Palpatine's Weakness

Consider the parallel of the long dormant force, each time working through the Skywalkers, destroying the Sith's ultimate weapon. In Ep IV, it is an awakened force in Luke which leads him to turn off his radar and destroy the "ultimate weapon in the universe," the Death Star. In Ep VI, it is the awakened light side of the force in Anakin which destroys Palpatine's ultimate apprentice (and weapon), Darth Vader.

Both stem from an overlooked weakness of Palpatine: his inability to appreciate the power of love. Anakin's love for Padme created his children, and Anakin's love for his children killed Darth Vader. With all his power and vision, Palpatine was blind to both. His inability to sense the birth of the twins foreshadows his ultimate undoing - his inability to sense the rebirth of Anakin Skywalker.

 

I think, in the end, his arrogance blinded him just as it blinded the Jedi in the PT.

 

Well, it is strange that both jedi and sith do not take love seriously. In jedi code "there's no emotion..." and in sith code emotions is not even mentioned... So, in my opinion, love is a weakness of all force users

 

The entire foundation of the Jedi ideology is based on love, whereas the Sith's is based on power. A true Jedi takes love "seriously" by default; it's their biggest strength. A bad Jedi gets confused by love; which is incredibly dangerous, and that's where the "no attachments" rule comes in.

Nowhere in the films is it stated that the Jedi "don't love" or forbid it, in fact it's the opposite. "Compassion is central to a Jedi's life", "You were my brother Anakin, i loved you".

"The Jedi are trained to let go. They're trained from birth," he continues, "They're not supposed to form attachments. They can love people- in fact, they should love everybody. They should love their enemies; they should love the Sith. But they can't form attachments. So what all these movies are about is: greed. Greed is a source of pain and suffering for everybody. And the ultimate state of greed is the desire to cheat death."

--George Lucas, The Making Of Revenge Of The Sith, page 213

- O_F

 

His overconfidence, because it created a thought that he couldn't be beaten.

 

This is a serious question.

Are Jedi Knights supposed to be celibate? They must be, or else they could have offspring, which would cause Force users.

 

Nope; it might be frowned upon by other Jedi, i wouldn't know, but they're allowed to sleep with women...or species...or whatever they want to sleep with.

There is a George quote where he says this; perhaps Darth Sinister has it, because i don't.

EDIT: I found it, he said it at a press conference for AotC

here

"Jedi Knights aren't celibate - the thing that is forbidden is attachments - and possessive relationships."

- O_F

 

So...if they conceive and have children, then... there are a bunch of Force User children going around the galaxy, or are they all aborted?

 

I think Palpatine failed to see that platonic love could exist between two grown men.

 

"YOUR CONFIDENCE IS YOUR WEAKNESS."

 

Lucas said that the Jedi are not celibate. They just cannot develop attachments, which was why marriage was forbidden. If a male Jedi fathered a child, the Council would decide best how to handle it. More than likely they'd let the child into the Temple, but the parent would have to avoid favortism. Same with a female. The Council could reject the child, as well. Some Jedi managed to hide their relationships from the Council. Most of that takes place in the eu.

 

But whatever a Jedi does, they can't form the dreaded "a"-word, which is attachments.

Thank God they can't get married, or be a good parent. Thank God the child might be let into the Jedi Academy, and they couldn't show favoritism.

No wonder they treated Anakin like a walking freak show when he turned up in TPM.

Perhaps Yaddle was Yoda's daughter?

Some of the younglings did look a little bit too much like Obi-Wan. No wonder he was so devastated by Anakin's actions in RoTS.

Maybe Dooku was Obi-Wan's father.

 

I think Palpatine failed to see that platonic love could exist between two grown men.


Palpatines weakness : Young asian gungans.

 

They could be a good parent, they just couldn't put their child above others; meaning they couldn't become selfish because of that child. That's actually something a lot of people on earth should learn to do.

- O_F

 

I agree 100% with the original poster, but I go a step further: Because Palpatine discounts love as a weakness, something false, a pitfall to be avoided, he blights his own life terribly.

Look at all he's doing. Would a HAPPY person do any of these things???

 

What Palpatine needs is a nice bit of ****.

Palaptine: "Im the only Sith Lord in the galaxy".

Dooku: "Im a Sith Lord too".

Palpaine: Your not a Sith. You are like a dark jedi. Im the only Sith".

(Sorry to those who havent seen little Britain)

 

In fact, it's common in real life. I went to a high school where the principal's sons were given top favor. They got perfered treatment over others. That's what the deal with attachments are in the Jedi Order. No one Jedi is more important than another. If Anakin hadn't turned and his children were let into the Temple, the Council wouldn't let Anakin have much of an influence in their early training. The temptation to have the children competing for their father's favor, would be too great. One child would feel resentment over the other's abilities, if that one proved to be more apt with the Force. Anakin could love his children, but he couldn't get involved, as it would cloud his children's judgment.

Yaddle was just another member of his species. She was treated no differently than the others.

 

this is sort of like Harry Potter where Voldemorts ultimate downfall will be because he doesn't no what it is like to love. That is also Sidious's true weakness because he cannot see how love will after different things in his life.

 

This topic is much better suited for the SW Saga Forum.

 

Really, does anyone really think Lucas thought it through when he said the Jedi were not celibate?

So a Jedi can go through the galaxy fathering children, or seducing woman after woman, or engaging in homosexual orgies, or whatever their particular desire is of the moment...and there are no ramifications?

But they can't form the attachment of marriage?

I remember that press conference back in 2002 when George was being asked those questions. They were trying to pin him down as to whether or not Lucas was saying the Jedi were like Catholic priests. I guess that quick answer was his quick way out.

 

My theory about Palpatine's weakness ties in with my interpretation of a line I always mis-heard in ESB:

Yoda: Always emotion, is the future. (Really is IN MOTION)

By my interpretation, what you see in your visions depends somewhat on your personality and your emotional state. Anakin and Luke see what they fear most -- losing the people who are close to them. Palpatine sees what he desires most -- the ultimate overthrow of the Jedi, the Republic, and the Rebellion. That the Ewoks, a primitive and up-and-coming civilization (and a symbol of Life), could overthrow his plans doesn't even register on Palpatine's radar. His greed has made him blind to the possibility.