as due to a purge of any records concerning Palpatine's family and past when he became Emperor . One of the few details known about his early life is that he was born into a noble family on the eleventh day of the eighth standard month, in the year 82 BBY, apparently in the capital city of Naboo, Theed. [1] As an adult, Palpatine ran for political office numerous times, suffering a string of defeats. In 52 BBY, however, he was elected sectorial senator for the Chommell sector after the former Senator, Vidar Kim, was mysteriously assassinated by a hit-and-run gunman; whether Palpatine was involved is unknown.

Originally regarded as somewhat unambitious and unassuming by his peers , Senator Palpatine would surprise 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 scholarly notes on power became 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, yet well-appointed quarters.

Palpatine as Darth Sidious

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Palpatine as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. He contacts his minions via hologram.

It is unknown when Palpatine first turned to the dark side of the Force and took the Sith name "Darth Sidious" but it apparently predated the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace by several decades. According to the Expanded Universe, Sidious' master was Darth Plagueis, who was reputedly 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. He methodically plotted his rise to power over several decades, aided by foresight and knowledge of politics, bureaucracy, and psychology . A self-proclaimed savior and genius , he would go on to accomplish the ultimate goals of the Sith Order: the nigh-complete destruction of the Jedi Order, and the total domination of the galaxy.

Sidious began training an apprentice, Darth Maul, sometime before 52 BBY. Maul was taught aggression, anger and hatred toward the Jedi; Palpatine used Maul to assassinate early political enemies and expand his influence. 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. The Federation used its Senate power to enforce loyalty; Palpatine would use the Trade Federation's leverage to start his rise to power.

Palpatine's chancellorship and the Liberation of Naboo

For more, see Palpatine's chancellorship and Liberation of Naboo

At Palpatine's behest, the Senate had voted to levy taxes on commerce in order to raise funds for the Republic. The Trade Federation (at the urging of Palpatine/Darth Sidious) blockaded Naboo in protest. Naboo's Queen, Padmé Amidala, traveled to Coruscant to urge the Senate to intervene. Palpatine urged her to endure the blockade, claiming the Senate was too inefficient to take swift action. She refused to submit to the Federation, and (at the suggestion of Palpatine) called for a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. Palpatine ensured his name was put forward to succeed Valorum, and used sympathy for the Naboo blockade to win the election.

When Queen Amidala made clear her intentions to return to Naboo to reclaim the planet from the Trade Federation, he made a half-hearted attempt to keep her from going. She was not to be swayed, however, and worked with the Gungans to infiltrate the palace and defeat the Trade Federation droids. Maul was killed during the battle, depriving Sidious of an apprentice.

New apprentice

Palpatine knew he would need the aid of someone with extraordinary power and strength with the Force if he was ever to defeat his enemies. After Obi-Wan killed Darth Maul during the Battle of Naboo, Palpatine set his sights on recruiting another, even more powerful Force-adept: Anakin Skywalker, a young slave from Tatooine whom Qui-Gon believed to be the "Chosen One" who, according to Jedi prophecy, was destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith.

The true extent of Palpatine's influence on Anakin's life remains unclear. It has been suggested that Palpatine created Anakin by manipulating the midi-chlorians, but Lucas has said in interviews that the circumstances of Anakin's conception were left deliberately ambiguous. However, in the original script for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine does actually say that he created Anakin, but this was deleted.

When Anakin was brought before the Jedi Council by Qui-Gon, they initially refused to allow him to be trained, because they sensed a dark cloud surrounding the boy's future. However, he was allowed to remain the Jedi Master's ward. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan returned to Naboo, Sidious ordered Darth Maul to destroy them. Maul was able to kill Qui-Gon but was killed by Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon's dying wish was that young Anakin be made a Jedi, a wish which the Jedi Council was unwilling to deny their fallen hero. Obi-Wan thus became Anakin's mentor despite the Council's concerns, and Anakin was put on the path to being a Jedi Knight. After the Battle of Naboo, with Anakin having proved himself strong in the Force, Palpatine took an immediate interest in the boy.

Palpatine ultimately intended to make Anakin his apprentice, but let the Jedi train him so as to not reveal himself. Until Anakin was a Jedi, Palpatine would have to temporarily employ another to do his bidding. At about the time of the Battle of Naboo, he took as his new apprentice a disaffected Jedi Master named Count Dooku. Dooku had resigned from the Order in disgust when it ignored his warnings about the threat posed by the Sith. Palpatine (as Sidious) approached and persuaded him that the Republic was collapsing under its own weight, and that a new order was needed to turn the galaxy into an egalitarian paradise. In exchange for Dooku's service, Sidious promised to teach him about the dark side and how to use it to remake the galaxy in their image. Dooku eventually took on the name Darth Tyranus. Although Dooku had grand plans for a future Galactic Empire, Palpatine only intended him to be a placeholder for Anakin Skywalker.

Clone Wars

Palpatine secretly dispatched the little-known Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, an associate of Dooku's, to the planet Kamino to order an army of clone troopers. As a test of loyalty, Darth Sidious ordered Tyranus to murder Sifo-Dyas and take over the clone project. As Count Dooku, he slowly assembled and led the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which drew support from thousands of systems and became a threat to the Republic.

After the Jedi discovered a secret droid army on Geonosis in 22 BBY, it was clear Dooku and the Separatists were not interested in peace. Palpatine claimed he lacked the authority to activate the Republic's new clone army, and had several of his supporters in the Senate make a motion to confer absolute authority on him to deal with the Separatist threat. Feigning sorrow at this undemocratic turn of events, he promised to return his emergency powers once the threat passed. While advocating more power for the Chancellor as Palpatine, he secretly advised the Separatists as Sidious, propping up their war effort by funneling them information and materials.

At about this time, Palpatine renewed his friendship with Anakin, now an angry, headstrong teenager chafing under Kenobi's stern tutelage. Sensing Anakin's insecurity and impatient desire for power, Palpatine fed the young Padawan's fragile ego, assuring him that he would one day be the greatest Jedi in the galaxy, greater even than Yoda. Over the next three years, he would become like a father to Anakin, soothing his greatest fears while subtly undermining his belief in the Jedi Code.

As shown in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, the novel Labyrinth of Evil and Star Wars: Episode III 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. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker returned from the Outer Rim sieges to rescue the Chancellor and stop Grievous from escaping in the Battle of Coruscant. There, Anakin killed Count Dooku/Darth 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 Obi-Wan Kenobi's hands.

Great Jedi Purge begins

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Palpatine manipulates Anakin Skywalker.

Soon after his rescue, the Senate gave Palpatine — who again feigned reluctance — personal control over the Jedi Council and their clone army. Palpatine appointed Anakin Skywalker, by now a full-fledged Jedi, as his personal representative on the Council. The Council grudgingly accepted the decision, but denied Anakin the rank of Master. Palpatine used the appointment to manipulate Anakin's resentment of the Council and his desire for power. He also learned that Anakin was having visions of Padmé, now his wife and pregnant, dying during childbirth, and played to those fears to gain Anakin's trust.

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, who assembled a team of Jedi Masters to arrest him, which composed of Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto and Saesee Tiin. When they arrived, Palpatine produced a lightsaber and quickly dispatched all but Windu. The Sith Lord and the Jedi Master dueled until Palpatine seemingly erred, giving Windu the chance to finish the battle — when, suddenly, Anakin burst into the office, imploring that Palpatine be spared. Palpatine used the distraction to fire Force lightning at Windu, but the Jedi used his lightsaber to deflect the lightning back to its source, which twisted and transformed Palpatine's face into a wizened mask of corpse-gray skin. 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. However, Windu insisted that Palpatine should be promptly executed since he controlled the Senate and the courts — making a fair trial impossible.

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Palpatine, his identity as a Sith Lord exposed, duels the assembled Jedi in his private quarters.

As Windu prepared to execute a killing blow, Anakin came to Palpatine's defense, severing Windu's saber hand. Palpatine then sprang to action, blasting Windu with Force lightning and hurling him out the window to his death. Anakin then pledged his allegiance to Palpatine, becoming his new apprentice: Darth Vader.

Palpatine used his newly deformed face as evidence of an assassination attempt by the Jedi. He declared martial law and issued Order 66, which directed the clone troopers to kill their Jedi generals. He sent Darth Vader and his legion of clones (the 501st) to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple. Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi were two of the few survivors.

Palpatine becomes Emperor

Palpatine then used the alleged Jedi uprising to convince the Senate to support a "reorganization" of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire. Palpatine did not reveal his Sith identity to the Senate or the public, though he wore his Sith robes in public as Emperor. Certain personnel knew of his dual-identity, such as the various Dark Jedi and dark side adepts, close aides like Mas Amedda or Sly Moore and members of the Imperial Privy Council and other high-ranking Imperial servants; in general, however, the Emperor's Force abilities and Sith allegiance were unknown to the public.

Palpatine, who had earlier sent the remaining Separatist leaders into hiding on Mustafar, sent Vader to the planet to kill them and end the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi dueled with Vader there, while Yoda confronted Palpatine on Coruscant in a last-ditch attempt to take back the Republic.

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Emperor Palpatine duels with Yoda in the Senate chamber.

During a long and intense battle with Sidious in the Senate Rotunda, Yoda realised he would be unable to defeat both the Dark Lord and an approaching cadre of stormtroopers and retreated, going into hiding on the swamp planet of Dagobah. On Mustafar, Vader did not fare as well as his master, losing an arm and both legs and sustaining near-fatal third-degree burns and lung damage in his duel with Obi-Wan. Palpatine brought what was left of Vader's body back to Coruscant and placed it in a black armored suit with extensive life support systems. Once Vader regained consciousness, Palpatine told him that the Force-choke had killed his wife (Padmé had in fact died in childbirth after delivering healthy twins, Luke and Leia). As Palpatine intended, this broke what remained of Anakin Skywalker and bound him to the Empire's service.

With his new Empire inaugurated, Palpatine became a despot determined to bend the galaxy to his will. To that end, he ordered the creation of one of his most powerful weapons: the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station with a laser so powerful it could destroy a planet. Palpatine had manipulated the Geonosians into developing the early technical designs of this weapon for him through his late apprentice, Count Dooku. Palpatine later assigned Wilhuff Tarkin, an ambitious Imperial officer infamous for his ruthlessness, to supervise the further development of the weapon at Tarkin's secure Maw Installation. 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; his empire was run by the sector and Grand Moffs and supported by a dizzying array of agencies and special organizations, ranging from COMPNOR to Imperial Intelligence to the Imperial Starfleet as well as dark side adepts such as the Emperor's Hands. In 0 BBY, the Emperor dissolved the Senate, thus erasing the last institutional remnants of the Old Republic, and formally gave their authority to the Moffs.

Galactic Civil War

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Palpatine conversing with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. (2004 DVD edition)

To demonstrate the Death Star's might, Tarkin destroyed the Core world of Alderaan, from which Leia Organa was working for the Rebel Alliance. To avoid public outcry, Palpatine claimed that the planet's government, who had been pacifists for generations, were plotting to take over the Empire and had an illegal weapons program. He then offered the survivors sanctuary on Byss, where they were enslaved. Shortly after the destruction of Alderaan, the Death Star itself was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance in the Battle of Yavin.

Three years later, in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine told Darth Vader that his son Luke Skywalker was actually alive and was the Rebel pilot responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. He was now trained in the Force and becoming a great threat to the Sith. Vader convinced Palpatine that it would be beneficial for both of them if Luke was converted to the dark side. (In actuality, Vader had already discovered that his son was alive several months prior and had been actively searching for him, hoping to use Luke to help him overthrow his master. However, Palpatine knew of Vader's plan and intended for Luke to kill Vader and become his new apprentice.) Vader lured Luke to Cloud City, where they fought an emotional lightsaber duel in which Vader revealed his true identity, and offered to form an alliance with his son: together, they could kill the Emperor and rule the galaxy. In the end, however, Vader was unable to turn Luke to the dark side.

Fall of the Empire

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By the time of the Battle of Endor, Palpatine planned to sacrifice Vader and replace him with Luke Skywalker as his apprentice.

The following year, Palpatine ordered the construction of a new Death Star and crafted an intricate trap meant to destroy the Rebellion once and for all by offering them an attempt on his life that they would be unable to resist. Following the suggestion of Prince Xizor, Palpatine allowed Rebel spies, through the Bothan Spynet, to learn of the Death Star's location and planted disinformation which suggested the Death Star was not yet operational. The Rebels took the bait and planned to attack the station with all of their resources.

Meanwhile, Vader continued to push his quest to lure Luke Skywalker to the dark side. While Palpatine was concerned that Vader's contact with Luke had seemingly awakened something of a conscience within him, he agreed to the idea. Luke, convinced that his father could be redeemed, allowed himself to be captured on Endor and brought to the Death Star. There, Palpatine manipulated him into battling Vader so that he could inherit his father's place at the Emperor's side. Luke resisted at first, but was soon driven 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 Force lightning, but Vader, horrified at seeing his son in pain, seized his former master from behind and cast him into a reactor shafts. The tyrant 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. 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 reactors which caused the battle station to be consumed in a massive explosion, effectively defeating the Empire.

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 but was rescued by General Maarek Stele, one of the "Emperor's Hand" secret agents.

Dark Empire

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The resurrected Emperor Palpatine, as depicted in Star Wars: 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. Droga fled to the Emperor's secret stronghold on the Deep Core planet of Byss, Sate Pestage exorcised Palpatine's spirit and channeled it 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.)

Resurrected, Palpatine planned to 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. Byss was modeled on this concept, serving as the Emperor's vision of a utopian society; it was initially inspired by the planet Thule, where the Prophets had set up an entire world solely to serve them and maintain their temples.

Palpatine attempted to take back control of the galaxy, and believed that he had converted Luke Skywalker to the dark side. Luke, however, was secretly working against him, and sabotaged Palpatine's battle plans (see Battle of Mon Calamari). He also managed to destroy most of Palpatine's cloning tanks, thus jeopardizing his immortality. In a final confrontation on his new flagship Eclipse, Palpatine was defeated again by Luke and his twin sister, Leia. The Skywalkers' use of Force Harmony cut Palpatine off from the Force Storm he had created, and it consumed both him and his ship.

During Palpatine's second interregnum, the Empire was ruled by a cadre of Dark Jedi under the guidance of Operation Shadow Hand. Without Palpatine, however, loyalty proved elusive once again, and two Dark Side Adepts attempted to finish the job started by Master Skywalker and eliminate the remainder of Palpatine's clones. They were foiled by Sedriss, Vader's successor as Military Executor, and Emperor Palpatine was reborn.

Palpatine used Umak Leth's Galaxy Gun to coerce systems into accepting Imperial rule. With this strategy, he seemed on the verge of restoring the Galactic Empire to its former glory. Despite the impotence of the Rebel Alliance, internal affairs stalled Palpatine's progress. A traitorous Imperial Sovereign Protector, Carnor Jax, allied with the Emperor's Hand Sarcev Quest and the Imperial Ruling Council, bribed Palpatine's head cloning supervisor to tamper with all of Palpatine's stored DNA samples.

Palpatine's last cloned body deteriorated at an alarming rate due to the sabotage by his traitorous agents, and he 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 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, fatally injuring another, and incapacitating the others. Unexpectedly, an enraged Han Solo shot Palpatine in the back while he was distracted, 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 was truly dead.

Family

The Barbara Hambly novels first deal with Palpatine's family at any length, although the initial suggestions that Palpatine fathered a son with another of his Force-sensitive female agents, Roganda Ismaren, were later discounted.

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 his grandson. The manner of Triclops' conception remains a mystery, although it is speculated that he was a failed attempt at using Darth Plageuis' life-giving powers to coax life from the Force. In the series, Triclops is impersonated by another mutant, named Trioculus, who intends to use Triclops' paternity as a stepping-stone to the Imperial throne.

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 some speculate that Ken was one of the first to attend Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy on Yavin 4.

Though all information on Palpatine's family history was purged from the Naboo archives, some family members remained active in galactic politics. Besides Triclops and Ken, his known relatives included his grandniece Ederlaath Pallopides (mentioned in The Dark Empire Sourcebook), and his third cousin, Voplau (mentioned in the comic book Boba Fett #1/2: "Salvage"); Palpatine's relatives, for all their obscurity, apparently prospered from their association with him, since they were occasionally spoken of as wealthy and powerful.

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 Empire, whereby Pallopides would be crowned as a ceremonial Empress. A constitutional monarchy would be created with the New Republic's Provisional Council replacing the Imperial Advisors, making them the effective power in the new government. The plan collapsed when Admiral Oxtroe was assassinated, possibly by Noghri. The assassination was implied to have been conducted by agents of Palpatine working to pave the way for his return depicted in Dark Empire.

Abilities

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Palpatine unleashing Force lightning.

Palpatine was recognized most notably for his supreme mastery of politicising and plotting, his incredible foresight and a deep understanding and strength in the Force. This was demonstrated through his ability to lift large objects with the Force and to create Force lightning and emit it from his hands.

As strong as his subtler skills were, he was equally talented in the more physical aspects of the Force. Palpatine was a master of Form IV (Ataro) and Form VII (Juyo) lightsaber combat. His mastery of both forms during any given duel made him a virtually impossible adversary to overcome; he arguably rivaled Yoda as the greatest swordsman in the galaxy.

While it is unknown the amount of midi-chlorians Palpatine possessed, it was undoubtedly high.

Lightsabers

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One of Darth Sidious's lightsabers, used in his duel with Mace Windu.

Palpatine owned two unique lightsabers. They had no belt attachment, and their handles were constructed of phrik alloy, thus making the blades and handles resistant to other attacks from lightsabers. Sidious concealed his lightsaber in the long sleeves of his regal clothes and used it only when absolutely necessary. Over the years of his chancellorship, his lightsaber was well hidden in a piece of neuranium sculpture that graced his office. With no belt attachment or discernible emitter and its ceremonial design, the lightsaber handle could be mistaken for a simple ornament. The weapon he used against Yoda was almost identical, but with a black instead of a gold covering.

He was never seen publicly with a lightsaber during his reign; It was not until he had entered a new body, young and well-conditioned, that the Emperor would once again be seen wielding a lightsaber against a foe. A pool of Jedi lightsabers, perhaps remnants from the Jedi Purge, hung from the walls of his cloning laboratory on Byss. He drew one against Luke Skywalker, an opponent who proved himself as potent as Windu and Yoda. His death came on the second death star in orbit of endor.

Portrayal

Although first mentioned in A New Hope, Palpatine did not actually make an appearance until 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 release of The Empire Strikes Back, newly shot footage of Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine replaced the original footage.

Major themes and influences

Historical

Palpatine is perhaps one of Lucas' most versatile, sinister characters. Lucas used several real historical personages as inspirations.

"The Emperor, however, was then envisioned as a bureaucrat, Nixonian in his outlook and sort of a Wizard of Oz type person."

Also mentioned are Julius Caesar, Octavian, and Napoleon Bonaparte as inspirations for the character [2] [3]. 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.

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.

Still other fans claim to have found parallels to the current political environment in the United States, vis-a-vis George W. Bush and the War on Terror, as related the surrender of personal freedoms in the name of "a safe and secure society." This theory was satirically described in Jon Stewart's book, America (the Book). Lucas himself has denied that Bush was an influence.

In the audio commentary of Episode III, Lucas states that almost all of Palpatine's political maneuverings are historically based on the various peaceful transitions from free government to totalitarian rule.

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 turnon; 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." [4]

Palpatine's name

His Sith name, "Darth Sidious," with its root name "Sidious" almost certainly comes from "Insidious," a word which with its connotations of "treacherous, cunning, and seductive" aptly summarizes his career as a Republic politician, who, unsuspected, rose to the pinnacle of power and exploited it.

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' 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 name Palpatine is believed by many to have come from the film Taxi Driver, in which there is a politician named Palantine. Lucas' film school friends Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese wrote and directed the film, respectively, and Lucas' ex-wife Marcia was the editor. This reference was lent some credibility by Episode III, in which Palpatine conceals a lightsaber in his sleeve in the same manner that Travis Bickle conceals his gun.

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 semiofficial sources often seemed to contradict each other on which theory was correct. The official Star Wars Databank article and Lucasfilm representative Pablo Hidalgo 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 (although "the mask" could be a metaphor for Palpatine's benevolent public persona), and the short story "Sithisis" in Star Wars: Visionaries directly shows Palpatine using a Sith ritual to cast this illusion over himself.

The Episode III Visual Dictionary claims that both theories are partially true, stating 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, unnaturally excessive wrinkling, raw eye sockets, and elongated and blackened fingernails) were aspects of Palpatine's true appearance being revealed.

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): On episode features 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): Montgomery Burns shares some characteristics 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. In some episodes, the "Imperial March" from Star Wars can be heard playing when Montgomery Burns makes an appearance, and Stormtroopers can be seen working for him. In an episode parodying Star Wars, Homer Simpson picks Mr. Burns up from behind and throws him off a ledge.
• In the "Best Friends Forever" episode of South Park, Satan's advisor and boyfriend, Kevin, resembles Palpatine.
• He appears in an episode of Family Guy, urging Cleveland Brown to embrace the dark side. However, he is easily defeated by Lois Griffin.
• Feeble Files (PC game): In this comedic cartoon adventure, the villain, the founder of a totalitarian system, resembles Palpatine almost exactly.
• In an episode of American Dad!, Stan Smith enlists the help of Karl Rove, who is drawn to resemble Palpatine. Perhaps inspired by the episode, Jon Stewart in an episode of The Daily Show "accidentally" refers to Rove as Emperor Palpatine.
• Also in an episode of The Office on NBC, Dwight Schrute comes dressed as a 'Sith Lord' for the Halloween episode. He wears white makeup, speaks in a booming voice, and claims he can 'control' his boss's thoughts.

Commentaries

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

His contradictory character and many activities have been remarked on, and renders any attempt to sum him up ultimately short of the truth. The Conclusion of Wookieepedia expresses it thus:

He was at first the beneficiary of a plot formed long before he had first drawn breath, an agent provocateur whose subtlety and manipulative nature allowed him to succeed where his progenitors had failed. In mirror image of his dual identities as both Palpatine and Sidious, he was a pleasant facade concealing a cold core. He had close friends, and yet had no friends at all. He was a man who claimed to be able to save the ailing Republic from its demons, and who was later laid bare as the most terrifying of all its demons. He was both a believer in the principles of the Sith, and a believer in no principle at all, save what he decided would benefit him and him alone. He was both a man of faith and a man of no faith, who strongly believed in the Force and yet viewed it as nothing more than a source of power for his taking. He was, in his way, both an idealist and a cynic." Palpatine#Conclusions

Palpatine as a ruler

The Emperor and Darth Vader, along with several Royal Guards and other Imperial figures in the background, standing at attention aboard the second Death Star.

The Emperor's rule was unique in galactic history; while the centralization and utter dependence on Palpatine was not unprecedented (in its time, the empire of Xim the Despot was as powerful, and collapsed even more rapidly than did the Empire after Xim's death at the Third Battle of Vontor), the all-embracing reach, the heights of dark side power and pre-eminence of the Sith, and the military developments reached during Palpatine's era. Equally unprecedented was the destruction of the Jedi Order, and the very reign of Palpatine himself was of a length far surpassing the normal human span.

His rule to most observers was brutal: Palpatine "judged the universe on his own terms, with a clear sense of right and wrong" and "looked to no other guide than himself"

Palpatine had little trouble ordering massacres, such as the incineration of Caamas, the systematic extermination of the Jedi, or killing millions of Coruscanti when the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya was buried in the surface of Coruscant to serve as an escape vehicle (an illuminating example of how Palpatine sought to outdo all previous Sith and Jedi; where the Sith Lord Naga Sadow was content to bury a Sith Battleship on the deserted surface of Yavin 4, Palpatine buried an entire kilometers-long Super Star Destroyer on the most inhabited planet in the galaxy).

Neither did he lose any sleep over the massacres his various lieutenants might engage in. Indeed, he even condoned them with the endorsement of the Tarkin Doctrine as official policy. The propaganda agencies worked overtime during the Galactic Civil War to maintain Palpatine's image as a kindly old man who merely wanted peace and harmony among the many and diverse worlds; indeed, as late as 7 ABY, the Empire's official account of the Battle of Endor was that the Rebels intended to use the Death Star to take over the galaxy over Palpatine's pleas for peace, and that he had triggered the station's self-destruct mechanism, sacrificing himself to save his beloved citizens. Such propaganda was a vital tool in maintaining his iron grip on the galaxy.

Elaborate titles and hierarchies were a common feature of Palpatine's Empire. The emphasis on promotion served to spur competition, harden and strengthen the competitors, distract them from the system they were competing in and thus propping up its leader. Indeed, there are distinct resemblances between how the Emperor cultivated Force-sensitives and how Lord Kaan managed his Sith forces.

"With the revelation of the Emperor's possible immortality, a new theory comes to mind. With seemingly no end to his reign, the Emperor could foresee a time when he would want to expand his reign. ... Would a single galaxy be enough for Palpatine the Undying? I think not. The Old Republic had long considered the possibility of contact with other galaxies and made several abortive attempts at it. Palpatine had even secretly destroyed the most recent of these, the Outbound Flight project." -Hextrophon

"[He] had succeeded where all others failed in taming the Dark Side. He would journey across the universe, spreading the shadow of his rule, blotting out the stars themselves, and taking his Dark Rule to other helpless galaxies." -Dark side sourcebook

His clones tied into the first step of the plan. Palpatine planned to grow a number of clones of himself so he could inject his spirit into a fresh clone body when the one before it grew too old. Sometime after the Outbound Flight Project, Palpatine hastily grew a clone of his former Jedi advisor, the respected Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth. The experiment failed, however, when the clone went insane and challenged his power, necessitating its destruction. Nevertheless, Palpatine learned that Force-potential could be passed to clone bodies, and filed the information away for future use.

During the Great Jedi Purge, Palpatine captured the wise Jedi Master Ashka Boda and ripped a number of Jedi secrets out of his mind, including how to transfer one's spirit to another body. Palpatine experimented with his novel procedure at his leisure during the Galactic Civil War, practicing on underlings that were too valuable to lose permanently. One notable example was Bevel Lemelisk, who was executed and revived several times for his failures with the Death Star and other projects.

Palpatine pursued another road towards immortality. He made contact with the Ssi-ruuk Imperium; Palpatine had learned of their unusual system of powering machinery — they literally ripped the spirit out of living beings and stored them in the machines. He died at Endor before he followed the possibilities this opened up

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 he 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 secretive but powerful and resented 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. One of them, Sarcev Quest, would even serve on the Jedi Council, and one of the original 12 Grand Admirals, Nial Declann, was trained in the dark side. Even the members of the Emperor's Royal Guard were all trained in rudimentary Force skills, although the Sovereign Protectors were the most trusted.

Palpatine and the Rule of Two

File:Vaderrots.png

Sidious and Vader, the two Dark Lords of the Sith.

As revealed in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there can be only two Sith at a time: one Master and one apprentice — "no more, no less," as stated by Jedi Master Yoda. Palpatine and Vader, the most powerful Sith Lords in the galaxy, fit the archetype of a Sith master/apprentice relationship; Palpatine was at once Vader's tutor, ally, and adversary. Like all Sith apprentices, Vader both revered Palpatine's power and wanted to claim it for himself, while Palpatine both nurtured and distrusted Vader.

It is possible that with the Sith essentially dominating the galaxy, Palpatine 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, the Imperial Royal Guard, and the 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 and military strategy, publishing three books on the subjects to considerable acclaim and circulation. Few realized that these writings would prove to be a road map which Palpatine himself would follow to gain and maintain his empire (in an eerie parallel to the scant heed paid Hitler's Mein Kampf). The Chronology states that his "early notes on the nature of power" focused on organized groups like legislatures, corporations, and militaries; the scribe explains this theory as holding that "members of any group... could be merged into exploitable partnerships given the proper motivation," and that a leader is "like a colossus astride a mountaintop," having "power over those beneath him," but at the same time becoming "a target for their barbs and arrows".

He combined a number of his works into a planned great series of comprehensive and definitive monographs, entitled the dark side compendium. Of the hundreds of books, but three — The Book of Anger, The Weakness of Inferiors, and The Creation of Monsters — were ever completed. The Book of Anger is a manual on controlling the Force with emotions; Inferiors gives instruction on controlling the masses with the power and influence inherent in authority; and Monsters explains how Sith alchemy can be used to create fearsome beasts (which are nevertheless subservient to the creator's will) for the purpose of destroying one's enemies.

Like Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince and The Art of War, Palpatine's writings took a detached, amoral perspective on the nature of political power; the basic thesis of his writings was that power was an end unto itself, to be achieved by any means necessary.

External links

• Palpatine in the StarWars.com Databank
• Darth Sidious in the StarWars.com Databank
• Palpatine on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
• Holocron entry giving Palpatine's birth date
• Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Life and Times of Palpatine the Undying
• Essence of Darkness - The Palpatine/Sidious Shrine