One surprising detail fromReturn of the Jediproves thatEmperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiouswas never intended to be the main villain throughoutStar Warsmovies and TV shows—and that just reinforces that this wasn’t a great move byStar Wars. Palpatine is one of few characters who have played a significant role in all threeStar Warstrilogies in the Skywalker Saga, and he has ended up dominatingtheStar Warstimelineentirely. This very clearly wasn’t the original plan for the Emperor, though.
This is in part why theStar Warssequels are still considered some ofStar Wars’worst movies. The revelation inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerthat Palpatine was the main villain of the trilogy was such a left turn that it soured many viewers—even those who enjoyedStar Wars: The Force Awakensand/orStar Wars: The Last Jedi—on the whole trilogy. This also cemented Palpatine as the true villain of the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, yetone subtle detail fromReturn of the Jedireveals how significantly this deviated from George Lucas' original plans.
Palpatine Was Never Really A Character At All In The Original Trilogy
Darth Vader Was More Significant, Based On This Key Detail
While Palpatine may have proven just how evil and formidable he was inReturn of the Jedi,his name is not used once in the movie. In fact, at no point throughout the original trilogy movies was the name ‘Palpatine’ spoken. He was instead known as the Emperor—a role rather than a fully formed character. Although it may seem minor, the fact that Palpatine is not given a proper name inReturn of the Jedireveals how secondary he was intended to be, even as he proved to be a major threat.
The fact that Palpatine is not given a proper name inReturn of the Jedireveals how secondary he was intended to be, even as he proved to be a major threat.
Both Palpatine’s introduction and his secondary role reflect the intention behind and focus of the originalStar Warstrilogy. Initially, Darth Vader was the true villain, so much so that the Emperor does not even have an appearance inA New Hope. When Lucas decided to make Darth Vader Luke’s father, the introduction of the Emperor was still not the focus, as the story became much more about these familial bonds. To pull off Vader’s redemption, though,Star Warsneeded the Emperor.
Return of the Jedirevealed the Emperor as the true mastermind behind the evil deeds of the Empire.He also gave Vader someone to protect Luke from and choose Luke over, shoring up a redemption arc that was believable and affirmed that, in the end, Vader’s son was more important to him than anything else. Even in that narrative arc, though, the Emperor was little more than an evil force the heroes had to oppose. He was not intended to be a fleshed out, developed character.
Until The ’90s, Palpatine Wasn’t Really A Character
The Prequel Trilogy Really Made Palpatine The Character He Is Today
The prequel trilogy revealed an entirely different character, in more ways than one. InStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Palpatine’s name is finally spoken, and a number of other details about the future Emperor are shared. Much like Anakin being introduced as an innocent young boy inThe Phantom Menace, Palpatine is shockingly introduced as a very human senator of Naboo—a planet also known for peace and the arts, entirely contrary to the Emperor’s original trilogy nature. He also becomes a dynamic character with his own arc, which was new as well.
This work had actually begun off screen, often in stories that are now categorized as Legends following Disney’s acquisition ofStar Wars. Although Palpatine’s name was never spoken in the original trilogy movies, he was named in the novelizations of bothA New HopeandReturn of the Jedi. Subsequent books delved even further into Palpatine’s story, including theDark Empirecomic book series (1991-1995) and the novelCloak of Deception(2001). Notably, this suggests there was increased interest in Palpatine during and soon after the 90s specifically.
When Did Disney Buy Star Wars?
The Star Wars franchise has continued to grow since Disney purchased Lucasfilm, so here is a complete timeline of when Disney bought Star Wars.
The prequel trilogy then continued to explore Palpatine’s rise to power, and shows likeStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars: The Bad Batchhave shown in even greater detail how he became the Emperor seen in the original trilogy. All of that made a fair bit of sense, though. It was in large part the job of the prequels to set up the originalStar Warstrilogy and provide additional backstory, and they certainly accomplished that for Palpatine’s story.What made much less sense was the decision for the sequels to bring Palpatine back yet again.
Even with Palpatine having a much more significant role in the prequel trilogy, he was still playing a fairly consistent part. Throughout the prequels, though especiallyStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine’s influence on Anakin Skywalker and manipulation of the Jedi and Republic Senate were the focus of his character.The Rise of Skywalkerradically changed this by effectively making Palpatine a main character in the Skywalker Saga. He was no longer just having an impact on the main characters—he was the sole true villain.
This also oddly madeStar WarsPalpatine’s story.
This also oddly madeStar WarsPalpatine’s story. Yes,Star Warshas long been about the Skywalkers, but by having Palpatine serve as the ultimate ‘big bad’ across all three trilogies,The Rise of Skywalkermade Palpatine an equally significant throughline. Knowing thatEmperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiouswent from the unnamed character inReturn of the Jedito the one true villain in the Skywalker Saga makesStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’schoices all the more bizarre and reveals how much George Lucas' original plans have been changed.
