Palpatine

Palpatine (84 BBY – 4 ABY, spirit made one with the Dark Side of the Force 11 ABY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is also known as Darth Sidious.

Palpatine was a Sith Lord of immense power and immeasurable cunning. Once an ambitious Senator in the Galactic Senate, the blockade of his homeworld, Naboo, by the scheming Trade Federation, saw him become Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

With the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Senate granted Palpatine emergency supreme powers, which he used to form the Grand Army of the Republic. But when the war ended, Palpatine formed an Empire and declared himself dictator for life.

Throughout the saga he serves as Senator, Chancellor and finally Emperor.

Palpatine's Plans

Though the Sith Order was believed to have destroyed itself, Palpatine was the last in a long line of surviving dark lords. While it is unknown when he became a Sith Lord and took the name Darth Sidious, it is known that his master was Darth Plagueis. Plagueis is thought to have been capable of manipulating midi-clorians to create life and avert death. He was murdured by Sidious in his sleep.

Darth Sidious was the Sith Lord responsible for finally accomplishing the ultimate goals of his shadowy order: the complete destruction of the Jedi and the domination of the galaxy. These were Sidious' objectives, and he sought to implement them with every stroke.

Palpatine began training an apprentice, Darth Maul, as early as ten years before becoming Chancellor. He chose to carefully sculpt and mold his pupil from scratch. Maul was kidnapped as an infant and trained in the Force and all forms of combat; he was especially taught aggression, anger, and boiling hatred towards Jedi. Despite the fact that much of Sidious' efforts went into perfecting Maul as the ultimate weapon of the dark side, the Zabrak was merely a pawn in Sidious' grand strategy.

Palpatine had a cunning understanding of the human mind. He was a political mastermind, becoming the trusted and beloved leader of the Galactic Republic, a good and modest man by reputation. 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.

In the background, Darth Sidious unfurled his plan. He sent his pupil, Darth 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 galaxy. The Federation was large and powerful enough to be granted representation in the Senate.

At Senator Palpatine's manipulation, the Galactic Senate had voted to levy taxes on trade in order to raise funds for the government. Palpatine, disguised as Sidious and appealing to the Trade Federation's greed, persuaded them to blockade Naboo in protest. He assured them that the action would bring them greater control and profits, as the Senate would be impotent to act. Meanwhile, in his role as Palpatine, he convinced Queen 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.

Mediators from the Jedi Order were dispatched to settle the conflict (at the request of the Chancellor, and the persuasion of his friend Senator Palpatine). When it seemed the Trade Federation would be forced to settle, Sidious ordered them to kill the Jedi instead and invade Naboo. Sidious assured them that it would be over before the Senate could respond. Sidious' real goals were to weaken the power of the Trade Federation (one of the key galactic forces at the time), and to gain sympathy among the Senate due the invasion.

As Palpatine had intended, the Jedi rescued Amidala and brought her to Senate on Coruscant. There, she testified to what the Federation had done and pleaded for help. Amidala's reputation and testimony was enough to convince the Senate to take action. Since Chancellor Valorum was unwilling to act at that time, Amidala asked for a vote of no confidence. The Senate agreed.

The sympathy for Naboo concerning the ordeal was enough to earn the already well-respected Palpatine a nomination as Chancellor. His secret alliances further assured that he would be the one elected. Amidala returned with the Jedi to Naboo where she led the battle to take back the planet from the Trade Federation. The Federation was defeated, and ruined.

Palpatine's second plan (often regarded as an indirect plan as many believe he could not have actually foreseen so far ahead, though with Palpatine's manipulative intellect, it should be taken into consideration) was not so obvious, though it was equally devious and brilliant. Palpatine knew he would need a force-user of extraordinary power if he was ever to defeat the Jedi Order. The Sith Lord took the necessary steps to ensure that such a force-user was at his command.

The true extent of Palpatine's influence on Anakin Skywalker's life remains unclear. It is probable, however, that Palpatine was aware of the boy from conception. Tatooine, where Skywalker was born and raised, happened to be beyond the Republic's border and therefore he would not be tested and recruited by the Jedi. Tatooine also happened to be a harsh place. A place where Anakin grew up an alien, a slave, and without a father. A perfect place for the seeds of the dark side to grow inside him.

Anakin was destined to become the greatest of all Jedi in the galaxy, and Palpatine's clear choice for an apprentice. It is equally clear that Palpatine would not be able to train Anakin personally, as he had many demands for his attention as Chancellor, and many plans yet to implement. So Palpatine arranged other means for his future apprentice's training, namely the Jedi Order.

He arranged for Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to visit Naboo at the Chancellor's request. He arranged for the Federation to attack with deadly intent, knowing that the Jedi are quite capable of escape. And finally, he arranged for their ship to be damaged (from the blockade) knowing they would be forced to land on the nearest non-Federation planet, which happened to be Tatooine. There, Palpatine knew Qui-Gon would find the chaotic young Anakin, and upon discovering his extraordinary connection to the Force, would bring him to be trained as a Jedi.

But the Jedi Council initially refused to allow the boy to be trained. They didn't understand precisely why, but they did know a dark cloud surrounded the boy's future. Master Yoda said it clearest when he explained that the path to the dark side begins with fear. Anakin Skywalker's greatest weakness was his fear.

This was all in accordance with Palpatine's plans. For Palpatine knew Qui-Gon would train the boy personally if he had to; in fact, Qui-Gon was the only Jedi Master in the galaxy who would be willing to defy the Council. But that was not the extent of Palpatine's plans.

As Darth Sidious, he unleashed Darth Maul, and had him track down the Jedi who were protecting Amidala. In the climactic battle of Episode I, Maul proved his prowess and defeated Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan however, seemed to have a better connection to the force, and was able to survive despite his foe's superior skill. This cost Sidious decades of work, but in the end he considered it worthwhile. Qui-Gon's dying wish was that the boy be trained; a wish which even the Jedi Council was unwilling to deny their fallen hero. And so an ill-prepared Obi-Wan became Anakin's teacher despite the council's concerns. And so Palpatine achieved his intermediate objectives. Gifted with an uncanny amount of patience, it would be an entire decade before the next step in his sinister plan would come to fruition.

Palpatine's Empire

The Separatists didn't agree. Upon the discovery of a secret army of droids, it became apparent that the Separatists were on the verge of open war against the Republic. To counter this, the Republic needed a military, and Palpatine required the authority to activate the Republic's newly forged army of clones. To that end, Senators loyal to Palpatine motioned that the Chancellor be given emergency powers to deal with the Separatist threat.

With spoken regrets, Palpatine accepted the new mantle of power. He promised to return his absolute authority to the Senate after crisis had abated. What no one realized was that the galaxy would undergo further disruption, and that a state of crisis would ensure Palpatine's authority for decades.

The signs of his future regime were subtle in the beginning. Palpatine's term as Chancellor ended during the rise of the Separatists, but that crisis allowed him to lengthen his stay in office. Once the Clone Wars broke out, the Senate's lack of ability to effectively conduct war on scattered fronts required him to enact one executive decree after another. He amended the constitution consolidating more power to him, effectively circumventing the bureaucracy of the Senate.

By the end of the Clone Wars, in the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith movie, General Grievous of the separatist movement kidnaps Chancellor Palpatine from his office on Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker try to stop Grievous from escaping on the Battle of Coruscant, there Anakin Skywalker kills Darth Tyrannus leaving Darth Sidius without an apprentice and the separatists without leader, ending the Clone Wars. After that, Palpatine reveals himself to be Darth Sidious and leads Anakin Skywalker into becoming Darth Vader, together they kill most of the Jedi like Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Shaak Ti and form the Galactic Empire.

Three years later, in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back the Imperials find the Rebels on the planet of Hoth, Darth Vader arrives on Hoth looking for Luke Skywalker at the orders of the Emperor, After some time Vader lures Luke Skywalker to Cloud City, where he has a lightsaber duel against Luke, in wich is revealed that Vader is Luke Skywalker's father.

The following year, in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi the rebels find out about a Second Death Star, they plan to destroy it but first they must de-activate the shield that protects it by a computer on the moon of Endor, Luke Skywalker manages to enter the second death star, where he fights and defeats his father in front of Palpatine, when he fails to convert Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side and starts attacking him, Anakin Skywalker returns and throws the evil Emperor to the reactor before dying himself.

Palpatine in the Expanded Universe

Palpatine appears very frequently in the Expanded Universe material which covers the prequel era. In the novel Cloak of Deception, a prelude to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, he sets up his bid for the Chancellorship by discrediting Chancellor Valorum. In the comic Star Wars Republic, it is hinted that he is behind the assassination of the former Naboo Senator, the abdication of Naboo's King Veruna, and also that he assassinated his predecessor, Valorum. In the various "Clone Wars" stories, he takes an increasingly active interest in Anakin Skywalker.

In the classic era stories, Palpatine plays a major role in Shadows of the Empire, where Prince Xizor attempts to discredit Darth Vader through a plot to kill Luke Skywalker and replace Darth Vader as the Emperor's second-in-command. Darth Vader, who was obsessed with the idea of turning his son to the Dark Side rather than see him dead, ultimately kills Xizor.

In the Dark Empire trilogy of comics, Palpatine returns shortly after the Thrawn crisis, by channeling his spirit (which continued to live through the Force after his death) into a clone of himself. The cloned Palpatine tries to gain back his control of the galaxy, and successfully converts Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side. Eventually, Luke conquers the Dark Side from within and defeats Palpatine by disrupting his connection with the Force. Palpatine, who had now lost control of the terrifying Force Storm he had conjured, was consumed by its energies along with his flagship. It was thought that having destroyed his other clone bodies, that the Emperor was finally vanquished. That couldn't be any further from the truth. During his absence the Empire, under the command of Palpatine's cadre of Dark Jedi, initiated Operation Shadow Hand. Uniting the Galactic Empire's shattered fragments, they systematically retook the Galaxy from the New Republic. Unbeknownst to the newly rechristed "Rebel Alliance", the Emperor had stored an auxiliary cloning facility. Two of the Emperor's Dark Side Adepts attempted to finish the job Skywalker started when Executor Sedriss arrived and slayed the traitors. Emperor Palpatine's twisted soul had once again manifested intself 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 it's former glory. Despite seeming absolute victory over the Alliance, internal affairs stalled Palpatine's progress. A renegade Royal Guardsman, Carnor Jax, had payed off the Emperor's head cloning superviser to corrupt Palpatine's DNA. His body already beginning to fall victim the ravaging energies at his command, his clone supply began to fail him. Knowing his strain would not last forever, he ventured to the ancient Sith burial world of Korriban to seek the wisdom of Sith Lords long past. The Sith spirits informed Palpatine that the only way to survive would be to inhabit the body of the infant Anakin Solo, a being with Skywalker blood. His last body deteriorating at an increasingly alarming rate due to the tampering caused by his traitorous minions. Taking his new flagship with him to the baby's sanctuary on Onderon, the Emperor landed and slipped by security using his mastery of the Force. When he arrived to where the baby was held, he was confrontated by Luke and his fledgeling Jedi order. Palpatine easily dispatched of them all despite his weakness, killing one and incapacitating the other three. Unexpectedly, an enraged Han Solo shot Palpatine in the back while he was caught off guard. Dying, his spirit made on last lunge for the baby, but was intercepted by an ailing Empatojayos Brand. Brand used all of his strength to keep the Emperor's sinister spirit from escaping. When he died, he took Palpatine's soul with him. Darth Sidious, the last Dark Lord of the Sith, was finally dead.

It is also revealed in the novels that Palpatine trained a number of secret Dark Jedi agents, such as the popular character Mara Jade. It is also hinted in the Barbara Hambly novels — and later discounted — that Palpatine has had several offspring. In the Jedi Prince series an insane three-eyed mutant named Triclops appears as Palpatine's son with Ken as his grandson. In the series, Triclops is impersonated by another three-eyed mutant named Trioculous. Despite this, the concept of Palpatine having children has not been embraced by the Expanded Universe at large, and is heavily out of character.

Palpatine was also an author. He wrote extensively on Politcal theory, Military stategy, and Sith technique, combined into a Dark Side Compendium. It was to compose of hundreds of books, but only three, The Book of Anger, The Weakness of Inferiors, and The Creation of Monsters, were completed.

Palpatine's known relatives include 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.)

Palpatine's Name

In the original movie trilogy, the name Palpatine is never spoken and he is referred to only as "The Emperor". The name Palpatine originated in the novelizations, in which the name is given as that of the former senator who rose to power.

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 in fact his only name, 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 quite incorrectly adopted the name "Cos Palpatine" in their stories and web pages — so much so that it has become fanon. The name "Dantius Palpatine" has also been adopted, though its origins are more ambiguous, seeming to come from SuperShadow, a website of fraudulent Star Wars material, including synopses for Episodes VII – IX.

In the soundtrack for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the music for the parade sponsored by Palpatine celebrating the liberation of Naboo (which is in fact a disguised version of the Emperor's theme music) is called "Augie's Great Municipal Band", which have led some to speculate that Palpatine's first name is Augie or Augustus.

Palpatine's Appearance

As Senator of Naboo and Chancellor of the Republic, Palpatine appeared as an unassuming old man with elegant robes. After a fight with Jedi Master Mace Windu, deflected force lightning revealed the figure of an ancient, sinister human. To further gain sympathy in his crusade against the Jedi, he claimed he was left scarred and disfigured in an assassination attempt by the Jedi. Later he declared the Jedi enemies of the state and reformed the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire.

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.