Psychopathy

Psychopathy, or sociopathy, was a personality disorder where a being had a lack of emotion or remorse, egocentricity, anti-social and abusive behavior, and were able to pass themselves off as normal by feigning emotion or lying about their past.
During the Mandalorian Wars, the former Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick deduced that Chantique, the Magister Impressor of The Crucible, was a psychopath and that Demagol, the Mandalorian mad scientist, was a sociopath.Knights of the Old Republic 48
Redline was described by Captain Juno Eclipse as a psychopath during her time flying with him.Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novelization Blaschowwa was a Wookiee pirate altered by Dark Jedi Thaum Rystra with Sith alchemy and one of the side effects made him a psychopath."Light and Dark" Many considered bounty hunter Aurra Sing to be a psychopath. Count Dooku's disregard for life, even when he was a Jedi, was such that he was a borderline sociopath.
One of the most notable examples of a psychopath was Palpatine who, in reality, was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He displayed superficial charm, hiding behind the guise of a kind, mild-mannered Senator from Naboo and maintaining this demeanor as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. After his ascent to the position of Emperor, Palpatine dropped the charade and everyone saw him for what he was. His psychopathy was also prevalent even prior to becoming a Sith lord, evidenced by his delinquent behavior at an adolescent age, and later his committing manslaughter on two pedestrians via a speeder.Darth Plagueis Years after his death, during her duel with Jacen Solo, Lumiya alluded to Palpatine, saying he was a "psychopath consumed by power."Legacy of the Force: Betrayal. Palpatine's manipulative behavior cannot be exaggerated as he manipulated the entire galaxy into doing his bidding. He was likened to a Dejarik master, moving people the way one would move pieces on a board. So great was Palpatine's façade of benevolence and normalcy that he was almost able to feign tears whilst persuading Senator Amidala to accept Jedi protection, saying "the thought of losing you is unbearable." He was intensely sadistic, taking great pleasure from killing Mace Windu and torturing Luke Skywalker with his lightening powers. Palpatine was prone to asserting himself in a grandiose and narcissistic manner, claiming that he was "the greatest Sith Lord the galaxy had ever known" and also identifying his soul with the blackness of space, reassuring himself "I am the universe."
Incinerator stormtroopers, in order to increase their effectiveness in razing targets, were also bred to have a psychopathic urge to destroy things. The Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard was described by Captain Sair Yonka as sociopathic when informing her of his reason for defecting from her faction of the Galactic Empire.
Goran Beviin, a Mandalorian soldier, explained to Jaina Solo in 41 ABY that Mandalorians had been diagnosed with the ability to "switch on" psychopathy by a psychologist. He stated that it was a mindset his people were trained to master when they were young, explaining that the trait was what had provoked him to lose control and ferociously attack Solo during a training duel on Mandalore. The commonly even-tempered Beviin found the ability to turn on psychopathy somewhat concerning—remarking to a troubled Solo that it had a frightening effect upon even him—but recognized its usefulness in battle, even recommending that Solo consider adapting the skill. However, Solo found the Mandalorian's induced psychopathy technique brought a Jedi too close to the dark side of the Force, and rejected it.
==Behind the scenes==
The terms psychopathy and sociopathy refer to the real-world diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. The features of this condition include a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others. Such individuals, while displaying witty and charming traits, would fail to conform to social norms, would be deceitful, and demonstrate a lack of remorse.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, pages 645 to 650: Diagnostic Features and diagnostic criteria for 301.7 Antisocial Personality Disorder
==Appearances==
*
*"Light and Dark" 
*Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison 2 
*Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novelization 
*X-Wing: The Bacta War 
*I, Jedi 
*Legacy of the Force: Betrayal
*Legacy of the Force: Revelation
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook
==Notes and references==
Category:Mental conditions