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Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn't enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.

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Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars Return of the Jedi
Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Created By
George Lucas
Cast
Ian McDiarmid, Sam Witwer, Ian Abercrombie
First Appearance
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Died
Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker
Alliance
Sith, Empire
Race
Human

Movies
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
TV Shows
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Franchise
Star Wars

latest

Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor in Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Just Revealed Palpatine's First Failure (& It Was Glorious)

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious just experienced a very public failure in Andor season 2, episode 9, and it was genuinely satisfying to see.

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Zombie Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker to the left and Darth Maul in the Phantom Menace to the right surrounded by purple
Palpatine's Resurrection Proved The Sith Were Wrong About One Shocking Thing

Palpatine's (highly controversial) resurrection in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker proved that one of the core beliefs of the Sith was wrong.

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Palpatine as a senator in The Phantom Menace to the left and as Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith to the right in front of a bright, colorful background
Star Wars Just Brought Back George Lucas' Original Palpatine Plan

Star Wars' brand-new TV show, Andor season 2, just brought back George Lucas' original plans for Emperor Palpatine, nearly 50 years later.

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Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious to the left and Anakin Skywalker to the right, both from Revenge of the Sith in front of a red background
I Can't Believe I Never Noticed How Palpatine Twisted The Jedi Code To Corrupt Anakin
Movies

Palpatine weaponized one of the core beliefs of the Jedi to turn Anakin Skywalker to the dark side in Revenge of the Sith, and it totally worked.

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Ian McDiarmid As Palpatine With Emperoer and Lightsaber Wielding Palpatine in Background Custom Star Wars Image
Revenge Of The Sith's Ian McDiarmid Just Revealed 12 Prequel Trilogy Secrets
Movies

Iconic Star Wars actor Ian McDiarmid recently shared multiple reveals about playing Emperor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith (and beyond).

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Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) wears his hooded robe in Revenge of the Sith, edited over a vibrant background.
Revenge Of The Sith Star Ian McDiarmid Hints A Palpatine TV Show Was In The Works

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious actor Ian McDiarmid has shockingly suggested there was once a Star Wars show about Palpatine in the works.

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Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi in the foreground with the Death Star in the background surrounded by Force lightning
Star Wars Just Revealed The Lie Behind Palpatine's Most Famous Quote
Movies

Star Wars has proven this one Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious line in Revenge of the Sith completely wrong—and revealed its shocking meaning.

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Palpatine/Darth Sidious in the center, Mace Windu to the left, and Master Yoda to the right, all from Revenge of the Sith, in front of a blue background
I Just Noticed The Weirdest Thing About Palpatine's Jedi Lie In Revenge Of The Sith
Movies

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine lied to convince the galaxy that the Jedi had deserved to die during Order 66, but there's something odd about this.

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Star Wars - Darth Bane, Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Vader
"I Am All The Sith": How Powerful Was Palpatine, Compared To Other Sith Lords In Star Wars?
Movies

While Emperor Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) was the main villain of the Skywalker Saga, he was not the only powerful Sith Lord in Star Wars.

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Ian McDiarmid's eyes glow an eerie Sith yellow in The Rise of Skywalker superimposed over a blue background
Six Years After The Rise Of Skywalker, I Just Noticed This Shocking Fact That Shows How Weak Palpatine Had Become
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

One, less obvious, detail in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker demonstrates how weak the reborn Emperor Palpatine became following his resurrection.

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Palpatine in Star Wars
"I Have Never Seen Such Skill, Such Speed": This One Chilling Scene Shows Just How Dangerous Palpatine Is With A Lightsaber
Star Wars

One of Palpatine's cruelest actions in the Star Wars Legends continuity demonstrates both his skill with and philosophy on lightsaber combat.

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Star Wars - Commandant Brendol Hux and Emperor Palpatine
Two Years Ago, Star Wars Secretly Revealed Palpatine's Return Was WAY Darker Than We Thought

Thanks to dark science and cloning, Emperor Palpatine cheated death, but the Star Wars TV shows made his return darker with a single line.

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Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) wears his hooded robe in Revenge of the Sith, edited over a vibrant background.
Revenge Of The Sith Proved Palpatine Didn't NEED The Dark Side To Be Star Wars' Greatest Villain
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

As Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Darth Sidious took control of the Star Wars galaxy in the precise way that Darth Bane once envisioned.

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Clive Revill appears as Emperor Palpatine via hologram in the original cut of The Empire Strikes Back.
Star Wars Legend Clive Revill Dies At 94
Star Wars

Clive Revill, the original actor who brought Emperor Palpatine to life in The Empire Strikes Back, has ed away at the age of 94 years old.

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Palpatine with Mas Amedda and Death Star from Andor Custom Star Wars Image
Star Wars' "Century Plan" Explained - What Did Palpatine Actually Plan To DO With The Empire?
Movies

A new Star Wars series introduces "The Century Plan", explaining why Palpatine initially wasn't bothered by pockets of resistance within his Empire.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith to the left and Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith to the right in front of a blue background
I Can't Believe It's Taken Me 20 Years To Figure Out Just How Much Obi-Wan Kenobi Ruined Palpatine's Plans
Obi-Wan Kenobi

One shocking line in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith reveals just how extensively Obi-Wan Kenobi ruined Palpatine's plans.

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Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith surrounded by images of the Death Star
This One Ridiculous Revenge Of The Sith Detail Suggests Palpatine Was Low-Key OBSESSED With The Death Star
Movies

I completely missed this subtle Death Star Easter egg in Revenge of the Sith, but it confirms Palpatine's obsession with this superweapon.

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Darth Vader wielding his red lightsaber with Emperor Palpatine laughing behind him in Star Wars.
I Finally Get How Darth Vader Saw Emperor Palpatine, And It Makes Star Wars Way More Tragic
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Star Wars just clarified how Darth Vader viewed his relationship with Emperor Palpatine, and honestly, it makes the entire franchise way more tragic.

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Palpatine and Sith Lords in Background (Bane, Maul, Vader) Custom Star Wars Image
"I Am All The Sith": Star Wars Canon Has Turned Palpatine's Boast Into A Joke
Movies

Although Palpatine claimed in Rise of Skywalker that he was "All the Sith", Star Wars canon has turned his boast into a joke considering the truth.

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Darth Vader and Palpatine Wielding Lightsabers Custom Star Wars Image-1
6 Star Wars Characters Who Almost Killed Emperor Palpatine Way Before Darth Vader Could
Comics

We know that Luke and Vader defeated Palpatine and toppled the Empire, but several other characters had their own plans to take down the Emperor.

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