main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga Did the galaxy know that Palpatine was a Sith Lord?

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by Tomifonication, May 7, 2014.

  1. SateleNovelist11

    SateleNovelist11 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2015
    Being the sadist he was, I'm sure he liked to surprise people.

    "I'm not the Emperor. I don't kill for amusement; only when it serves my purposes."
    - Darth Vader
     
  2. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Of course, he's been known to spare "for amusement" as well. Palpatine seems to like finding ways to be amused.

    "Why should I let your insolence go unpunished?"
    "Because it amuses you to do so?"
    "Quite. Well played, little one!"
    "Go now. Any moment now my apprentice will come with yet another failure to report! He'll bow and apologize and offer another bit of his flesh, all the time hiding the truth I already know. I'll let him play his game, and I'll play it along with him, because ... it amuses me to do so."
     
  3. SlashMan

    SlashMan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2012
    The galaxy didn't know, but it seems Palpatine's inner circle did. Mas Amedda just kinda shrugged and walked away as he saw what unfolded in Palpatine's office.
     
  4. darklordoftech

    darklordoftech Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 30, 2012
    Sometimes I wonder if upon dissolving the Senate, Palpatine was like "I'm Darth Sidious and I rule the galaxy. There's nothing you can do about it. Suck it, people of the galaxy."
     
  5. Fruit Pastilles

    Fruit Pastilles Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2014
    I know for Vader he would be called by his Sith Lord name, but for everyone else, would he be known by his real name of Sheev Palpatine? Would Palps have wanted to reveal his Sith identity to the whole galaxy?
     
  6. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    I'm not sure if it was widely known Palpatine was a Sith. I'd like to think it was not. I am pretty sure in some of the books which are not canon now, he was referred to as Palpatine. It would make sense seeing that he was known as Palpatine throughout his political career.

    I also like to think that the Empire was seen as good by some people making it easier to control people. Why would Palpatine want to lose that? I think he would want to hide the crimes the Empire commits and keep it hush hush.

    Also remember what Tarkin said to Vader? "You are all that is left of that religion" or something like that
     
  7. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    I believe that Sidious kept his Sith identity a secret for several reasons. One people that try to assassinate him are thrown for the loop when he utterly destroys them and since none of them are going to live to tell the tale it's all good. Two it makes him look big and bad if a Sith Lord serves him willingly.and without question. And three well it makes him look good.
     
    Iron_lord likes this.
  8. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Luke addresses him as "Palpatine" in the ROTJ novel, at one point (whereas in the movie it's always "your highness".)
     
  9. Erkan12

    Erkan12 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
  10. Seagoat

    Seagoat Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2013
    Lol Sheev. Still can't get over how silly that is

    Well he's never mentioned by name in the OT, however I would assume he's just widely known as Emperor Palpatine
    Afaik, EU supports the notion that can be inferred that everything about the Jedi and the Force in general were made sort of taboo. To be openly Sith would go against the knowledge he was trying to hide from the public
     
  11. Among the Clouds

    Among the Clouds Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 18, 2001
    I'm sure some people knew, but it was probably only his closest associates and advisors. Those he could trust to not spill the beans. The vast majority of the galaxy probably did not. Palpatine had made it his mission to hunt down Jedi and cast the Force as "a bunch of tricks and nonsense." If he himself were found out to be a Force user suscribing to an equally ancient religion like the Sith, it would be scandalous.
     
  12. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Merging thread from CT with existing thread in Saga
     
  13. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 18, 2012

    ^ This.
     
  14. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    In post-ROTJ (but pre-PT) EU, the ruler of the stormtrooper training planet (on a diplomatic visit to Coruscant) says that the return of the Jedi is a bad thing - that the Jedi were "strongmen for a weak old government" and he argues (when Vader & Palpatine's powers are pointed out) that

    "The Emperor's entitled to have special powers. After all, he's the Emperor. And Darth Vader turned out to be a traitor in the end. As I heard it, he was the one who actually killed the Emperor. All the more reason to outlaw such powers."
     
    Jedi Knight Fett likes this.
  15. JABoomer

    JABoomer Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2009
    Sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead. I couldn't find a more relevant thread.

    I'm in the middle of Lost Stars right now and came across an interesting tidbit that has relevance to the discussion here.

    When the Emperor arrived at the second Death Star, Ciena Ree - a Commander in the Imperial Starfleet - was present for the welcome ceremony. She was taken aback by the appearance of the Emperor when he arrived:
    Ciena was educated at the Imperial academy on Coruscant and served many years aboard the Executor. If she did not know the true appearance and temperament (and assuming force ability) of the Emperor, I'm quite certain the general population did not either.

    What I find most interesting is that it would appear that once the Emperor solidified his power, he ceased to be seen in public and the Empire must have had all holos of him with his deformed face (such as his address to the Senate after his confrontation with Mace Window altered to reflect his previous appearance.
     
    darklordoftech and Iron_lord like this.
  16. TaradosGon

    TaradosGon Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2003
    I believe another source shows Palpatine giving a broadcast with his disfigured face shown. I'm not sure of the source, I've only seen a scan of it. I'm guessing from the Star Wars comic.

    I think Pablo was asked about it, and said that it was a representation that as time went on, it became more apparent as to the true nature of the Empire.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
     
    Vialco likes this.
  17. darklordoftech

    darklordoftech Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 30, 2012
    I'm sure anyone who said "Palpatine is a Sith Lord" received a visit from Vader.
     
  18. TaradosGon

    TaradosGon Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2003
    Depends on the time frame. Vader himself was something of a secret at first, but post ANH rose to a prominent position. Didn't seem to bother Palpatine that he was associated with the Sith by then. In the wake of the Death Star's destruction, it was probably beneficial as a tool of spreading fear.

    Bail surely knew. Mon Mothma probably was told by Bail.

    I would think that by ROTJ the Rebels knew what they were up against.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
     
  19. darthtimetraveller

    darthtimetraveller Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2015
    It probably became fairly common knowledge after his death and the fall of the Empire i'd imagine.
     
  20. Bob the X-Winger

    Bob the X-Winger Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2016
    As is the case with many tyrants throughout history the loyalists attribute supernational powers to them so they needn't be aware that he was a Sith. The empire was an absolute monarchy so no dissent was allowed and those that did were mercilessly crushed by the likes of Vader, Tarkin, Moffs and Grand Moffs. It was very much an Empire that went to extreme efforts to wipe out any traces of the Jedi Kinghts. Witnesses, archival records and family of the Jedi’s would all have been destroyed and killed by the new rulers of the Galaxy. No one would want to utter a word about the Jedi or be seen to possess Jedi or Sith powers. We see C-3PO reduced to trash in a Java Sandcrawler this being the case we can say the Empire did not place value in maintaining droids who would know a great deal about the Galaxy. Yet another sign of the Empires discarding of any object associated with the Jedi Order or associated with the Old Republic.
     
  21. TaradosGon

    TaradosGon Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2003
    Prior to the Death Star, Palpatine had to keep the Senate happy to keep order. This is why Vader covers up his attack on Leia's ship and why Tagge is shocked that Palpatine would dissolve the Senate.

    In Rebels we see that the Empire is expanding and annexing independent systems and is largely free to rule however they see fit out there. And in the Tarkin novel we are told essentially that the core systems don't care about the independent systems in the Outer Rim and blame them for The Clone Wars. Meanwhile the people in the core are largely happy.

    I don't think at that time he would openly terrorize the core populations or reveal that he was a Sith. He needed the Senate's support. Thus even when Vader is trying to retrieve the Death Star plans from Leia, he cannot allow the Senate to learn that he attacked Leia's ship.

    After the destruction of Alderaan, Palpatine had played his hand and ruled through fear. It probably wouldn't matter at that point, if it was known that he was a Sith. By then he was ruling the Galaxy through fear.

    In Lords of the Sith, I've heard there is a part where Palpatine has witnesses to his power killed. That he can't afford to let people know he has those abilities. After ANH, I don't think it would matter as much. He probably went from someone many people liked to someone they feared.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
     
  22. Bob the X-Winger

    Bob the X-Winger Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2016
    TaradosGon with the Jedi extinct all remains of the old Republic was lost. Yoda and Ben were hermits and Han only had some vague recollection about a Galactic Jedi order. He like many others would have received conditioning from the Dark lords of Sith and forget all about them.
     
  23. DARTH_BELO

    DARTH_BELO Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2003
    The book Aftermath has little passages that allude to the fact that it wasn't public knowledge that the emperor was a Sith, but there were rumors. Especially among the imperial forces, there were many officers that ranged from it being a possibility, to strongly suspecting it.

    As for Tarkin, I feel he knew-he knew Vader quite well, and he also knew Palpatine quite well. I'm sure Tarkin was part of this "inner circle" like the advisers and aides like Mas Amedda, Janus Greejatus, and even Tashu (who was also in Aftermath-which mentioned he knew Palpatine was a Sith) which knew that the emperor was a Sith, and that Vader was his apprentice.

    I imagine Palpatine didn't actively hide that fact, but he didn't exactly proclaim it publicly, either.
     
    TaradosGon likes this.
  24. TaradosGon

    TaradosGon Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 28, 2003
    Han didn't believe in the Force, that's different.

    Luke knew what a Jedi was, but didn't know what the Force was.

    Luke adamantly insists his father was not a Jedi Knight. He expresses no confusion about the Jedi, just the Force.

    In Rebels, five years before ANH, Tarkin is worried that Rebels would rally behind a Jedi as a symbol of hope. People didn't forget the Jedi.

    And with growing Rebel sympathy, Palpatine is careful not to upset the Senate until the Death Star is operational, at which point he disbands the Senate.

    The Old Republic wasn't completely gone until that moment. Tarkin even states as much. The Senate existed for those 19 years following ROTS and existed as a governing body just as they did during The Clone Wars.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
     
  25. Bob the X-Winger

    Bob the X-Winger Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2016
    Well i'm talking primarily about the OT and at the time of ANH the Empire was the ruler of the Galaxy and the Senate was a talking chamber made up of pro Imperial loyalists. Bail Organa's world was the last of the old Republican holdouts, for this reason Tarkin chose to use Alderaan as a demonstration of the Death Star's capabilities.

    Luke not knowing about his father was a Jedi Knight is a sign that his Aunt and Uncle were too afraid to say this incase Vader found out about this and had Luke tracked down.

    The Rebels on Yavin 4 looked up to Luke because he was the son of a legendary heroic pilot Anakin only after the Jedi came out in him did they become aware of the Jedi knights so I would argue that most in the Galaxy did not know about the Jedi. Up to that point they were just happy to have new recruits.

    The Clone Wars and the battle between Jedi Obi Wan and Sith Lord Vader did a lot to seal the faith of the Jedi in the Galaxy. The Jedi's became hunted and beaten subsequently the Imperial Senate conditioned the populace to venerate Palpatine without ever knowing he was truly a Sith.