Global InformationPalpatine information
| Palpatine | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
 Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine in Return of the Jedi (1983) | |
| First appearance | The Empire Strikes Back (1980) |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | Ian McDiarmid Marjorie Eaton (original release of The Empire Strikes Back)[a][1][2] |
| Voiced by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Sheev Palpatine |
| Alias | Darth Sidious |
| Species | Human |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Family |
Legends material:
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| Master | Darth Plagueis |
| Apprentices |
Legends material:
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Sheev Palpatine is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He first appears on screen in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), in which he is credited as The Emperor, and is the overarching antagonist of the three film trilogies in the Skywalker Saga, in which he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. The character is also known by his Sith name, Darth Sidious, which was first used in the novelization of The Phantom Menace (1999). 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 evil Emperor of the Galactic Empire and the master of Darth Vader. The character has a larger role in the prequel trilogy, which chronicles his rise from senator to emperor. He is portrayed as a charismatic politician—and, secretly, a powerful Sith lord—who orchestrates the invasion of his home planet Naboo in a plot to become Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Palpatine subsequently masterminds the Clone Wars to covertly turn the Republic into the Empire. He destroys the Jedi Order and manipulates Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into becoming his apprentice, Vader, by promising him the power to prevent the death of his wife, Padmé Amidala. In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in the sequel trilogy, a resurrected Palpatine is revealed to be the paternal grandfather of the trilogy's primary protagonist, Rey. He is also the mastermind behind Snoke, whom he created to lead the First Order against the New Republic and seduce Skywalker's grandson, Ben Solo, into becoming the villainous Kylo Ren.
Since the release of the original trilogy, Palpatine has become a widely recognized symbol of evil in popular culture. Since the prequel trilogy, the character has been a symbol of sinister deception and the subversion of democracy. The Star Wars Databank describes him as "the supreme ruler of the most powerful tyrannical regime the galaxy had ever witnessed".[5] Aside from the films, Palpatine appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media, including 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.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Gourley, Matt. "I Was There Too". earwolf.com. Earwolf. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ @pablohidalgo (October 27, 2016). "Okay here's what I've got. It is not Elaine Baker in the movie. @PhilTippett sculpted the piece and Rick applied it" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Agar, Chris (March 4, 2020). "Star Wars Confirms Rey's Father Is A Failed Palpatine Clone". Screen Rant. Valnet Inc. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (April 9, 2023). "Ian McDiarmid Has the Best Perspective On Palpatine's Star Wars Journey". Gizmodo. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
On the topic of Snoke, [Andy] Serkis also admitted that who specifically Snoke was—a clone of Palpatine—was not something he knew right away. He was aware there was some connection to the character but described the discover of that as an "organic process" in the writing and production of the films.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
PalpatineDatabankwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).