Galactic Emperor The Galactic Emperor , also referred to as the Emperor or the Sith Emperor , was the head of state of the Galactic Empire . The Emperor ' s seat of power was the Imperial Palace , formerly known as the Jedi Temple and located in the Federal District of Coruscant , the capital world of the Empire . With the end of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi Order in 19 BBY , the Galactic Republic was replaced by the Empire in accordance with the proclamation of the New Order , as outlined by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine who named himself Emperor . In secret , Palpatine was the public persona of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious , whose rise to ultimate power fulfilled a thousand - year plot to establish Sith rule over the galaxy . The Emperor ' s rule came to an end as a result of Sidious ' death in 4 ABY , approximately two decades into the Empire ' s existence . While political and military officials — such as Grand Vizier Mas Amedda and Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax — attempted to fill the vacuum of power , the Empire was ultimately forced to capitulate to the New Republic , resulting in the conclusion of both the Galactic Civil War and the Imperial Era . Powers . The Galactic Emperor was the sovereign ruler of the First Galactic Empire . Replacing the office of Supreme Chancellor , which had been empowered with wartime powers by the Galactic Senate during the last years of the Old Republic , the Emperor was the ultimate authority in political and military affairs of state . As a result , the Emperor had the power to unilaterally implement policies that affected the Empire as a whole — from directing the Imperial Military to subjugate entire planet s , to dissolving the Imperial Senate and transferring their administrative responsibilities to a cadre of regional governor s . To that end the Emperor could delegate power to others , allowing him to rule the Empire through subordinates who served as an extension of his authority . The Emperor ' s power over the galaxy remained relatively unchallenged until the rise of the Alliance to Restore the Republic , < ref name = " Palpatine / Sidious Databank " > < / ref > an organization that was committed to the restoration of democracy . History . Sheev Palpatine . At the conclusion of the Clone Wars in the year 19 BBY , the Galactic Republic which had existed for a millennium was transformed into the Galactic Empire by proclamation of Sheev Palpatine , the last Supreme Chancellor of the Republic . In secret , Palpatine was Darth Sidious — the Dark Lord of the Sith who orchestrated the galaxy - wide civil war between the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems , as well as the subsequent purge of the Jedi Order . Without the Jedi to oppose him , Sidious exercised his control over the Galactic Senate by supplanting a thousand years of democracy with the absolute rule of the Sith through himself as Galactic Emperor . Having attained ultimate power , the Emperor had no further use in cultivating two identities and although he would rule the galaxy through fear and tyranny as " Emperor Palpatine , " he was henceforth Darth Sidious in thought and action . Sidious remained relatively unchallenged as Emperor for two decades . In that time he consolidated his reign over the galaxy by eliminating rivals and directing the Imperial Military to conquer planets beyond the Republic ' s frontier . With the dissolution of the Imperial Senate in 0 BBY , the regional governors were free to directly administrate their territories on the Emperor ' s behalf . However , as a result of Sidious ' efforts to subjugate the galaxy , the scattered cells of a growing rebellion gradually coalesced into the Rebel Alliance — a resistance movement determined to overthrow the Emperor and restore democracy . Throughout most of the Galactic Civil War , Sidious directed his attention to destroying the rebellion that opposed his rule as Galactic Emperor . This goal culminated in a plot to lure the Alliance forces into a trap at Endor . The plan ultimately backfired however , resulting in the Emperor ' s death and the Empire ' s defeat at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY . In the aftermath of the battle , the remnants of the Imperial Navy regrouped to determine the next Emperor . However , no clear chain of succession was evident , since Palpatine had no known family and was always supposed to remain in power . Mas Amedda . As the Grand Vizier of the Imperial Ruling Council , Mas Amedda effectively became the proxy Emperor in 4 ABY . Despite his claim to the throne however , he was a mere figurehead with limited power over the Empire beyond Coruscant where entire sectors of Imperial City rebelled against his reign , causing Amedda to become entrenched and trapped in government districts . His request for assistance was refused by the Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax , who did not allow Grand Admiral Rae Sloane to send reinforcements to the " proxy Emperor " Amedda as the throneworld had no place in his vision of a renewed Empire and had effectively took Amedda ' s powers and influence from him in 5 ABY . In an act of despair and desperation , Amedda attempted to surrender himself into the custody of the New Republic during a secret meeting on Velusia , believing there was no greater target or prize than himself . However , his offer was declined by Chancellor Mon Mothma and Prince ss Leia Organa , both of whom regarded Amedda not as an Emperor but rather an administrator . As such , they demanded that he find a way to regain his power in order to sign the the Galactic Empire ' s full surrender . With his reign effectively over upon returning to Coruscant , Amedda considered suicide by jumping off of one of the Imperial Palace ' s balconies . Instead , he and Sloane forged an alliance to undermine Rax and his cult like ideas for the Empire by conducting an investigation into his past and preserving the New Order . By assisting the grand admiral , Amedda hoped to secure his place under Sloane ' s Empire . Gallius Rax . In contrast to Amedda who had lost control over most of Coruscant after his request for reinforcements were denied , Gallius Rax successfully plotted his own rise to power following Palpatine ' s demise , but also continued to serve the late Emperor according to the Imperial agent Windom Traducier . Instead of openly ruling the galaxy , Rax sought to govern the Empire as the head of a new ruling body , the Shadow Council , while supporting an official figurehead to succeed Palpatine . Although Rax was Emperor in effect , according to Traducier who referred to him as " Emperor Rax , " he rejected the title and — in keeping with his intention to rule the Empire as the power behind the throne — created the position of Counselor to the Empire for himself . Officially , he still recognized Amedda as the leader of the Empire , but in reality he had the Chagrian imprisoned within the Imperial Palace . In secret , Rax intended to eliminate the Shadow Council on Jakku with the exception of Commandant Brendol Hux , who was essential to his plans . However , Rax ultimately perished in the Battle of Jakku ; and through the signing of the Galactic Concordance , the Galactic Civil War concluded with the remnants of the Empire capitulating to the New Republic . Style of office . " Majesty " was an honorific style used by Sheev Palpatine during his reign as Galactic Emperor . In direct reference to the Emperor , it took on the form " Your Majesty . " Another honorific style applied to the Emperor was " Highness " , or " Your Highness " when directly addressing him . In context of nonofficial , everyday conversations , Palpatine was generally referred to as just " the Emperor , " even between Imperial officer s . At the beginning of his reign , clone trooper s referred to him as " Sir " and " My Lord . " Certain individuals had their own ways to address the Emperor . As the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious , Palpatine ' s true identity , Darth Vader addressed his Sith Master as " my master , " a sign of their master – disciple relation in the dark arts of the Force . Vader would also use the possessive determiner " thy " instead of the more common " your , " when inquiring his Master ' s will . Residence . In the aftermath of the Clone Wars , Darth Sidious continued to rule the galaxy from Coruscant , now known as Imperial Center . As Emperor , he established the Imperial Palace as his headquarters on the galactic capital . Prior to the Age of the Empire , the palace served as the Jedi Order ' s center of operations , known as the Jedi Temple . With the fall of the Jedi , however , the Emperor had the temple extensively renovated and repurposed to serve as his personal residence . In 5 ABY the " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought " Ravager " served as the flagship and mobile residence of Counselor Gallius Rax . During his reign , the warship contained a private upper garden for recreational purposes . It was thought to be the last surviving Super Star Destroyer in the Imperial Navy by the time of the Rebellion on Akiva , and was destroyed on Jakku during the final battle of the Galactic Civil War . Behind the scenes . The title of Emperor was first mentioned in the of " " , ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster and published in 1976 , but this version of the story of the film is now considered part of the continuity of " Star Wars " Legends and canon only to the degree that its events align with those depicted in the film . A number of additional Emperors were depicted in other now non - canon Legends material .