Lit Palpatine's Motivation

This stems from some of the conversations I have had on the forum. Some people arguing that Palpatine wanted to single-mindedly rule the galaxy for eternity, and while there is evidence of that (namely Dark Empire) there is also significant evidence that he wanted to see the rise and rule of the Sith not just himself. The point that really come to my mind are:

-He goes out of his way to turn and apprentice that he knows will eventually (or immediately) surpass him in power.
-He is willing to risk his own life in attempt to turn Anakin.
-Speaks about the rule of the Sith and defeat of the Jedi more so than his own personal power.
-Seems to have an affection towards Vader, even post-suit he is still trying to release Vader's true power.
-Tells Starkiller "you were destined to destroy me, do it." Kind of sounds to me like if he couldn't rule the galaxy he would want another powerful dark sider to do so.

What say you?

 

Palpatine gradually devolved, becoming more and more ego-centric with time.

 

This is Palpatine speaking.
My apprentice will only surpass me if he is strong enough, and if he is then he is worthy of becoming emperor. Otherwise, my apprentice will die and I'll get another. I'm the strongest in the galaxy.
Anakin made an excellent apprentice. Why kill an enemy prophesized to defeat me, when in spite I can turn him and have him help kill off the Jedi. Then there are no Jedi left to rebel against me and my empire.
The Sith will defeat the Jedi, my own personal power goals are top secret information that should be kept away from everyone, including my own, in case my own turn against me.
The Sith does not show affection towards his apprentice, he only pretends to. I had to comfort Anakin and put on a good show so he will join me. If he fails me, he will be hard to replace, but it can be done. I'm only using him.
I knew Starkiller didn't have what it took to destroy me, so I decided to get into his head to prove it. And if in the rare event that he did, I would be watching from the beyond as he decimates the rebellion. I knew he couldn't replace me. I pulled the same thing on Luke to prove he couldn't do it, and I proudly zapped him with lightning to show him how pathetic he was.

 

Because he knows if he doesn't corrupt Anakin, Anakin will destroy him. His ultimate victory comes through turning the Jedi's chosen one against them.

Because he can't win without Anakin and at this point in the game he is going all in. Also he is supremely overconfident and this as we know is his greatest weakness.

He says like one thing about the Sith. He also studied numerous dark side cults, didn't care about the Rule of Two, and completely abandoned his Sith identity once he was crowned Emperor. The Korriban ghosts don't acknowledge him as a Sith and he doesn't really seem to even think of himself as one anymore. In Dark Empire he says "I am the dark side"; he's risen as far above the Sith way as above any other narrow dogmatic Force denomination.

Their relationship status set to "it's complicated."

He tells Luke to kill him, too. He doesn't really want them to do it (and he knows that they can't), he just wants them to try because it would mean them giving in to the dark side.

 

Probably a chunk was for personal gain, but I think most was for the gain of the Sith.

 

That;s tough to swallow, seeing as how Starkiller had committed thousands of murders at that point, he seemed to be goading him on, not to mention it was Kota who talked him out of killing Palps.

 

Palpatine could have easily won without Anakin. Anakin had nothing to do with Order 66. In fact taking someone as powerful as Anakin as his apprentice is much more dangerous than executing him with the rest of the Jedi.

Also Starkiller was a ruthless murderer. Luke wasn't. Not to mention that Palps had Vader there to defend him when he was goading Luke. In that instant just seemed he had given up, there was a new top dog in town.

 

No because of the prophecy. If Anakin had stood against Palpatine he would have destroyed him. Palpatine thought he could circumvent the prophecy by turning Anakin to his side.

Palpatine just wanted to see how powerful Starkiller was to see if he could work as a replacement for Vader. Given that he ended up killing Starkiller I don't think he was feeling particularly suicidal.

 

Because of the prophecy what?

 

Exactly.

 

And it worked, by turning Anakin I lived for another 22 years (Luke was 18 in ANH plus 4 years for ROTJ), but his son got to him and my own apprentice turned against me.
I was hoping that if Starkiller would have replaced Vader, I would have been home free, I wasn't counting on Vader's secret son.

 

There was no evidence that Palpatine believed in the prophecy. Taking Anakin as his apprentice pretty much assures that he will be destroyed when Anakin chooses.

 

Come on, we need more people to pretend to be Palpatine. It's all the fun.

 

"I want to rule!"

 

How to you plan to rule and take over the Galaxy?
And what do you get to do as ruler? Get everything for free? Enslave everyone? Get to have the best technology? Impose new laws?
And Palpatine, what are you going to do if everyone changes their name to Skywalker? Then everyone would be a threat according to the prophecies.

 

What does that prove lol

 

Palpatine's motivation?

 

The prequel series even shows this. Maul was replaced by Dooku. Dooku was replaced by Anakin. Sidious had 3 apprentices. The Rule of Two could work with someone ruling for 100's of years, but have dozens of apprentices along the way.

 

Palpatine's motivation was always to achieve ultimate power. Initially, Palpatine may have thought that he couldn't achieve that ultimate power, and that it would eventually reside in someone else groomed by the Rule of Two; but by the time of the OT at the very latest, he seems to have decided he was going to be the guy, and that the Rule of Two was henceforth obsolete.

While initially he may have aimed lower, Palpatine's final motivation seems to have been to become an immortal Dark Side deity who would devour all life in the Galaxy, and then other galaxies as well. Which is a totally relatable motivation.

 

Palpatine's backstory goes a long way to explaining his motivations I think

 

Idunno. I kind of see it as Palpatine taking on an apprentice who is GUARANTEED to surpass him in power. The same could not be said for Maul and Dooku. Just takes me as an odd move for a guy that people say wanted to rule forever. I think it was when he realized Vader was not a suitable Dark Lord that he began the plan to live forever.