Darth Sidious

Darth Sidious, born Sheev Palpatine and commonly known simply as the Emperor, was a Force-sensitive human male who became a Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Emperor of the Galactic Empire, shaping history and ruling the galaxy throughout most of the Imperial Era. Rising to power in the Galactic Senate as the senator of Naboo, the manipulative Dark Lord cultivated two identities, which he used to his advantage by orchestrating the Clone Wars and playing both sides of the war in order to accumulate political authority during the final years of the Galactic Republic, culminating in a reign that lasted from his ascension to absolute power in 19 BBY up until his demise in 4 ABY.
Born on the Mid Rim planet of Naboo around 84 BBY during the Republic Era, Sidious was secretly trained in the ways of the Sith by Darth Plagueis. He eventually killed his Sith Master in order to train his own Sith apprentice, Darth Maul, for the Rule of Two limited their ranks to two Sith Lords at any given time. However, by the year 34 BBY, Sidious discovered the survival of the Shan family, which had been forgotten as a result of Darth Bane's eradication of the bloodline. Seeking the potential of Darth Revan's lineage, Sidious sent Darth Maul to capture a young Jarik Shan, although this attempt would turn out unsuccessful.
As a result of the Invasion of Naboo, a crisis orchestrated by Sidious, the Senate elected Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor. The Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars were masterminded by Sidious and his new apprentice, Darth Tyranus, in an effort to achieve galactic dominance. Following an attempt to arrest the Chancellor, the purge of the Jedi Order commenced with Sidious enacting Order 66. With the Jedi all but extinct, Sidious installed the New Order in the Republic's place, declaring himself Galactic Emperor and bringing an end to a millennium of democracy. He had also taken another new apprentice, having lured Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the dark side and transforming him into "Darth Vader." Their reign was virtually unchallenged for a generation until the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Throughout the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War, however, Sidious would become increasingly frustrated and fearful of Jarik Shan, believing him to be the greatest threat to his rule. His hidden fear of Shan would grow after each encounter with him, as despite all the power that Sidious possessed, nothing he or Vader did seemed to be able to defeat and kill Revan's last descendant.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Emperor sought to replace Vader with his son, Luke Skywalker. However, Sidious' plan backfired when Vader ultimately renounced the dark side and killed Sidious to protect Luke. Thus, with the Sith's destruction, the Force was brought back into balance, fulfilling Anakin's destiny as the prophesized Chosen One.
==Personality and traits==
Prior to the creation of his Empire, Sidious was careful to put on a charade, presenting himself as a grandfatherly gentleman and a servant of the public good. When in character, he often spoke of himself with great modesty and maintained only as much luxury as was expected of someone of his stature. However, Sidious was, in fact, a skilled manipulator and strategist, having orchestrated countless events in the galaxy, from the Invasion of Naboo to the Clone Wars, with the sole aim of increasing his own power. Even when something occurred that he did not initially plan for, the Sith Lord demonstrated that he was as adept at improvisation as he was at plotting. One of the few things that frustrated him was Jarik Shan and Ahsoka Tano, as unlike with most things he was unable to gain any glimpse of their future, and was wary of the potential they shared to be dangerous to his plans.
After his ascension to Galactic Emperor, he essentially dropped his public persona and started living as Sidious full-time. Despite this, very few people other than Vader and some Royal Guard members knew that the Emperor was a Sith, as he took great pains to hide his capabilities. Even Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, perhaps Sidious's most trusted servant besides Vader, only suspected that Sidious was a Sith. Freed from having to portray his gentle alter-ego, Sidious allowed his true personality, one of great cruelty and sadism, to occasionally shine through in ways that were obvious even to the most sycophantic of his servants. This caused many of those who worked closely with him to greatly fear him. When the secret of his true identity as a Sith and how he manipulated galactic events to become Emperor was revealed by Shan, Sidious was enraged.
Sidious's most defining trait was his deeply manipulative nature, seducing many parties with promises of power, prize, even salvation to further his agenda. He successfully manipulated the leaders of the Separatists and Count Dooku under the pretense of a better future, coerced Anakin Skywalker into becoming Darth Vader by promising to save his wife, Padmé Amidala, and attempted to persuade Mara Jade and Ezra Bridger into turning on her adoptive families. While trying to steer the Padawans, he displayed himself in his public personality with an illusion, showing himself as benign and polite. When they refused to join him, his true malignant self was revealed as a result of his anger and frustration.
==Powers and abilities==
===Force powers===
===Lightsaber skills===
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
*Jarik Shan and the Lost ones 
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==Sources and copyrights==
Information on this page came from Darth Sidious on Wookieepedia. The related topic of this article is the property of Lucasfilm Ltd.
Category:Characters
Category:Star Wars Characters
Category:Sith
Category:Politics
Category:Galactic Republic
Category:Galactic Empire
Category:CIS
Category:Main Antagonist
Category:Masterminds