Darth Sidious is one of the most well known Star Wars villains of all time, but even so, there are still different aspects of his character that make no sense. With a characterization that reaches all the way back to the original trilogy, Emperor Palpatine is a character whose presence can be felt throughout every corner of the franchise. His character is a constant within Star Wars, and because of this long tenure, there are some inconsistencies within his character.
Not only this, but he has also made some head-scratching decisions as well. While things did work out for him by the end of the prequel trilogy with the rise of the Galactic Empire, there are countless places where his plan could have and possibly should have gone wrong along the way. This list includes some of these moments, as well as the greater inconsistencies that reside in what is otherwise such a strong character.
10 Palpatine Broke The Rule Of Two
He Did Not Hold To The Rules The Sith Set Before Him
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One rule that has been characteristic of the Sith for thousands of years is the notorious Rule of Two. First instituted by Darth Bane and put into play with his student, Darth Zannah, this rule dictated that there should only be two Sith at a time. Despite the fact that this has been a major part of the Sith for such a long time, Darth Sidious did not follow this rule.
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Palpatine has broken this rule a couple of different times, with the most egregious being his training of Darth Maul while his own master, Darth Plagueis, was still alive. He would eventually go on to kill his former master, but not before taking on a very young Darth Maul and starting his training in the ways of the Sith. While it could make sense that Palpatine is simply out for himself and not the Sith, this still shows that he had little regard for the rules of the Sith and put their secrets in danger.
9 The Emperor Hated Lightsaber Combat, But Still Slaughtered Jedi Masters
He Believed A Sith Should Be Able To Rely On The Force Alone
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Lightsaber combat is not something that Emperor Palpatine is known for, and on several occasions he has noted how “barbaric” and genuinely lesser he believes this discipline of combat to be. After all, if a Sith cannot defend themselves with their abilities in the Force alone, what is their worth as a Sith? Despite this, there have still been several instances where Palpatine has used a lightsaber, either to defend himself or to strike down a Jedi.
One notable instance of this includes his attack on Jedi Master Mace Windu. He uses his lightsaber in this battle and only barely manages to defeat Mace Windu, ultimately relying on his Force lightning to finish the fight. Despite his posturing about lightsabers and how they should not be used, he has still fallen back on them like a crutch in order to get the job done.
8 He Decided To Build A Second Death Star
The Second Was Not Much Stronger Than The First
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The destruction of the first Death Star in A New Hope was one of the most climactic moments in the entire original trilogy. Destroyed in a single shot due to the planning of Galen Erso and the efforts of the Rebel Alliance, it would be reasonable to think that the Empire would take another route when it comes to rebuilding. However, by the time of Return of the Jedi, Darth Sidious and his Empire decided to build a second Death Star.
While improvements were made to the second Death Star, most notably a shield, it still did not hold up to the efforts of the Rebellion. One would think that either more improvements would be made to the original base design, or the Empire would come up with something else entirely. Regardless, by allowing this plan to go on unchecked, Emperor Palpatine secured the downfall of the Empire and, by extension, his own downfall as well.
7 Why Blockade Naboo’s Communications?
Word Of The Blockade Needed To Reach The Senate
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As a senator from Naboo, one of the ways that Senator Palpatine secured sympathy from the wider Senate was through the Trade Federation’s blockade on Naboo. This was something that he organized himself through his influence as Darth Sidious, creating a problem only for him to later solve. However, the Trade Federation cut Naboo’s communications in the process, making the process much more difficult for Senator Palpatine.
After all, an integral part of his plan revolved around the danger on Naboo being discovered. If the Jedi died there with the Trade Federation, no one would have survived in order to bring the news back to the Senate. By allowing the Trade Federation to cut communications, Palpatine almost made the problem that much more difficult to solve with the possibility of not gaining anything in the process.
6 The Emperor Never Set Up A Succession Plan
The Empire Crumbled Without Him To Rule It
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After such a massive win with the execution of Order 66 and the annihilation of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine essentially became untouchable. He ruled for years without any pushback, holding full control over the galaxy. This sort of rule breeds overconfidence, and it is a possibility that this overconfidence led the Emperor to believe that he would never be killed or defeated.
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Possibly because of this method of thinking, Darth Sidious never instituted a method for someone else to become the Emperor in his place. Darth Vader was the only one with the power to really rule the Empire, and he was the one who struck the final blow in Return of the Jedi. Without a plan for the Empire to continue on in the event of a disaster, it eventually crumbled to nothing, allowing the New Republic to rebuild from its ashes.
5 He Attempted To Exploit Rey And Ben Solo’s Dyad In The Force
This Connection Would Be His Own Undoing
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One of the most shocking moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes with the reveal that Rey and Kylo Ren have been connected through the Force. This connection comes in brief flashes, with each side drawing the other closer to the light or dark side respectively in their constant back and forth. Snoke initially says that he was the one that connected them with the Force, but this was an attempt by Snoke, and by extension Darth Sidious, to exploit this naturally formed bond.
For years, Darth Sidious attempted to create a similar bond, trying and failing with both Darth Plagueis and Darth Vader. This bond would eventually be the reason Snoke would die, and later Darth Sidious himself. It is possible that this could have been avoided if the bond were to be suppressed or looked down upon earlier by Snoke, but instead they played into it, eventually leading to Palptine’s final downfall.
4 No One Considered Palpatine’s Interest In The Sith Alarming
His Interest In Darth Plagueis The Wise Went Unchecked
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In a famous moment from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine tells Anakin Skywalker the tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise. He does this in an attempt to manipulate him further, successfully using this story to bring him closer to the dark side. However, not once does Anakin question this interest in Darth Plagueis, a person who is very obviously a Sith Lord.
Not only does he never question this, but he never tells anyone about it, either. It is possible that Palpatine was certain about his manipulation of Anakin by this point, certain that telling him this story would only lead to what he considered to be the inevitable outcome of him falling to the dark side. However, the fact that Anakin doesn’t really question this despite still being a Jedi only makes one wonder what he was really thinking when Palpatine was telling his story.
3 Palpatine Revealed The Sith To The Jedi So Soon
Darth Maul Was Revealed Years Before The Clone Wars
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When the Sith initially reveal themselves to the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Darth Sidious is essentially fighting a war on two fronts. On one end, he is still coordinating the Trade Federation’s blockade on the planet Naboo. On the other, he is giving Darth Maul his orders and essentially running his operation on both Tatooine and, later on, Naboo.
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However, this is years before the beginning of the Clone Wars, when Count Dooku finally reveals himself and the Sith’s plans really begin to ramp up. All Darth Maul’s appearance does on Naboo, aside from killing Qui-Gon Jinn, is put the Jedi on high alert. If the Sith were to reveal themselves later, they could have taken the Jedi by surprise, as there are a variety of different ways that Qui-Gon could have been removed from the equation if that were the ultimate goal.
2 The Emperor Could Not Foresee His Own Death
He Did Not Expect Darth Vader’s Betrayal
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One of Emperor Palpatine’s greatest powers was his ability to use the Force to see into the future. This is a massive reason why his takeover of the galaxy was so successful, allowing him to navigate what would essentially be impossible for someone without his talents. However, despite his ability to see the future, he could not foresee his own defeat at the hands of his own disciple, Darth Vader.
The climactic ending of Return of the Jedi took an unexpected route, redeeming Anakin Skywalker when he killed Darth Sidious. This is something that came as a surprise to the Emperor, who was so certain that Darth Vader would remain loyal to him. It is unknown as to why he could see the future that allowed him to rise to power, but his fall from it was hidden from his view.
1 Darth Sidious Had No Disguise
Many Saw His Face, Like The Trade Federation
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Perhaps the most baffling thing about Senator Palpatine that makes no sense is the fact that, when acting as Darth Sidious, he does not wear a disguise. He only wears a hood, dressing in a manner where his face is only partially obscured from view. This would be fine if he only ever showed his face to other Sith, such as Darth Maul or Darth Tyrannus, but he appears to others as Darth Sidious several times.
One such instance occurs in The Phantom Menace, when he appears in a hologram to the delegates from the Trade Federation. This means that Nute Gunray could have had the information to connect Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious, and yet he never did. This is perhaps one of the most baffling things in Star Wars, making one wonder how his identity remained a secret for so many years.
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.
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 Expand