Characters Palpatine characterization thread: UP FOR ADOPTION!

There are quite a few funny pics and other stuff about Palpatine in the WWW.

For example a scene from TESB (Vader speaks with Palpatines holo) in Kölsch (German dialect that is spoken in Cologne) with a totally confused Palpatine and a Vader who once again has to tell his boss that his Deathstar "is broken"...

 

The Death Star, broken? Now that's something I'd like to see.

 

It isn't shown. Vader just day it.

Palpatine: Jet fellt et mir wieder enn. Wo is eigentlich mei Todesstern?
Vader: De is kaputt.
Palpatine: Jet wo du's sachst, fellt it mer widder ein.

Translation:
Palpatine: Now I remember what I'd like to ask: Where is my deathstar?
Vader: It's broken.
Palpatine: Now you're saying it, I remember.

 

Weird.

Weesa gettin' off topic. (Unless we want to do a Palpy humor topic? I couldn't really relate to that one. I am no humor writer! But we could do, if ppl wanted to!)

I had a thought the other day:

With the sudden crop of Palpatine love stories, we here in the Palpy thread seem to be in the minority. Most people see Palpatine as pure evil, and if you go certain places on the JCC people will be extremely rude in impressing upon you that Palpatine is the absolute embodiment of evil, and has nothing else notable about him. Even his creators seem to see him that way.

What made you break from the norm and start to think of him as multi-dimensional?

 

He's human.

Every human, no matter how twisted (as portrayed with Vader) has a hope of redemption so to me that means that somewhere, Palpatine muse have some of the human flaws and pros we all associate with. I know he's evil, but evil can be interpreted in so many ways...

 

Well... he is.

There was never any doubt in my mind that he was more than just some 2D impression of someone's version of 'evil', even back in the OT when he was just a decrepit, arrogant old geezer.

And in the PT I was vindicated by a fleshed out, brilliant character. How can you watch him plotting and scheming and not think he was a solid character? Sure, he is evil, and there are people in the 'real world' who are evil, right, and they're 3D people, so why can't Palpy be considered a multi-dimensional character?

He's everywhere you want to be.

 

Yes, they really act rude and most of them ask to put an OOC in the title for the story b/c "Palpatine wouldn't react that way".

Good question. I suppose it had been the moment I've seen the first pic of Senator Palpatine and the trailers for EPI I. It was like "That can't be! He doesn't look like a monster, nor is he going to behave like one in the movie!"
I started to "read" every single feature of his face, every expression, every word he said in the movie, scene by scene. Furthermore, I've never judged the world in just two categories as "good" and "bad"; that's quite to naive to my opinion.

On the one hand he seemingly cares for the Queen and Naboo, on the other hand he coordinates the blockade to his own homeworld. It is like two characters in one person.
In addition to this I really do believe there is a small "caring part" in Palpatine, however small it might be, but it definitively present.

 

What made you break from the norm and start to think of him as multi-dimensional?

To tell you the truth, I never really thought of him as multi-dimensional or anything else besides a really great villian. When I was little the Emperor always creeped me out, and when the Phantom Menace came out (I was only 9) I had forgotten how evil the Emperor really is and I thought that Palpatine seemed like a good guy. When the last two movies came out, it just made me appreciate Palpy's evil even more. Although my best friend says I'm nuts... and obssessed... which is not the point, but whatever... I don't think this is really an answer, but I wanted to throw down my opinion anyway.

 

Any answer is an answer.

Brentus!!!



And in the PT I was vindicated by a fleshed out, brilliant character. How can you watch him plotting and scheming and not think he was a solid character?

What's fascinating about that is that in 99% of interviews they give about the character, Palpatine's creators, George Lucas and Ian McDiarmid, do not believe this themselves.

I have seen the occasional equivocating quote in which they hint at some understanding of a complexity or some reason for Palpatine's behavior. And then there is the famous example of GL writing in and shooting the scene where Palpatine lays his hand on Anakin's brow on Mustafar after the accident. In the name of all that's holy, if you are absolutely, positively convinced that the character you wrote to be evil and nothing else, is 200% blackhearted, why would you write and spend $$$ on such a scene?

 

I agree. For me it's the most faszinating scene in EPI 3. If Palpatine isn't caring for Anakin in this very moment,...I don't know what caring then might be! He comes for him because he felt he would be in danger. He comes himself and doesn't send someone after him. He asks for a med capsule and goes straight to his apprentice, kneeling beside him! In the dirt!

I'm sure there was something in his expression that only can be decribed as fatherly sorrowed!

 

Maybe there was, and maybe not. Palpy may have only been concerned because he might have lost the Chosen One for an apprentice. Then again, Palpy may not be as evil as I believe... yeah right... But the point is, who really knows? I have an idea coming... wait... oh darn. Lost it.

 

Yeah, but what's confusing is when he turns around later and cackles with glee when Vader cries "NOOOOOOOOO!" after hearing that Padme is dead. I don't think Palpatine is as much mult-dimensional as someone with a multiple personality disorder... though I guess that could be mult-dimensional too. Before someone takes offence... I'm not saying that to be cruel or to belittle Palpatine. He's a great villian, one I love to hate and hate to love. If the times that he seems to care and concern for Anakin truly is genuine, and I believe in that scene it was more than just concern that he'd lose an apprentice, I can't think why he would be so overjoyed at the grief Anakin/Vader is going through to laugh right in his presence even... if he doesn't have some sort of mental disorder. In RL, many leaders and conquerers have had some sort of mental disorder throughout history.

 

Emotional problems and mental illnesses aren't quite the same thing.

*could write more, but it's past her bedtime*

 

OK, perhaps a topic ppl are more interested in:

Do you write Palpatine humor? What's the funniest Palpy humor piece you've seen on the net?

 

I've written a couple of short challenge response pieces which cast Vader and Palps in a humorous light, but the humorous behavior was more toward Vader than Palps. Palpatine was more of the straight man.

 

A translation of several scenes with Palpatine to a German dialect that sound really funny. Some pics,...the one I posted already above ^^...

Uhm and a German fan fic on ff.net starring Anakin, Obi-Wan and Palpatine. The Chancellor asked for a visit of his most favourite Jedis but he just drove Obi-Wan crazy and support Anakins rebellion against his master while he ordered some Sith utensils! And both didn't get suspicious at all!

 

Where are you?

 

Sorry, got busy.

I'm starting a raw food kitchen.

 

Am busy as well; training, training, training...

Hm, I wonder how often Palpatine might train with his lightsaber to stay or get in shape while being Chancellor?

 

Hehe, I write Palpatine humor. In a way, it's fun because it's so dark and twisted. I'll admit, most of my humor surrounding Palpatine pretty much puts him in situations that wouldn't be true to his character, but I'd like to think if he were in those situations that it's how he'd act. Hehe. He's very fun and crazy to play with.

 

I wrote a Palpy humor fic. It was great fun to work on. I read a story about Palpy in the bath rub with rubber duckies once. It was really funny.

 

I really admire people who can do that. I CANNOT write humor. One fic that I really admire is "The Lightsaber Up His Sleeve" by Palpy560. That guy just kept it coming. I don't know where he pulled it all out of.

 

I wrote a fic a year or so ago for the DARE challenge. It was a musical and Palps and Vader were certainly funny.

One of the DARE stipulations was to have Vader and Palpatine singing arm in arm. Now that's funny.

 

I also belong to the people who can't write a Palpatine humor ff. I tried once, but failed and the stuff went directly to the trash container.

Honestly I don't know how to describe a "funny" Palpatine, or an humorous story with him without making a fool out of him.

 

And there you have it. To write Palps as humor, he must be made foolish, or to look foolish.