Sheev Palpatine

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Emperor **Sheev Palpatine** (シーヴ・パルパティーン, *Shīvu Parupatīn*), also known as **Darth Sidious** (ダース・シディアス, *Dāsu Shidiasu*), is both a fictional character and antagonist of the *Star Wars* series created by George Lucas. He was a charismatic senator and later Supreme Chancellor of the Republic from Naboo, later revealed to be a Dark Lord of the Sith—a cult of practitioners of the dark side of the Force previously thought to have been extinct for millennia—and master of Darth Maul and Count Dooku.

Though outwardly appearing to be a well-intentioned public servant and the main supporter of democracy prior to being emperor, he had used Machiavellian deception, machinations, and political manipulation to rise to the position of emperor before transforming the Republic into the Empire, with himself as its emperor. He was trained by Darth Plagueis, and the full story of the two can be explained in the 2012 novel of the same name. As his Sith identity, Sheev masterminds the Clone Wars, using the conflict as a convenient pretext to grant himself dictatorial emergency powers and to stay in office long after his term has expired.

He lures and manipulates Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into turning to the dark side of the Force, becoming his new apprentice, and renames him: Darth Vader. Sheev ultimately reorganized the Republic into the Galactic Empire, invokes martial law, and declares himself Emperor. He then proceeds to all but exterminate the Jedi Order through Order 66. Sheev rules the galaxy for over two decades before he was eventually killed by a redeemed Anakin/Vader turns on his master in order to save his son, Luke Skywalker and his reign was brought to an end.

Following his death, Sidious' legacy became the base of what became the First Order, a hermit state led by Supreme Leader Snoke, who was also a practitioner of the dark side of the Force. The reign of Snoke would untimely end with his death at the hands of his own apprentice and Skywalker's grandson Kylo Ren, who succeeded his master as the new Supreme Leader, desiring to let the past die along with the Jedi and the Sith. Despite his death, Sheev returns in some form during the events of The Rise of Skywalker, set during the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order.

"*Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design!*"

—Darth Sidious.

## Appearance & Biography

*Voice Actor*: Tim Curry (English), Takashi Inagaki (Japanese), Not Known (Albanian), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Basque), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Cantonese), Not Known (Catalan), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (French), Not Known (Galician), Not Known (German), Not Known (Greek), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hong Kong), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Indonesian), Not Known (Isralian), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Mandarin), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Tagalog), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Valencian), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish)

### Appearance

* Hair Color: White
* Skin Color: Red
* Eye Color: Gold
* Age: Not Known
* Birthday: Not Known
* Height: 2.16
* Weight: 159 kg

## Personality

At first, Sheev appeared to be an amiable politician and a harmless but well-meaning individual. This was a guise used to fool those in the Galactic Senate that he had the best intentions for the galaxy.

However, in truth, Sheev was actually an arrogant, ambitious, power-hungry, and machiavellian schemer; he desired absolute power and rule out of a deluded belief that he was above everything else. Despite his arrogance, he was extremely intelligent, patient, cunning, and manipulative.

After Sheev had successively gained full control of the Galactic Republic and turned it into the Galactic Empire, he abandoned his public persona; he then openly became a tyrannical ruler, despite this, he never revealed that he was the Dark Lord of the Sith to the public; as only his most trusted followers were aware of his Sith identity. Some of his commanding officers, such as Wilhuff Tarkin, also suspected that he was a Sith, but were unable to prove it. He was also very clever about hiding his face, using holograms and decoys that walked about in public that resembled his Pre-Imperial appearance to make it appear as though he had recovered from his attack by Mace Windu and often walked about in public.

Sheev was the only Sith Master/Dark Lord of the Sith in the history of the galaxy to achieve the ultimate goal of the Sith Order; to eradicate the Jedi Order and bring the galaxy under the rule of the Sith to restore the Sith Empire.

Sheev also greatly desired to become immortal; his master had once had the ability to keep others from dying using the power of the Dark side of the Force. Sheev learned this same ability and desired to use a similar power, if one did exist, to increase his lifespan so that he could rule the galaxy forever, with one such scheme involving the creation of a Force-made virus, called Project: Blackwing. However, Sheev's searches for such secrets of the Sith were ultimately fruitless (as the Blackwing virus turned its hosts into undead zombies and had to be eradicated) and he never found a way to become immortal. However, despite his desire for immortality, he was not above gambling his own life in order to ensure he turned someone to the Dark side. This was especially evident with Anakin Skywalker, where he casually asked if Anakin was going to kill him and then proceeded to heavily imply that doing so would draw him into the Dark Side, and later with his son Luke Skywalker, where he repeatedly goaded him into trying to kill him so he'd turn to the Dark side. On a related note, just prior to his duel with Yoda and stating the latter won't stop his plans due to Darth Vader, he also expressed some eagerness at the potential of Vader becoming far stronger than even himself.

Like most practitioners of the Dark side of the Force, Sheev was susceptible to fear to the point of being paranoid, this paranoia was extensive to the point where he feared the power of other Force-users and had them hunted down and either killed or turned to his side as loyal servants. However, his paranoia was never extensive to the point of being cowardly; as he felt little fear as he was not afraid of getting into direct confrontations with exceptionally powerful opponents; such as Mace Windu and Yoda respectively, in some cases even gamble his life for the prospect of turning exceptionally powerful Force-users to the Dark side. Fear ultimately proved to be Sheev's weakness as it caused him to constantly plot and devise schemes against his enemies, which ultimately lead to the unexpected creation of the Rebel Alliance and the eventual downfall of the Galactic Empire.

During the time of the Galactic Empire (prior to its downfall) Sheev was not very forgiving, as he would kill his allies or subordinates, for failing him even once (with the exception of Vader) as he had no tolerance for failure; while his former apprentice was able to tolerate failure to a certain extent; Vader once stated that Sheev was not as forgiving as him.

Despite his evil nature, Palpatine was a known patron of the arts; this was evidenced in the craftsmanship of his lightsabers and in the many statues and sculptures present in his office, during his time as Chancellor. However, he abandoned most of his love of the arts when he became Emperor in favor of expanding his power.

At one point in an interview, Sheev's actor, Ian McDiarmid claimed Sheev was pure evil, only Supreme Leader Snoke was superior to Sheev in regards to evil, as he was a much darker person than the Dark Lord of the Sith ever was.

Despite his accomplishments - or perhaps because of them, Sheev was arrogant, hateful and extremely wrathful to the point of occasionally underestimating his opponent(s) - such as the Rebel Alliance, he paid no heed to the strength and determination of the Rebellion, mainly as a result of the few number of Force-users in their group; such as Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Luke Skywalker respectively. Like Yoda, he also believed that once an individual falls to the Dark side, they could never be swayed to return to the Light side - this was evident in his failure to perceive the strength/love Anakin had for his family and the effect that his son would have on him. This arrogance and lack of insight of his would eventually lead to Sheev's downfall and death at the hands of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader; when he attempted to kill Anakin's son, Luke.

## Relationships

### Friends/Allies

* Orson Krennic
* Mas Amedda
* Confederacy of Independent Systems
	+ General Grievous
	+ Droid armies (minions)
* Gallius Rax
* Galactic Empire
	+ Wilhuff Tarkin
	+ Stormtroopers (minions)
* Royal Guards

### Neutral

* Darth Plagueis
* Darth Maul
* Savage Opress
* Darth Tyranus
* Asajj Ventress
* Darth Vader

### Enemies

* Jedi Order
	+ Luke Skywalker
	+ Yoda
	+ Obi-Wan Kenobi
	+ Mace Windu
	+ Ezra Bridger
	+ Ahsoka Tano
* Han Solo
* Leia Organa
* Chewbacca
* C-3PO
* R2-D2
* Lando Calrissian
* Ewoks
* Jar Jar Binks
* Bail Organa
* Wedge Antilles
* Mon Mothma

## Abilities and Powers

### Powers

* **The Force:** Despite his old age, Palpatine was immensely powerful and had an amazingly strong connection to the Force, he was one of the most powerful Force-users in the history of the galaxy; indeed, he was the most powerful Sith, and overall the second most powerful Force-user that had ever existed; second only to Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker respectively at their peaks. Palpatine's force powers was rivaled only by Yoda at his peak. Palpatine's skills with the Dark side of the Force were also such that he almost never needed to rely on his lightsabers, and generally believed himself above using such weapons. In addition to this, Palpatine believed the source of his powers existed within the Unknown Regions of the galaxy and longed to find it.
	+ **Telekinesis:** Palpatine was very proficient in Telekinesis, utilizing it either as an offensive attack or simply as a means of displaying his power, the latter being most prevalent when he used the ability to remove Luke Skywalker's binders aboard the second Death Star while barely lifting a finger.
		- **Force Push:** Palpatine utilized Force Push to send his opponents flying through the air, causing them serious injury or temporarily incapacitating them/knocked them unconscious.
		- **Force Pull:** Palpatine utilized Force Pull to pull his opponents or objects towards him.
		- **Force Choke:** Palpatine utilized Force Choke to either weaken, kill or intimidate his opponents. He was also able to choke targets that were in another room, or even on another planet, by knowing their location relative to himself, he was able to choke Dooku, who was on Serenno, from Coruscant while talking to him on a hologram.
		- **Force Grip:** Palpatine utilized Force Grip to lift his opponents off the ground and into the air, sometimes by the neck, to immobilize them.
		- **Force Throw:** Palpatine utilized Force Throw to cause objects, and even individuals, to be hurled toward a target at an astounding velocity.
	+ **Tutaminis:** Palpatine utilized Tutaminis to dissipate concentrated energy; such as blasterbolts or Force lightning.
	+ **Force Deflection:** Palpatine utilized Force Deflection to redirect incoming attacks, from blasterbolts to Force lightning, with or without his lightsaber. He was able to block several shots fired at him by the Rebel spy Eneb Ray with his bare hand when the latter was attempting to assassinate him.
	+ **Mind Trick:** Palpatine utilized Mind Trick to control the minds of other sentient beings, however, it did not work on individuals who have very strong wills.
	+ **Force Vision:** Palpatine utilized Force Vision, to have visions of the past, the present, and the future; however, like all Force-users, his visions were not always clear or sometimes has visions even when he was not utilizing this power at will.
	+ **Force Sense:** Palpatine utilized Force Sense to sense another sentient being's emotions, the future, ripples in the Force caused by momentous or traumatic events, impending danger, and the presence of the Light side. However, in *Return of the Jedi*, for unknown reasons, he was unable to sense the presence of Luke Skywalker, who was on Endor, unlike Darth Vader, who was able to easily sense the presence of his son.
	+ **Force Lightning:** Palpatine was a master of Force Lightning, which he used to punish, torture or kill his opponents, making it his most favorite move. Due to his level of power and skill, his lightning possessed greater intensity and power than most who possess the ability, allowing him to potentially cause more greater damage to his target. In the *Lords of the Sith* novel, he demonstrated the strength of his lightning as being enough to damage machinery, such as a ship's engines, as well as fatally shocking several Lylek's and scorching their blaster resistant carapaces.
	+ **Force Jump:** Palpatine utilized Force Jump to jump or leap at great distances.
	+ **Force Dash:** Palpatine utilized Force Dash to move at amazing speeds.

### Physical Abilities

* **Lightsaber Skills:** Despite his frail appearance and old age, Palpatine was incredibly skilled in lightsaber combat and an extremely gifted duelist. He was one of the greatest lightsaber duelists in the history of the galaxy. In fact, the only person known to have defeated Palpatine in lightsaber combat was Mace Windu, however, in truth, he actually threw the fight in order to further corrupt Anakin Skywalker into killing Mace, which he succeeded at, albeit Anakin became indirectly responsible for Mace's death; in other words, he could have defeated or killed the arrogant Jedi Master at any time he wanted. Palpatine was one of the few known individuals who could fight Yoda as an equal. His lightsaber skills were such that he had mastered all the forms of lightsaber combat and could shift from one combat form to another fluidly and without effort. Palpatine's technique and fighting style was a combination of brutal aggression and lethal precision; making him an almost unstoppable opponent. Ironically, despite Palpatine's masterful dueling skills, he was fairly disdainful of lightsaber combat in general, believing the Sith to have grown beyond the need for lightsabers. He also rarely used his lightsabers unless absolutely necessary as they would identify him instantly as a Sith. However, he still proceeded to carry the weapons, as a way of mocking the Jedi. Despite being an exceptionally skilled lightsaber duelist in his own right, Palpatine was ultimately unable to defeat Yoda; as their duel ended in a draw.
	+ **Form I:** Palpatine was highly skilled in Shii Cho.
	+ **Form II:** Palpatine highly skilled in in Makashi.
	+ **Form III:** Palpatine was highly skilled in Soresu.
	+ **Form IV:** Palpatine was highly skilled in Ataru.
	+ **Form V:** Palpatine was highly skilled in Shien/Djem So.
	+ **Form VI:** Palpatine was highly skilled in Niman.
	+ **Form VII:** Palpatine was extremely skilled in Juyo/Vaapad.
	+ **Jar'Kai:** Palpatine was a master of Jar'Kai.
* **Genius-Level Intellect/Master Tactician/Leader/Manipulator:** Palpatine was amazingly intelligent and wise; his intelligence and wisdom was rivaled only by Yoda, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker respectively. As the leader of the Sith Order, he was a highly skilled tactician and a very capable leader. He was very manipulative, as he was able to easily manipulate other individuals directly or indirectly to achieve his goals. Palpatine even managed to manipulate and deceive Anakin, a genius in his own right, into becoming his apprentice and turning him against the Jedi Order.

### Weapons

#### Lightsabers

Palpatine's valued weapons and possessions were his two red-bladed lightsabers, whose hilts were inlaid with gold-colored Electrum metal and made of Phrik alloy, making them indestructible, even to other lightsabers. The weapons bore the same appearance to one another save for one being coated in an unknown black alloy. Being a patron of the arts, the lightsabers were elegantly crafted with an artisan's skill and were small enough that they could be easily hidden up his sleeves. While in office as Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine always kept one of his lightsabers hidden inside a neuranium statue on his desk in his office in case of emergencies. Both lightsabers were utilized together once in his duel on Mandalore against his former apprentice, Darth Maul, and Maul's brother, Savage Oppress. Though the origin of his lightsabers is unknown, Palpatine probably killed two jedi and corrupted the Kyber crystals within their lightsabers with the Dark Side of the Force to create his signature weapons, as was implied in *Darth Vader #1: The Chosen One Part I*, by Marvel Comics.

* **First Lightsaber:** Palpatine built his first red-bladed lightsaber during his apprenticeship under Darth Plagueis. It would remain in his possession until his death, but it is unknown what happened to it after Palpatine's death.
* **Second Lightsaber:** At some point, Palpatine had built a second red-bladed lightsaber. It would remain in his possession until his duel against Yoda, after he lost his.

## External links

* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Wikipedia*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Disney Wiki*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *The Clone Wars Wiki*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Star Wars TCW Wiki*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Star Wars Rebels Wiki*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Villains Wiki*
* Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious *Wookieepedia*