Emperor Palpatine

The senator who turned democracy into a dictatorship.

Sheev Palpatine is the main antagonist of the Star Wars franchise, first appearing as the Emperor in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. Known by his Sith name, Darth Sidious—a designation first used in the novelization of the 1999 film The Phantom Menace—he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in all five films featuring him physically. Palpatine appears across all three Skywalker Saga trilogies, serving as the master of Darth Vader in the original trilogy and a Senator from Naboo plotting to become Supreme Chancellor in the prequel trilogy.

Quick Facts

First appears: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Sith name first used: The Phantom Menace novelization (1999)

Lore & Background

Palpatine's rise began as a Senator from Naboo who masterminded the Clone Wars to transform the Galactic Republic into the Empire. He destroyed the Jedi Order and manipulated Anakin Skywalker into becoming his apprentice, Darth Vader. His story was inspired by real-world dictators like Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler, reflecting how democracies are given away rather than overthrown. In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), a resurrected Palpatine was revealed as the grandfather of Rey and the creator of Snoke to lead the First Order against the New Republic. He also manipulated Ben Solo into becoming Kylo Ren. His consolidation of power mirrored that of Augustus, using military control and false crises to pressure the Senate into granting extraordinary powers.

Reader's Guide

George Lucas created Palpatine, initially conceptualizing a line of corrupt emperors before settling on one figure. The name first appeared in Alan Dean Foster's 1976 novelization, with the surname confirmed in Return of the Jedi and the first name Sheev given in the 2014 novel Tarkin. Ian McDiarmid was cast for Return of the Jedi after being seen performing as Howard Hughes in a Sam Shepard play; he had never auditioned nor intended a film career. Physically, the original Emperor featured chimpanzee eyes superimposed into darkened sockets by Phil Tippett and Rick Baker. Director J.J. Abrams justified Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker by noting his absence from the sequel trilogy would have been 'conspicuous' given his role as the story's core.

Did You Know?

Ian McDiarmid was cast after a casting director saw him play Howard Hughes in the Sam Shepard play Seduced.
Clive Revill voiced the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back, while Marjorie Eaton portrayed the character under heavy makeup with superimposed chimpanzee eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Emperor Palpatine's powers/role?

As a master of the Dark Side, he possessed immense Force abilities including lightning projection and mind manipulation while ruling as a tyrannical head of state. His role extended beyond governance to actively hunting Jedi survivors and overseeing the construction of Death Star superweapons.

What was Palpatine's true identity?

Before becoming Emperor, he operated secretly as Darth Sidious while publicly serving as a Senator from Naboo and Chancellor of the Republic. This duality allowed him to dismantle the Jedi Order from within before revealing his Sith allegiance to the galaxy.