PT Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious/The Emperor - Did you know it before RotS?

I knew. Somehow....I've always known.

 

To the causal observer, not so much.



That was what most people who weren't dedicated thought that the Emperor always looked like.



When seeing him like this, some didn't quite catch on though there were clues like the way he walked, talked, the robes and even a slightly different version of his theme from ROTJ. But in terms of Palpatine himself, well, there's this...



Which everyone assumed was a different person, helped in part by the fact that he's only referred to by a royal title in the OT itself. The action figure, the novelizations, the informational guides and the EU all used his real name of Palpatine. They just weren't allowed to link the two together directly until the ROTS novelization and comic adaptation hit.

 

Yeah, it's his difference in look in TPM that threw me. That's why I didn't get it the first time I saw it.

 

in 1999 I got my "Star Wars Episode I" sticker book, and I got one for "Darth Sidious" my first thought was "LOLOLOL the dude is copying the emperors style"

it never occurred to me that if that was the case it would have been Palps copying this dudes style since it's a prequel

 

I've known since TPM.

 

So have I just took a second viewing.

 

Of course, it was never any secret that Palpatine became the Emperor. At least, it was known to hardcore fans, who would know the Emperor's name via sources other than RotJ's dialogue. (I rmember I first heard it, long before TPM, in a toy commercial).

That said, there were people who really believed that, despite Palpatine becoming Emperor, Sidious was a separate character. But it doesn't seem like it was ever meant to be a surprise. At least not for the fans. Sure, for the sake of making the series I-VI, and telling that story for anyone who may eventually watch them in that order, it was kept "secret." But I think Lucas would've been surprised to see the fan consipiracy theories.

If you're a fan of the Expanded Universe, I believe the novel "Cloak of Deception," published in 2002, and taking place just before TPM, flat out talks about it. But EU wouldn't matter to plenty of fans who would have htought he author was in for a surpise too.

 

Interestingly, I never thought there was a real "suprise" moment of Palpatine turning out to be Sidious, even for people watching it in "order." It really seems that by the time he reveals himself to Anakin, Lucas has already pretty much laid it bare. I mean, he's never flat out said it, but he's laid the foreshadowing on so thick. Can you really watch the opera house scene and then later think "WHAT? HE'S the Sith Lord?!"

 

There was some evidence in Attack of the Clones.

First, Palpatine tells Anakin that he (Anakin) will be the greatest of all the Jedi, even more powerful than master Yoda. (I think that was the context of the conversation).

Then, Dooku tells Yoda the same thing and later we see Dooku meeting with Sidious.

Also, if you look at Sidious's and Palpatine's chins...one and the same.

 

i'm sure some people won't know what's going on. if they're casuals.