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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
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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Star Wars' Yoda and Palpatine side-by-side.
Why Couldn't Yoda Beat Palpatine? It Had Nothing to Do With the Force
Star Wars

One of Star Wars' most epic battles was between Yoda and Palpatine - but, why did Yoda lose? Well, Star Wars might have just answered that question.

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Mace Windu in the foreground with Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader looking at the Death Star in the background
Wait, Did The Jedi Actually Know Palpatine Was Building A Death Star Before Revenge Of The Sith?!?
Movies

The Jedi Order didn't learn the truth about Palpatine until it was too late, but what if they were aware of the Death Star's existence?

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Palpatine grinning evilly in the original Star Wars trilogy to the left and wielding his red lightsaber to the right in front of a red background with lightning
I Think I've Figured Out The Real Reason Palpatine Stayed In Power For Nearly 20 Years
Movies

This brand-new Star Wars story has finally helped me to understand how Palpatine managed to hold onto power for nearly 20 years despite the Rebellion.

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Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith and Jedi from the prequels in the background
I'm Starting To Wonder If Palpatine Was A Genius, Or Just Lucky
Movies

Palpatine has a reputation as one of the greatest evil masterminds in Star Wars, but how much of his success was genius, and how much was luck?

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Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
20 Years After Revenge Of The Sith, I Can't Believe I'm Just Finding Out What Palpatine's Lightsaber Color Was Supposed To Be
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Palpatine wields his red-bladed Sith lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith, but he nearly wielded a different weapon with a different blade color.

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Palpatine and Naboo
Star Wars Reveals Secrets Of Palpatine's Backstory, Including How He Gained Power

Star Wars has just revealed a little more of Palpatine's backstory - and how he managed to manipulate his way into power in the Republic...

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Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in Return of the Jedi, edited with the Death Star in A New Hope and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) on the Death Star.
Star Wars Has Turned Leia's Gravest Warning Into Palpatine's Entire Mission
Andor

A special look into Andor season 2 has proven that Star Wars has now made Leia's grave threat in A New Hope the personal mission of Palpatine himself.

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George Lucas during an interview with an image of Palpatine from Attack of the Clones in the background.
George Lucas' Canceled Star Wars TV Show Made One Surprising Change To Palpatine (& It's Canon)

Star Wars: Underworld would have developed many characters between Episodes III and IV, including a change to Palpatine that later became canon.

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Palpatine surrounded by a red heart with Naboo in the background
George Lucas Planned To Give Palpatine A Love Story In His Canceled Star Wars TV Show
Movies

Palpatine very nearly had a tragic backstory involving a woman who broke his heart, and it would have completely changed his character in Star Wars.

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Palpatine and Al'doleem Custom Star Wars Image
I Think I've Figured Out Where Another Of Palpatine's Safehouses Is (& It's Super Dark)
Movies

Emperor Palpatine had secret safehouses and observatories all over the Star Wars galaxy, and I think I just discovered a brand-new one in the canon.

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Palpatine and Darth Vader
Palpatine Was A Sith Heretic: These 10 Facts Prove How Badly He Betrayed The Sith
Movies

Palpatine was the culmination of the Sith, everything they'd worked for over a millennia. But he was also a Sith heretic, as these ten facts prove.

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Emperor Palpatine in the center with Mon Mothma to the left and Bail Organa to the right
Star Wars: Why Did It Take Palpatine Nearly 20 Years To Shut Down The Senate?
Movies

Palpatine was meticulous in his plot to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic, so why did he keep the Senate operational for so long in the Dark Times?

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Palpatine and Darth Momin Custom Star Wars Image
Star Wars Brings Palpatine's Best Sith Rival Back From The Dead, To Celebrate A Major Milestone
Comics

Celebrating 10 years of canonical Star Wars comics, Marvel brings back a major Sith Lord, a heretic rivaling Emperor Palpatine himself.

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Star Wars' Yoda with Emperor Palpatine behind him.
After Palpatine's Fall, the Sith Only Survived Thanks to One of Yoda's Tricks
Star Wars

Emperor Palpatine's death should have meant the end of the Sith in Star Wars, but thanks to Yoda's most famous trick, it was just the beginning.

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Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader side-by-side.
It's True: One of Darth Vader's Descendants Unlocked a Dark Side Power Palpatine Never Could
Star Wars

Palpatine used his power over the dark side to crush his foes, with Darth Vader's distant relative commanding a Force ability Palpatine always wanted.

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