| Palpatine | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
 Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine inReturn of the Jedi (1983) | |
| First appearance | The Empire Strikes Back |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | Ian McDiarmid Marjorie Eaton[a][1][2] Elaine Baker |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Sheev Palpatine |
| Alias | Darth Sidious |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Sith Lord Senator ofNaboo Supreme Chancellor Emperor |
| Affiliation |
|
| Family | |
| Master | Darth Plagueis |
| Apprentices |
|
Sheev Palpatine is a fictional character in theStar Wars franchise and the overarchingsupervillain of the main series of feature films. He first appeared in the 1980 filmThe Empire Strikes Back asThe Emperor. He is also known by hisSith name,Darth Sidious, which was first used in thenovelization of the 1999 filmThe Phantom Menace.
Palpatine appears in all three film trilogies in theSkywalker Saga, and is portrayed byIan McDiarmid in all five films in which he physically appears.[a] In theoriginal trilogy, Palpatine is Emperor of theGalactic Empire and the master ofDarth Vader. In theprequel trilogy, which chronicles his rise to emperor, Palpatine is a senator from the planetNaboo who plots to become Supreme Chancellor of theGalactic Republic. He masterminds theClone Wars to turn the Republic into the Empire, destroys theJedi Order, and manipulatesAnakin Skywalker into becoming his apprentice, Darth Vader. InThe Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in thesequel trilogy, a resurrected Palpatine is revealed to be the grandfather ofRey, a Jedi-in-training. He is also the mastermind behindSnoke, whom he created to lead theFirst Order against theNew Republic and seduce Skywalker's grandson, Ben Solo, into becomingKylo Ren.
Palpatine's story was inspired by real-world examples ofpolitical strongmen anddemocratic backsliding during the rise and rule of dictators such asJulius Caesar,Napoleon Bonaparte, andAdolf Hitler. Since the release of the original trilogy, Palpatine has become a widely recognized symbol of evil in popular culture. Since the prequel trilogy, he has been a symbol of sinister deception and the subversion of democracy. In addition to the films, Palpatine appears in the seriesClone Wars,The Clone Wars,Star Wars Rebels,The Bad Batch,Obi-Wan Kenobi andStar Wars: Tales. He also appears inStar Wars novels and comics.
George Lucas created theStar Wars franchise and the character Palpatine. His conceptualization of Palpatine and the role he plays in the franchise changed over time. Lucas's initial notes discuss a line of corrupt emperors, not just one.[5] In the 1974 draft ofStar Wars,[l] the "New Galactic Empire" was led by a relatively young human named Cos Dashit.[6] The name Palpatine first appears in the prologue ofAlan Dean Foster's1976 novelization ofStar Wars, which details the Emperor's rise to power. FromReturn of the Jedi (1983) onwards, the Emperor became the ultimate personification of evil in the series. Though the films of theoriginalStar Wars trilogy do not actually state the Emperor's name,the novelization ofReturn of the Jedi states his surname as Palpatine.[7][5] He was given the first name Sheev in the 2014 novelTarkin.[8]
During the story development ofThe Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lucas decided that, with the original having only passingly mentioned the Emperor, he needed to "begin to deal with him on a more concrete level".[9][10] Lucas realized, however, that the primary conflict with the Emperor would be best saved for the trilogy's third film,Return of the Jedi, because "[w]hen you get rid of the Emperor, the whole thing is over." Discussing the character's importance to the story, Lucas stated that "In the end, the Emperor does exactly what [Obi-Wan Kenobi] did; he can also transform himself", referring to the ability to live after death throughthe Force.[10] Although Palpatine dies at the end ofReturn of the Jedi,[11] the plot point of his metamorphosis was utilized for thesequel trilogy, which Lucas had no direct involvement with.[12][13]
InReturn of the Jedi, the initial conception of Palpatine as a weak, isolated figurehead[14] was superseded by his depiction as a dictatorial ruler adept in the dark side of the Force. The Emperor was inspired by the villainMing the Merciless from theFlash Gordon comic books.[15] The characterization of Palpatine as a ruthless politician dismantling ademocratic republic to achieve supreme power was in part inspired by the real-world examples ofdemocratic backsliding during the rise and rule ofJulius Caesar,Napoleon Bonaparte,Alberto Fujimori,Ferdinand Marcos Sr., andAdolf Hitler.[16][17] Other elements of the character come fromRichard Nixon.[18][m] Lucas said that Nixon's presidency "got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships. Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."[20] Lucas also said, "The whole point of the movies, the underlying element that makes the movies work, is that you, whether you go backwards or forwards, you start out in a democracy, and democracy turns into a dictatorship, and then the rebels make it back into a democracy."[21]
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Lucas wanted to establish the Emperor as the true source of evil inStar Wars. ScreenwriterLawrence Kasdan noted, "My sense of the relationship between Darth Vader and the Emperor is that the Emperor is much more powerful ... and that Vader is very much intimidated by him. Vader has dignity, but the Emperor inJedi really has all the power."[22] He explained that the climax of the film is a confrontation between Vader and his master. In the first scene that shows the Emperor, he arrives at theDeath Star and is greeted by a host ofstormtroopers, technicians, and other personnel. Lucas states he wanted it to look like themilitary parades on "May Day inRussia."[23]
Lucas fleshed out the Emperor in theprequel trilogy. According to Lucas, Palpatine's role inThe Phantom Menace is to explain "how Anakin Skywalker [later Vader] came to be Palpatine's apprentice" and the events that sparked Palpatine's rise tototalitarian power after being asenate representative.[24]The film's novelization is the first time he is called Darth Sidious.[25] His home world,Naboo, is also home to Anakin's romantic interest,Padmé Amidala, who later becomes a senator of that planet.
In the Lucasfilm-authorizedStar Wars and History, Palpatine's consolidation of power is described as being similar to the firstRoman emperor,Augustus. Both legitimizedauthoritarian rule by saying that corruption in the Senate was hampering the powers of the head of state; both pressured the Senate to grant extraordinary powers to deal with a crisis, falsely claiming that they would rescind those powers once the crisis was over; and both relied on their strong control over military force.[26]
When the Emperor first appeared inThe Empire Strikes Back, he was portrayed byMarjorie Eaton under heavy makeup.[27]Chimpanzee eyes were superimposed into darkened eye sockets during post-production.[28] The character was voiced byClive Revill.[29] The makeup was sculpted byPhil Tippett and applied byRick Baker,[2] who initially used his own wife, Elaine, for the makeup tests.[1][30]
"With[director Irvin] Kershner," Revill said, "you had to keep the reins tight — you couldn't go overboard. It was the perfect example of the old adage 'less is more' — the Emperor doesn't say very much. But when he finally appears, it's at a point in the saga when everyone's waiting to see him. It's the Emperor, the arch-villain of all time, and when he says there's a great disturbance in the Force, I mean, that's enoughoomph!"[31] Years later, during production ofRevenge of the Sith, Lucas decided to shoot new footage forThe Empire Strikes Back to createcontinuity between the prequels and original trilogy. Thus, in the 2004 DVD release ofThe Empire Strikes Back Special Edition, the original version of the Emperor was replaced by Ian McDiarmid, and the dialogue between the Emperor and Darth Vader was revised.[32]
Lucas and directorRichard Marquand cast McDiarmid to play Emperor Palpatine forReturn of the Jedi. He was in his late 30s and had never played a leading role in a feature film, though he had made minor appearances in films likeDragonslayer (1981). AfterReturn of the Jedi, he resumed stage acting in London.[33] In an interview withBackStage, McDiarmid revealed that he "never had his sights set on a film career" and never auditioned for the role of Palpatine. He elaborated, "I got called in for the interview after aReturn of the Jedi casting director saw me perform in theSam Shepard playSeduced at a studio theatre at theRoyal Court. I was playing a dyingHoward Hughes."[34]
Palpatine's role in the prequel films required McDiarmid to portray two aspects of the same character. Recalling the initial days of shootingThe Phantom Menace, McDiarmid stated, "Palpatine's an interesting character; he's conventional on the outside, but demonic on the inside — he's on the edge, trying to go beyond what's possible."[35] McDiarmid added another layer to the character inAttack of the Clones. He said, "[Palpatine] is a supreme actor. He has to be even more convincing than somebody who isn't behaving in a schizophrenic fashion, so he's extra charming, or extra professional — and for those who are looking for clues, that's almost where you can see them." McDiarmid reflected on the scene in which Padmé Amidala is almost assassinated:
There's a moment in one scene of the new film where tears almost appear in [Palpatine's] eye. These arecrocodile 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 thedevil.[36]
InRevenge of the Sith, McDiarmid plays an even darker version of the character. He explained that "when you're playing a character of solid blackness, that in itself is very interesting, in the sense that you have no other motivation other than the accumulation of power. It's not so much about not having a moral center, it's just that the only thing that mattered is increasing power."[37] McDiarmid asserted that everything Palpatine does "is an act of pure hypocrisy" and compared him toIago, the villain ofWilliam Shakespeare'sOthello.[33]
McDiarmid noticed that the script forRevenge of the Sith demanded more action from his character than in previous films. Lightsaber combat was a challenge to the 60-year-old actor, who, like his costars, took fencing lessons. The close-up shots and non-acrobatic sequences of the duel between Palpatine and Mace Windu were performed by McDiarmid.[38] Advanced fencing and acrobatic stunts were executed by McDiarmid's stunt doubles.[39]
In the 2019 filmThe Rise of Skywalker, McDiarmid returned to the role of Palpatine on screen for the first time sinceRevenge of the Sith. McDiarmid was surprised to learn of the filmmakers' decision to bring back Palpatine, given the character died inReturn of the Jedi.[40] The film's director,J. J. Abrams, spoke of Palpatine's inclusion in the sequel trilogy: "...when you look at this as nine chapters of a story, perhaps the weirder thing would be if Palpatine didn't return. You just look at what he talks about, who he is, how important he is, what the story is — strangely, his absence entirely from the third trilogy would be conspicuous".[41] On Palpatine's portrayal in the film, McDiarmid said, "he's fairly physically impaired, but his mind is as sharp as ever."[40]
Transforming McDiarmid into Emperor Palpatine forReturn of the Jedi required extensive makeup, which took between two and four hours to apply.[42] Film criticRoger Ebert wrote that the Emperor "looks uncannily likeDeath inThe Seventh Seal,"[43] and film historianRobin Wood compared him tothe hag fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).[44] McDiarmid remarked, "When my face changes in [Revenge of the Sith], my mind went back to the earlysilent movie ofThe Phantom of the Opera withLon Chaney."[45]
Palpatine's wardrobe in the prequels, tailored by costume designer Trisha Biggar, played an important part in the development of the character. InAttack of the Clones, explained McDiarmid, "The costumes ... have got much more edge to them, I think than the mere senator had inThe Phantom Menace. So we see the trappings of power."[42] McDiarmid's favorite costume in the film was a high-collared jacket that resembles reptile skin. He stated that "it just feels reptilian, which is exactly right for [Palpatine]." Biggar explained that the character's costumes become "progressively darker and more ornately decorated throughout the movie." She added: "He wears greys and browns, almost going to black, taking him toward the dark side."[46]
InThe Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine is unable to move without the aid of a large machine, to which he is attached.[47] His eyes have no pupils and his hands are rotting.[47] Costume designerMichael Kaplan opted to dress Palpatine in a utilitarian black robe, which he wears for the majority of the film.[48] At the end of the film, Palpatine rejuvenates himself using the Force and becomes physically mobile.[47] He dons a new costume—a formal robe with red velvet—which Kaplan refers to as "his true Emperor's garb".[48]
Todd McCarthy ofVariety described McDiarmid's portrayal of Palpatine inRevenge of the Sith as "dominant" and "worth writing home about".[49] Reviewing the same film,Ed Halter ofThe Village Voice wrote that "McDiarmid's unctuous Emperor turns appropriately vampiric as he attempts to draw Anakin into the Sith fold with promises of eternal life."[50] McDiarmid was nominated for theSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance inRevenge of the Sith.[citation needed]
According toCory Barlog, the planned-but-never-producedStar Wars: Underworld television series would have depicted Palpatine in a sympathetic way.[51]
The character is referred to as "the Emperor" in theoriginal trilogy. He is briefly mentioned inStar Wars (1977), the first film in the original trilogy, which was later retitledEpisode IV – A New Hope. On theDeath Star,Grand Moff Tarkin explains to his fellow Imperials that the Emperor has dissolved the Imperial Senate, the last remnant of theOld Republic. The Emperor does not appear on-screen, leaving Tarkin andDarth Vader as the film's main villains. The Emperor first appears inThe Empire Strikes Back, the 1980 sequel to the original film. He appears as a hologram to inform Vader thatLuke Skywalker has become a threat to the Empire. Vader persuades him that the young Jedi would be a great asset if he could be turned to the dark side of the Force.[52]
In 1983'sReturn of the Jedi, the Emperor appears in person to oversee the last stages of the secondDeath Star's construction. He assures Vader that they will together turn Luke, Vader's son, to the dark side of the Force. Unbeknownst to Vader, the Emperor plans to replace him with Luke; Vader, meanwhile, intends to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy with Luke at his side. When Vader brings Luke before his master, the Emperor tempts Luke to join the dark side by appealing to the young Jedi's fear for his friends, whom he has lured into a trap.[52] This leads to alightsaber duel in which Luke defeats and nearly kills Vader. The Emperor betrays his apprentice by urging Luke to kill Vader and take his place, but Luke refuses and declares himself a Jedi. Enraged, the Emperor attacks Luke withForce lightning. Unable to bear the sight of his son in pain, Vader throws the Emperor down a chasm shortly before the Death Star is destroyed.[52]
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In the 1999 prequelEpisode I: The Phantom Menace, set 32 years beforeA New Hope, Palpatine (named onscreen for the first time) is depicted as a middle-aged Galactic Senator from the planetNaboo.[52] As hisalter ego, theSith Lord Darth Sidious, he advises the corrupt Trade Federation to blockade and invade Naboo.[52] QueenPadmé Amidala of Naboo (Natalie Portman) flees to the planetCoruscant to receive counsel from Palpatine, unaware that he actually engineered the invasion. After a plea for help from the Senate results inbureaucratic delays, Palpatine manipulates and deceives Padmé to call for amotion of no confidence againstSupreme ChancellorFinis Valorum (Terence Stamp).[53]
When Padmé attempts to liberate Naboo, Sidious sends his apprenticeDarth Maul (portrayed byRay Park, voiced byPeter Serafinowicz) to capture her. The invasion is eventually thwarted, and Maul is defeated in a lightsaber duel with Jedi PadawanObi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).[52] Palpatine uses the crisis to get elected as the new Chancellor of the Republic. He then returns to Naboo, where he befriends the nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), telling the boy, "We will watch your career with great interest."[53]
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In the 2002 sequelEpisode II: Attack of the Clones, set 10 years later, Palpatineexploits constitutional loopholes to remain in office after his term expires. Meanwhile, as Sidious, he continues to manipulate events from behind the scenes by having his new Sith apprenticeCount Dooku (Christopher Lee) lead a movement of planets inseceding to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems.[52] He has the Separatists try to assassinate Padmé, now a senator, but the attempt on her life fails. He then arranges for Anakin (now played byHayden Christensen) to guard Padmé on Naboo, which leads to them falling in love and marrying in secret.[54]
With the Separatists secretly building abattle droid army, Palpatine uses the situation to have himself grantedemergency powers.[52] Palpatine feigns reluctance to accept this authority, promising to return it to the Senate once the crisis has ended. His first act is to allow aclone army's creation to counter the Separatist threat; this results in the first battle of theClone Wars. With the galaxy now at war as Sidious planned, Dooku brings him the secret plans for the Death Star.[54]
In the 2005 sequelEpisode III: Revenge of the Sith, set three years later, Palpatine is captured bycyborg Separatist leaderGeneral Grievous (voiced byMatthew Wood). Palpatine is rescued by Anakin and Obi-Wan, but not before the Jedi confront Dooku again. A duel ensues in which Anakin defeats Dooku. Palpatine then betrays his apprentice by urging Anakin to kill him, leading to the Jedi Knight killing the helpless Count. Palpatine then escapes with his rescuers and returns to Coruscant. By this point, Palpatine has become a virtual dictator, able to take any action in the Senate. He makes Anakin his personal representative on theJedi Council, whose members deny Anakin the rank of Jedi Master and order him to spy on the Chancellor. Palpatine tells Anakin the story ofDarth Plagueis, a powerful Sith Lord who was able to create life and prevent death, but was killed by his own apprentice.[n] Eventually, Palpatine reveals his secret Sith identity to Anakin; he knows that Anakin has been having prophetic visions of Padmé dying in childbirth, and offers to teach him Plagueis' secrets to save Padmé's life.[57]
Anakin informs Jedi MasterMace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) of Palpatine's treachery. With three other Jedi Masters at his side, Windu attempts to arrest Palpatine, but Palpatine proclaims he himself is The Senate, producing a lightsaber and quickly dispatching all but Windu. Palpatine engages Windu in a duel and attacks him with Force lightning; Windu deflects the lightning back into Palpatine's face, deforming it into the gray, wizened visage first seen in the original trilogy. Before Windu can kill Palpatine, Anakin appears and desperate to save Padme, betrays Windu, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu with another blast of lightning. Anakin then reluctantly betrays the Jedi and pledges himself to the dark side as Palpatine's Sith apprentice, Darth Vader.[57]
Palpatine issuesOrder 66, a command instilled in the Clone Troopers that forcibly compelled them to view their Jedi generals as traitors to the republic and subsequently executing them,[52] while dispatching Vader to kill everyone inside the Jedi Temple and then murder the Separatist leaders on the planetMustafar. Palpatine deceives the Separatist leaders into believing that Vader would protect them. Palpatine then reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor, while deceitfully framing the Jedi for treason.[52] Jedi MasterYoda (voiced byFrank Oz) confronts Palpatine and engages him in a lightsaber duel that ends in a stalemate.[52] Sensing that Vader is in danger, Palpatine travels to Mustafar and finds his new apprentice near death following a duel with Obi-Wan. After returning to Coruscant, he rebuilds Vader's burned, mutilated body with the black armored suit from the original trilogy. Palpatine then tells Vader that Padmé was killed in the heat of Vader's anger, breaking what remains of Vader's spirit. Palpatine is last seen watching the original Death Star's construction, with Vader and Wilhuff Tarkin (Wayne Pygram) at his side.[57]
In the sequel trilogy, set three decades following the events ofReturn of the Jedi, theFirst Order has risen from the fallen Empire and seeks to destroy theNew Republic, theResistance, and Luke Skywalker. In the trilogy's first installment,The Force Awakens (2015), Palpatine's voice is heard during a vision thatRey (Daisy Ridley) experiences upon touching Luke and Anakin's lightsaber.[58] In the sequel,The Last Jedi (2017), Luke briefly mentions Palpatine as Darth Sidious while explaining the fall of the Jedi Order to Rey.[59]
Palpatine, again played by McDiarmid, appears in the trilogy's final film,The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Prior to the film'sopening, Palpatine threatens revenge against the galaxy, having used the dark side to cheat death.[11][o] This prompts First Order leader and fallen JediKylo Ren (Adam Driver)—the grandson of Anakin and nephew of Luke—to seek him out on the Sith planetExegol, where a physically impaired Palpatine is supported by machinery.[40][47] Palpatine reveals himself as the power behind Ren's former master,Snoke (Andy Serkis), whom he created to rule the First Order and lure Ren to the dark side.[61][64] He then unveils the Final Order, a massive fleet of SithStar Destroyers built by theSith Eternal. Palpatine offers the Sith fleet to Ren on the condition that he find and kill the galaxy's last remaining Jedi, Rey, who is revealed to be Palpatine's granddaughter.[65] It is subsequently revealed that Palpatine had a son who renounced him; the son and his partner took their daughter Rey to the planetJakku, assuming lives as "nobodies" to keep her safe. Palpatine's assassin Ochi eventually found Rey's parents and killed them on his orders, but never found Rey.[65]
Near the end of the film, Rey arrives on Exegol to confront Palpatine. Surrounded by his Sith loyalists, Palpatine embodies all the Sith's power.[11][66][60] He orders Rey to kill him in anger so his spirit can pass into her, which will allow him topossess her body.[67] Rey refuses, and she and Ren (now the redeemedBen Solo) confront Palpatine together. Sensing their power as adyad in the Force, Palpatine absorbs their life energy to rejuvenate his body. He incapacitates Ben and attacks the Resistance fleet with Force lightning. Rey uses the power of the past Jedi to face Palpatine once more; he attacks her with lightning, but Rey deflects it using the Skywalker lightsabers, finally killing Palpatine and his Sith loyalists.[65][60]
In the 2008 animated filmStar Wars: The Clone Wars and thesubsequent animated series (set betweenAttack of the Clones andRevenge of the Sith), Palpatine continues to serve as Supreme Chancellor while his Sith identity orchestrates the Clone Wars behind the scenes. Palpatine was voiced byIan Abercrombie (from 2008 to his death in 2012), and byTim Curry (from 2012 to 2014).[68][69] In the film, Sidious engineers a Separatist plot in which Count Dooku (voiced byCorey Burton) turnsJabba the Hutt (voiced byKevin Michael Richardson) against the Republic by kidnapping his son Rotta and framing the Jedi for it. Meanwhile, Palpatine suggests that the Republic ally itself with the Hutts. Although Anakin Skywalker and his PadawanAhsoka Tano (voiced byAshley Eckstein) foil the plot, the outcome suits Palpatine's ends: Jabba places Hutthyperspace routes at the Republic's disposal.[70]
In season two of the TV series, Sidious hires bounty hunterCad Bane (voiced byCorey Burton) to infiltrate the Jedi Temple and steal aholocron. He then takes a valuable Kyber memory crystal that contains the names of thousands of Force-sensitive younglings – the future of the Jedi Order – from around the galaxy. The final stage of the plot: to bring four Force-sensitive children to Sidious' secret facility on Mustafar. Anakin and Ahsoka again foil the plot, but Bane escapes and all evidence of Sidious' involvement is lost.[71] In season three, Sidious senses Dooku's assassinAsajj Ventress (voiced byNika Futterman) becoming powerful in the dark side and orders Dooku to eliminate her; he suspects that Dooku is planning to have Ventress assassinate him. Ventress survives and her revenge against Dooku sets off a chain of events including the return of Sidious' former apprentice and Dooku's predecessor, Darth Maul.[72]
In season five, Sidious personally travels to the planetMandalore to confront Maul, who has become the leader of Death Watch. Sidious kills Maul's brotherSavage Opress (voiced byClancy Brown) before torturing Maul with the intent to make use of his former apprentice. In season six, Sidious goes to lengths to conceal his plan from the Jedi by silencing Clone Trooper Fives from learning of Order 66, and having Dooku wipe out anything tied to the former Jedi Master'sconnection to the conspiracy.[73][74]
In the seventh season episode "Shattered", Sidious issues Order 66.
InStar Wars Rebels, set betweenRevenge of the Sith andA New Hope, Palpatine is portrayed as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire. He briefly appears off-screen at the end of season two's premiere "The Siege of Lothal" (originally voiced bySam Witwer and laterIan McDiarmid from 2019). Darth Vader informs Palpatine that theRebel Alliance cell onLothal has been broken and that Ahsoka Tano is alive and is now helping the Rebels. Palpatine sees this as an opportunity to seek out other remaining Jedi, ordering Vader to dispatch an Inquisitor to hunt down Ahsoka.[75]
Palpatine returns physically in season four (voiced again by McDiarmid). In the episodes "Wolves and a Door" and "A World Between Worlds", he appears as a hologram overseeing the excavation of the LothalJedi Temple, which contains a portal to a separate dimension of the Force outside of space and time, which Palpatine considers a 'conduit between the living and the dead' that could give him unrivaled power of the Force itself if he can access it. Shortly afterEzra Bridger (voiced byTaylor Gray) reaches through time and space to rescue Ahsoka from Vader, Palpatine sets up a portal that shows Jedi MasterKanan Jarrus' (voiced byFreddie Prinze Jr.) final moments. While Ezra wants to reach through the portal and rescue Kanan, Ahsoka convinces him not to. Palpatine then reveals himself through the portal and attacks Ezra with Force lightning. However, Ahsoka and Ezra manage to evade him and go their separate ways, thus denying Palpatine full power.[76]
Palpatine later returns in theseries finale "Family Reunion - and Farewell". In the episode, Ezra, having surrendered himself toGrand Admiral Thrawn (voiced byLars Mikkelsen) to protect Lothal, is taken by him to a room containing a reconstructed section of the ruined Jedi Temple and a hologram of Palpatine as he appears in the prequel films. Palpatine, having acknowledged the threat Ezra poses to the Empire, presents himself as a kindly old man and shows Ezra a vision of his dead parents through a doorway, promising that the youth will be with them if he enters it. Ezra is initially mesmerized by Palpatine's promise and goes to enter the door, but finally resists and destroys the reconstructed Jedi Temple and the illusion. Palpatine's hologram emerges from the rubble, flickering to show his true self, and commands his Royal Guards to kill Ezra, though Ezra manages to defeat them and escape. According to series creatorDave Filoni, the events ofRogue One andA New Hope happen shortly after this episode, thus refocusing Palpatine's attention from Ezra and Lothal's liberation to the Rebel Alliance and Luke Skywalker.[77]
Palpatine appears in the first season of the 2021 animated seriesStar Wars: The Bad Batch. The series is set during (and immediately following) the events of the 2005 filmRevenge of the Sith. The series' first episode depicts Palpatine's senate speech from the film in animated form, using the archive sound of McDiarmid's dialogue. As in the film, Palpatine orders the extermination of the Jedi and declares himself emperor.[78]
Palpatine appears in season 3, in which he inspects the progress of Project Necromancer's clone experiments under the supervision of Imperial scientist Dr. Hemlock.[79]
Palpatine appears in thesixth episode of the 2022 seriesObi-Wan Kenobi. The series is set ten years afterRevenge of the Sith. After Darth Vader is defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi following their second duel, Palpatine contacts Vader in his Mustafar castle via hologram, questioning Vader's motives and loyalty when Vader reports that he will not rest until Obi-Wan is found. Vader reassures Palpatine that Obi-Wan does not mean anything, reaffirms his commitment to Palpatine and abandons his search.[80]
Darth Sidous appears in the fourth episode of theTales of the Jedi TV series talking withDarth Tyranus.
The first appearance of Palpatine inStar Wars literature was in the prologue ofAlan Dean Foster's ghostwritten novelization of the script ofA New Hope, published asStar Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (1976).[81][82] His background as a senator of the Republic was explored inJames Kahn'snovelization ofReturn of the Jedi.[7]
Palpatine also appears inRae Carson'snovelization ofThe Rise of Skywalker, which expands upon the film's story. In the book, Palpatine is revealed to have discovered the "secret to immortality" from his former master, Darth Plagueis, using this knowledge to survive after his death inReturn of the Jedi.[62][83][o] The novelization also describes Palpatine's son as a failed clone of himself.[62][84] However, the 2021 bookSkywalker: A Family at War describes Palpatine's son as an "offshoot of [his] genetic research, not precisely a clone but made of cloned tissue and donated cells."[85][86]
Star Wars: Lords of the Sith (2015) was one of the first canon spin-off novels to be released in the Disney canon begun in 2014.[87] In it, Vader and Palpatine find themselves hunted by revolutionaries on theTwi'lek home planetRyloth.[88][89] InThrawn (2017), thetitular character warns Palpatine of "threats lurking in the Unknown Regions."Chuck Wendig'sAftermath book trilogy reveals that, prior to his death, Palpatine enacted a plan for the remnants of the Empire, intended to be led by his adoptive sonGallius Rax, to retreat to the Unknown Regions, where they formed into theFirst Order.[90] The dark side was thought to be concentrated in this region, where one Sith cultist believed that Palpatine would be found alive.[91] The upcoming illustrated bookStar Wars: The Secrets of the Sith is told from Palpatine's perspective.[92]
Palpatine appears frequently in the comic book seriesDarth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (2017–2018), written by Kieron Gillen and Charles Soule. It is suggested at the end of the series that Palpatine manipulated the Force to impregnate Vader's motherShmi Skywalker, making him, in essence, Vader's father—although this is left somewhat ambiguous.[55] This builds on the plot point of Anakin'svirgin birth introduced inThe Phantom Menace, and the claim that a Sith lord "could use the Force to influence themidi-chlorians to create life," as Palpatine tells Anakin inRevenge of the Sith.[n] This would seem to haveincestuous implications for Rey and Ben Solo at the end ofThe Rise of Skywalker,[93][p] but Soule says that "The Dark Side is not a reliable narrator," and aLucasfilm story group member who collaborated on the comic confirmed that a direct connection between Palpatine and Vader was not their intent.[95]
The character also appears in the final chapter of the comic bookStar Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren (2020), which illustrates Palpatine's manipulation of the young Ben Solo into becoming Kylo Ren.[96]
Star Wars Battlefront II adds a canonical tale spanning the destruction of the secondDeath Star through the events ofThe Force Awakens. The story takes an Imperial perspective, following an elite squadron known as Inferno Squad, led byIden Versio, as they help executeOperation: Cinder following the Emperor's death.Operation: Cinder was carried out by the Galactic Empire as a means of devastating several Imperial planets a few weeks after the Battle of Endor. The operation was part of the "Contingency", a plan devised by Emperor Palpatine to ensure that the Empire and its enemies would not outlive him should he perish. The plan was put into action following the Emperor's death during theBattle of Endor.[97]
Palpatine's threat of revenge referenced in theopening crawl ofThe Rise of Skywalker was included in the finale of theFortnite: Battle Royale X Star Wars event.[98] The character has appeared in everyLego Star Wars video game to date, includingLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.[99]
Following the acquisition ofLucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensedStar Wars Expanded Universe material produced between 1977 and 2014 was rebranded asStar Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. TheLegends works comprise a separate narrative universe.[q]
Palpatine appears in theClone Wars micro-series, which is set betweenAttack of the Clones andRevenge of the Sith. In the first chapter, Palpatine discovers that the InterGalactic Banking Clan has established battle droid factories on the planetMuunilinst. He agrees to send a strike force that includes Anakin Skywalker and suggests that Anakin be given "special command" of Obi-Wan Kenobi's fighters. Yoda and Obi-Wan initially speak against the idea but eventually agree.[104] In the seventh chapter, a holographic image of Sidious appears shortly after Dooku trains theDark JediAsajj Ventress. Sidious orders Ventress to track down and kill Anakin. He remarks to Dooku that Ventress is certain to be defeated, but that the purpose of her mission is to test Anakin.[105] In the final chapters, Sidious orders General Grievous to begin an assault on the galactic capital.[106] Later, Palpatine watches as the Separatist invasion of Coruscant begins. Grievous breaks through the Chancellor's window and attempts to kidnap him, leading to a long chase during which Palpatine is protected by the JediShaak Ti, Roron Corobb and Foul Moudama.[107] After Grievous defeats the Jedi, Palpatine is taken aboard theInvisible Hand, setting the stage forRevenge of the Sith.[108]
Palpatine made his first major appearance inStar Wars-related comic books in 1991 and 1992, with theDark Empire series written byTom Veitch and illustrated byCam Kennedy. In the series (set six years afterReturn of the Jedi), Palpatine is resurrected as the Emperor Reborn, or "Palpatine the Undying". His spirit returns from the netherworld of the Force with the aid of Sith ghosts onKorriban and possesses the body ofJeng Droga, one of Palpatine's elite spies and assassins known as the Emperor's Hands. Droga flees to a secret Imperial base on the planetByss, where the Emperor's advisor Sate Pestageexorcises Palpatine's spirit and channels it into one of many clones created by Palpatine before his death. Palpatine attempts to resume control of the galaxy, but Luke Skywalker, now a senior Jedi Knight, sabotages his plans. Luke destroys most of Palpatine's cloning tanks but is only able to defeat the Emperor with help fromLeia Organa Solo, who has received rudimentary Jedi training from Luke. The two repel a Force storm Palpatine had created and turn it back onto him, once again destroying his physical form.[109]
Palpatine's ultimate fate is further chronicled in theDark Empire II andEmpire's End series of comics. TheDark Empire II series, published from 1994 to 1995, details how the Emperor is once again reborn on Byss into a clone body. Palpatine tries to rebuild the Empire as the Rebel Alliance grows weak.[110] InEmpire's End (1995), a traitorous Imperial guard bribes Palpatine's cloning supervisor to tamper with the Emperor's storedDNA samples. This causes the clones to deteriorate at a rapid rate. Palpatine tries to possess the body ofAnakin Solo, the infant son of Leia Organa andHan Solo, before the clone body dies, but is thwarted once again by Luke Skywalker. Palpatine is killed by a blaster shot fired by Han, but his spirit is captured by the mortally wounded JediEmpatojayos Brand. When Brand dies, he takes Palpatine's spirit with him into the netherworld of the Force, destroying the Sith Lord once and for all.[111]
Novels and comics published before 1999 focus on Palpatine's role as Galactic Emperor.Shadows of the Empire (1996) bySteve Perry andThe Mandalorian Armor (1998) byK. W. Jeter—both set betweenThe Empire Strikes Back andReturn of the Jedi—show how Palpatine uses crime lords such asPrince Xizor andbounty hunters likeBoba Fett to fight his enemies.[112][113] In theJedi Prince series of young-reader novels (1992–1993) byPaul and Hollace Davids, set about a year afterReturn of the Jedi, a three-eyedmutant namedTriclops is revealed to be Palpatine's illegitimate son;[114] he had a son named Ken, the titular "Jedi Prince".Barbara Hambly's novelChildren of the Jedi (1995), set eight years afterReturn of the Jedi, features a woman namedRoganda Ismaren who claims that Palpatine fathered her sonIrek.[115]
After the release ofThe Phantom Menace, writers were allowed to begin exploring Palpatine's backstory as a politician and Sith lord. The comic "Marked" byRob Williams, printed inStar Wars Tales 24 (2005), andMichael Reaves' novelDarth Maul: Shadow Hunter (2001) explain Darth Sidious' relationship with his apprentice Darth Maul.[116][117]Cloak of Deception (2001) byJames Luceno follows Reaves' novel and details how Darth Sidious encourages the Trade Federation to build an army of battle droids in preparation for the invasion of Naboo.Cloak of Deception also focuses on Palpatine's early political career, revealing how he becomes a confidant of Chancellor Finis Valorum and acquainted with Padmé Amidala, newly elected queen of Naboo.[118] Palpatine's role during the Clone Wars as Chancellor of the Republic and Darth Sidious is portrayed in novels such asMatthew Stover'sShatterpoint (2003),Steven Barnes'The Cestus Deception (2004),Sean Stewart'sYoda: Dark Rendezvous (2004), and Luceno'sLabyrinth of Evil (2005) andDarth Plagueis (2012).
Following the theatrical release ofRevenge of the Sith,Star Wars literature focused on Palpatine's role after the creation of the Empire.John Ostrander's comicStar Wars Republic 78: Loyalties (2005) chronicles how, shortly after seizing power, Emperor Palpatine sends Darth Vader to assassinate Sagoro Autem, an Imperial captain who plans to defect from the Empire.[119] In Luceno's novelDark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (2005) (set shortly afterRevenge of the Sith), the Emperor sends Darth Vader to the planet Murkhana to discover why clone troopers there refused to carry outOrder 66 against their Jedi generals. Palpatine hopes these early missions will teach Vader what it means to be a Sith and crush any remnants of Anakin Skywalker.[120]
James Luceno's 2012 novelDarth Plagueis depicts Palpatine's early life, prior to the films. The scion of an aristocratic family on Naboo, Palpatine first turns toward the dark side upon meeting the titular Sith lord. Sensing great power in Palpatine, Plageuis takes him on as his Sith apprentice. In the final test of his devotion to the dark side, Palpatine kills his parents and his brother and sister.[121]
InThe Force Unleashed, the Empire has captured the rebel leaders and holds them on the Death Star. Vader's former apprentice Galen Marek/Starkiller battles his way through the station, defeats Vader and faces the Emperor, who tries to goad him into killing Vader so Starkiller can take his place. Starkiller defeats the Emperor, but spares him. The Emperor then unleashes Force lightning at Starkiller's companionRahm Kota, but Starkiller absorbs it, sacrificing himself to allow the rebels to escape.
In the noncanonical dark side ending Starkiller kills Vader and is congratulated by the Emperor, who commands him to kill Kota. Starkiller instead attacks the Emperor, who foils his attempt and then crushes him and the rebels with a ship. Starkiller later awakens to find his body being grafted with armor to continue serving the Emperor.
In the downloadable content forThe Force Unleashed II, the Rebel Alliance gets defeated at the Battle of Endor. The Emperor then subdues Vader with Force lightning while chastising him for resurrecting his failed apprentice as a clone.
According to the prologue of Alan Dean Foster's 1976 novelization of the originalStar Wars film,
Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry individuals within the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Senator Palpatine caused himself to be elected President of the Republic. He promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and to restore the remembered glory of the Republic. Once secure in office he declared himself Emperor, shutting himself away from the populace. Soon he was controlled by the very assistants and boot-lickers he had appointed to high office, and the cries of the people for justice did not reach his ears.[81]
InCloak of Deception, Luceno writes that Palpatine carefully guards his privacy and "others found his reclusiveness intriguing, as if he led a secret life".[122] Despite this, he has many allies in the government. Luceno writes, "What Palpatine lacked in charisma, he made up for in candor, and it was that directness that had led to his widespread appeal in the senate. ... For in his heart he judged the universe on his own terms, with a clear sense of right and wrong."[122] InTerry Brooks'novelization ofThe Phantom Menace, Palpatine claims to embrace democratic principles. He tells Queen Amidala, "I promise, Your Majesty, if I am elected [chancellor of the Republic], I will restore democracy to the Republic. I will put an end to the corruption that has plagued the Senate."[123] AVisual Dictionary states that he is a self-proclaimed savior.[124] According to theStar Wars Encyclopedia, "[Palpatine's] Empire ... is based on tyranny."[125]
Expanded Universe materials explicitly establish that Palpatine was the apprentice of Darth Plagueis.[126] Palpatine is characterized as "the most powerful practitioner of the Sith ways in modern times."[127] Palpatine is so powerful that he is able to mask his true identity from the Jedi for decades. In the novelShatterpoint, Mace Windu remarks to Yoda, "A shame [Palpatine] can't touch the Force. He might have been a fine Jedi."[128]
TheStar Wars Databank explains that the Force "granted him inhuman dexterity and speed, agility enough to quickly kill three Jedi Masters" (as depicted inRevenge of the Sith).[52] Stover describes the duel between Yoda and Palpatine in hisnovelization ofRevenge of the Sith thus: "From the shadow of a black wing, a small weapon ... slid into a withered hand and spat a flame-colored blade ... When those blades met, it was more than Yoda against Palpatine, more the millennia of Sith against the legions of Jedi; this was the expression of the fundamental conflict of the universe itself. Light against dark. Winner takes all."[129] During the duel, Yoda realizes that Sidious is a superior warrior, and represents a small but powerful Sith Order that had changed and evolved over the years, while the Jedi had not: "He had lost before he started. He had lost before he was born."[130]
According to the Databank andNew Essential Guide to Characters, Palpatine possesses great patience and his maneuverings are as a dejarik grandmaster moves pieces on a board.[131] He is depicted as a diabolical genius.[132][133]
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With the premiere ofReturn of the Jedi and the prequel films and the accompanying merchandising campaign, Palpatine became an icon in American popular culture. Academics have debated the relationship of Palpatine to modern culture. Religion scholars Ross Shepard Kraemer, William Cassidy, and Susan Schwartz compare Palpatine andStar Wars heroes to thetheological concept ofdualism. They insist, "One can certainly picture the evil emperor inStar Wars asSatan, complete with his infernal powers, leading his faceless minions such as his red-robed Imperial Guards."[134] Lawrence and Jewett argue that Vader killing Palpatine inReturn of the Jedi represented "the permanent subduing of evil".[135] However, according to director J. J. Abrams, Palpatine's return inThe Rise of Skywalker represented the idea that evil can return as a result of complacency.[136] He said, "I think the idea that if we are not careful, the evil — the ultimate evil — will rise again."[136]
SinceReturn of the Jedi and the prequel films, Palpatine's name has been invoked as a caricature in politics. ASeattle Post-Intelligencer editorial noted that anti-pork bloggers were caricaturing West Virginia SenatorRobert Byrd as "the Emperor Palpatine of pork", with SenatorTed Stevens of Alaska having "clear aspirations to be his Darth Vader." The charge followed a report that linked asecret hold on theFederal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to the two senators.[137] Politicians have made comparisons as well. In 2005,Democratic SenatorFrank Lautenberg of New Jersey comparedRepublicanMajority LeaderBill Frist of Tennessee to Palpatine in a speech on the Senate floor, complete with a visual aid.[138]
AFox News editorial stated "no cultural icon can exist without someone trying to stuff it into a political ideology. TheStar Wars saga, the greatestpop culture icon of the last three decades, is no exception... Palpatine's dissolution of the Senate in favor of imperial rule has been compared to Julius Caesar's marginalization of theRoman Senate, Hitler's power-grabs as chancellor on his way to becoming a dictator,Franklin D. Roosevelt's failedcourt-packing scheme and the creation of a perceivedImperial Presidency in the United States."[139]
In the mid-late 2010s, Palpatine became the subject of variousinternet memes, which referenced certain lines of dialogue he spoke inRevenge of the Sith.[140][141][142]
Most notably, a screenshot of the character inRevenge of the Sith was posted toReddit in 2017 and became the most upvoted post in the history of that website for the next three years, amassing over 438 thousand upvotes as of 2025.[143] The post's caption reads: "The Senate. Upvote this so that people see it when they Google 'The Senate'."
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