Lit Who is the rightful heir to the Imperial Throne?

Charlemagne19
Is he? Everyone on his own ship fears him. A lot people who work with him, fear him. He regulary kills them for even the slightest faliure. I think the only ones who do like him are his 501. who are essentialy brainwashed into obeydience and the Nogrih who he tricks into believing he is a messiah.

 

The 501st respect Vader because Vader gets stuff done and I think given their service to Jedi in the clone wars deeply respect force using generals/commanders.

The Nohgri were fooled yes but still given their service to Leia and the Solos forty years later imply to me they never stopped adoring Vader.

 

Vader's execution of Imperials is exaggerated. He killed people over GROSS failures, which is understandable in a nepotistic incompetent Empire.

Remember, Vader promoted Piett on merit and didn't execute him.

 

Marvel SW did have that "Vader Must Die" subplot, where he'd killed enough officers to trigger a big assassination plot.

 

Can we get back on topic? Regardless of how good an Emperor he would be, the whole death thing makes it very hard for him to take the Imperial throne.

 

Palpatine had a complex and vague set of rules that defined succession.

As has been stated repeatedly Palpatine never planned for a successor like a normal monarch or emperor the man wanted to live forever.

He may have imagined failing at that end and I'm sure the thought of the Empire in that scenario crossed his mind but that's probably something he would chuckle at and move on from exploring.

The various factions and power brokers in the Empire in any case would have contested in any legal claim from Ederlath, Pestage, Ismaren, or anyone else who thought that "legally" they had the throne.