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Concept
Palpatine
Summary
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, he serves as the main antagonist of the nine-film Skywalker saga, in which he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. In creating Palpatine, Lucas was inspired by real-world examples of democratic backsliding during the rise and rule of dictators such as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler.
In the original trilogy, Palpatine is depicted as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire and the master of Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker). In the prequel trilogy, Palpatine is portrayed as a charismatic politician—and, secretly, a Sith lord—who orchestrates the Clone Wars, ends the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, and seduces Skywalker to the dark side of the Force. In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in the sequel trilogy, Palpatine is revealed to be the mastermind behind the First Order and creator of its puppet leader, Snoke, as well as the grandfather of protagonist Rey.
Since the release of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has become a widely recognized symbol of evil in popular culture, and since the prequel trilogy, a symbol of sinister deception and the subversion of democracy. Aside from the films, Palpatine appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media. The character recurs throughout the television series Clone Wars (2003–5), The Clone Wars (2008–14, 2020), Rebels (2014–18), The Bad Batch (2021–), Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and Tales of the Jedi (2022–), all set before the original trilogy.
Star Wars creator George Lucas's 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. In the 1974 draft of Star Wars, the "New Galactic Empire" was led by a relatively young human named Cos Dashit. The name Palpatine first appears in the prologue of Alan Dean Foster's 1976 novelization of the original Star Wars film, which detailed the Emperor's rise to power.
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