Saga What would Anakin's 'Empire' have been like if he succeeded in usurping Palpatine in ROTS?

I came to wondering in the past few weeks - in ROTS where he claimed to Padme in a rather 'mad passionate' moment of delusion how he would acquire power with Padme by his side and raising their child and that how he would defeat and kill Palpatine and then have his Empire and how he claimed to Obi-Wan Kenobi how he has brought 'peace, justice and security ... to my new Empire!' and Obi-Wan Kenobi skeptically and slightly cynically asked 'Your new Empire?!' where then they had their duel and such shortly ... I just came to wondering - what would have honestly happened if Anakin was able to kill and usurp Palpatine and establish his supposed Empire? Would it still have Sith? Would it take in fallen Jedi turned Dark? Would it have involved the Republic? Would Anakin have actually had a different persona and perspective? Would it have lasted? Or would Anakin again would have just succumbed to arrogance, violence, anger and madness? And the fact Anakin was interested in Power but he never seemed to be a scholarly person and the fact whilst he may have been Powerful but consider he wasn't 100% very smart or bright or very diplomatic and hence he made rash decisions before even considering things ... and Palpatine had not just Power in a Powerful Sense but he actually was able to calculate, plot and slowly reveal himself and manipulate events at times whereas Anakin on the other hand probably just wanted the Power but probably didn't care about the knowledge or true aspects to study the Force at times ... as in the Clone Wars he already remarked he preferred the action and the fun rather than having to think things even a step back at times ...

 

I would imagine it would have been much the same as under Palpatine, Anakin may have been a little more hands on as Supreme Ruler but the Galaxy is just too big for one person to rule it all alone - there would still have been Moffs and so on doing most of the actual running of things. Potentially it would have become an essentially military state much sooner than it did under Palpatine (who only abolished the Senate outright by the time of Episode IV), Anakin lacked the skill and patience for such things - he'd have gone into the Senate, told them he was in charge and force choked the heck out of anyone who protested. Palpatine seemed to get some degree of pleasure out of playing the political game and manoeuvring/manipulating people, Anakin would just straight up tell them where to go and dispose of anyone who disagreed.

 

Anakin would be far less patient with diplomacy, the only change I can see is the Empire becoming just a little bit more despotic than it already is.

 

I think it was plenty despotic as it was - but Anakin would have been a lot more blatant about it. Palpatine seemed to play the doddery old man card in his public appearances, no-one outside his inner circle seemed to know he had any force powers and most of the 'blame' for despotism went to the Moffs and military leaders. Anakin wouldn't have bothered with that, he seems more the kind to do his own dirty work in public to show exactly what happens when you mess with Emperor Vader.

 

Hmm, I'm not sure about your thoughts on the 'blame'. I remember a few scenes at the end of Return of the Jedi, and people were quite jubilant at the deaths of the Emperor and Vader.

 

I think it would have been a lot less cruel, but still tyranny. Vader would have ruled with an iron fist, but I feel like compassion would have been more prevalent in his regime. It would have been based on some Jedi values, and some Sith ones. Vader never really seemed into the whole "Sith" thing until after his duel with Obi-Wan, so I think that had the duel never happened, Vader never would have delved as deep into hatred as he did.

 

@Pearlexetive That's assuming they are celebrating the Emperor's death specifically and not the fact that the Empire itself has taken one heck of a beating, which is arguable but I see your point. On the other hand, the Emperor has got more and more hands on as the CT wore on, he's revealed himself more - before ANH he left the Senate running in name as a sop to democracy, he himself was not widely known. If Anakin had taken over earlier he'd have gone straight into 'Iron Overlord' mode and been more openly tyrannical - show trials and mass executions instead of Hands and other such assassins. They'd have ended up in much the same place but Anakin would have got there faster - and probably faced a bigger Rebellion as his methods would make more people more desperate, faster... I would imagine.

 

Faster, more intense, and very, very short lived.

Vader wouldn't have lasted five years, maybe not even one year, before he was taken out. He just didn't have the shrewdness to rule.

This is assuming Vader can even take power at all, which I doubt.

I'm not sure he would have been able to defeat the beloved Palpatine, and even if he could, I'm not sure he would have any support. Without support from the military he wouldn't have been able to take control at all.

 

It on all depends if Padme actually join Anakin. If Padme joined Anakin I feel that it would last a lot longer then if Anakin ruled a lone because Anakin just doesn't have the skills to rule, but Padme does. So if we have a joint Empire under Padme and Anakin, Anakin would be serving the same rule as he did as Darth Vader ie being the muscle were Padme would be the brains. All and all I feel a Padme/Anakin Empire would be a lot friendlier and might be able to avoid a rebellion in the first place. I mean they won't have 2 out of the 3 big people fighting against them.

 

It's quite possible that he wouldn't be able to negotiate with the military at all. His methods of persuasion are too aggressive and I don't think he would receive the respect he needed from the Moffs and Grand Moffs.

 

Short and disastrous.

 

The Hutts would all be arrested because Anakin was once their slave.

 

Going to the beach would be outlawed.

 

I came here to splatter some thoughts down and found you had already done it in a much more concise manner.

 

Order 67 would be implemented....and every clone would be gunning for Darth Target.

 

I wonder if he would go looking for Ahsoka. Also I wonder how long Tarkin would last, given that it's alluded to them have a very rocky relationship in the years after ROTS due to Ahsoka's Trial, but this may or may not be a result of reading fanfics that involve Anakin giving throat hugs to Tarkin.

 

We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problems... agree what's in the best interest of the people... and then do it.

In other words, what we got, though perhaps emotionally fueled rather than Palpatine's more... erm... rational (I hesitate to use that word, perhaps "collected" would be a better one) approach.

 

Hard to say.

Probably not very well.

One, Anakin/Vader were not politicians. Even if he disbanded the Senate altogether, he would still need someone to help with diplomacy or his Empire wouldn't last very long. I don't care how powerful you are, someone has to take of those things. So they would need someone in that field = Padme. True, she would likely be dead, but let's say she was alive. Also it would probably be better the Empire and Vader's sanity if she was around. For her not so much, but who knows, in time I think she maybe have convinced Anakin to turn things around.

Two, I sometimes wondered if after everything's settled, so to speak, Emperor Vader would turn his attention to the Outer Rim and deal with the slavery and the Hutts.

 

Round the Clock podracing channel available everywhere, even the outer rim!
Pallies for everyone!
"Are you an Angel" would've become the pick-up line of the era!
Sand would've been abolished.

 

I don't blame him.

 

The Sith Camp I have a related question: how would Vader take over as Emperor? would he kill Palpatine and declare himself Emperor and kill anyone who opposed, or would he play a political game and weasel his way into the power because of Palpatine's "Untimely death" something along the lines of Co-Chancellor that was being discussed in the Plagueis novel. I am more inclined to think he'd kill anyone who opposed, he doesn't seem very patient to me

 

In Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire, we see a "alternate future" of Vader chopping Palpatine in half:

Vader: "Your power is waning, Palpatine. Your day is over."
Palpatine: "This is treachery, Vader!"
Vader: "Only until I have replaced you, Emperor -- then it becomes an act of succession!"

(Imperial officer & guards come running at the sound)

Vader: "The Emperor has met with an accident. Before he died, he named me to succeed him."
Imperial officer: "Kneel! Kneel before the Emperor!"

 

I don't actually think the Empire would have been as bad. IMO the scenes from before the duel in ROTS had me convinced that more than anything, Vader seemed more interested in just doing whatever he wanted than actually running an empire - leading me to believe that he would have done exactly that. Just cruise around doing whatever he wanted to, while leaving others in charge to run what would turn out to be a generally uncaring and unresponsive government. As others have said, he was no politician.

 

Hello again and all whom have posted their insightful POV's on this ... it was just something that come to my mind at times ... but I didn't put much thought into it until I saw an alternative cut-scene in the game where if the player was Anakin - if he succeeded killing Obi-Wan Kenobi and also succeeded in killing Palpatine - he thus would have been able to have a run of his own Empire ...

But as with how Anakin would have taken over as an Emperor? Well - in ROTS he already mentioned how he was confident he could defeat and overthrow Palpatine anyways to Padme for the matter ... and considering he also in the EU and games had Starkiller aka Galen Marek to raise a rebellion against Palpatine ...

And remember Imperial Reject - as you know - Anakin has a pretty 'black and white' view on Politics in the SW verse; recall in was it Season 3 or so - where he gave a 'Politics 101' overview to Ahsokha when she was wondering what's the fuss with the Senate and about the role of the Jedi as ambassadors and peacekeepers at times - particularly at the time of the Military Spending Budget Issue - where Anakin said 'put it this way - the Separatists see the Republic is corrupt ... but they're wrong ... and we (Republic and Jedi Order) have to restore it...' and as the 'bad guys' and its up to 'the Republic and Jedi' to restore order and peace ... although then again given how Palpatine and also where Mina Bonteri and her son remarked at times how the 'good guys see the bad guys as the bad guys' but what about vice versa - or where the Sith would see the Jedi and Light Side as the 'bad guys' ... but point being - as you can see Anakin's rather blunt view on Politics - and the fact when Ahsokha and Padme visited the Bonteri's on secret peace negotiations and advice - where Ahsokha being one who had little idea of Politics then BUT then she got a better view of Politics and how it wasn't always so 'black and white' as Anakin had gave her ... and given Anakin being always the poorest at diplomacy, preferring blunt brute force if not rash violence if he didn't get what he wanted and being 'Force First ... ask questions later...' most likely he would not have played Political Games - infact he'd probably even kill or demand the dissolution of the Senate - and only have 'loyal warriors and servants' ... and well with Padme most likely at his side as Queen and the de facto leader of his empire rather ... also - look at how he executed the entire Separatist Council in cold blood; consider the Separatist Council was obviously more at home behind a desk and dirty political work rather than dealing with a 'Force-Happy' Dark-Side fueled Sith Lord whom didn't give a 'Force' about their pleas and whims ...

I mean also - look at General Grievous; once Count Dooku was dead - General Grievous pretty much took matters then in his hands and ran around the Separatists; whilst Nute Gunray would have still held the political power - the fact as long as General Grievous was there to boss him around and threaten him with physical violence (in the ROTS novel where Nute Gunray was nagging General Grievous about how much money and trouble General Grievious cost him ever since Count Dooku's death and such and where General Grievous didn't give two hoots about Nute Gunray's money by snapping at him 'Viceroy ... how does your money ...compare to THIS?! (where he pretty much raised his fists at Nute Gunray as if he has snap-happy at any moment Nute Gunray didn't shut-up...) and the fact General Grievous was no politician and how Palpatine manipulated him in the end and most likely General Grievous would have met his end at the hands of Anakin ... had it not been for Obi-Wan Kenobi ...

Plus also Imperial Reject as others have commented and as you know of Anakin - Anakin was not scholar ... and in the EU - Darth Plagueis remarked to Palpatine when Palpatine was still his Sith Apprentice how to gain Power - "You must begin by gaining power over yourself; then another; then a group, an order, a world, a species, a group of species… finally, the galaxy itself." - something along with tonnes and tonnes of nigh-endless patience which Palpatine did for decades both in the EU and Canon of Star Wars whereas for Anakin he'd never have that amount of patience one way or another ... and it was suggested in the EU at times only then when he was confined forever more if not 'enslaved' in the Darth Vader mechanical suit did he start to learn a little bit more about patience ... and the fact if Anakin relied more on brute force and impulsive anger at times ... not a good combination for anyone ... even if you alone had incredible natural Powers ...

Also in Wookiepedia from quotes of Darth Plagueis; "Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you; tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face; tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you; and tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you." - something which Anakin would never truly be able to dispel due to his worst fears and insecurities - given look at how emotionally wrecked he was already the moment he saw Shmi Skywalker was dead from the torture of the Tusken Raiders and onwards in the Clone Wars to the point he helps spark Order/Protocol 66 ... and hence Anakin wouldn't have been able to be come to face his fears and inner conflict which at times would be important to maintain Power - well to a Sith POV ...

Minez01 mes520 Both comments - well said! How true is that indeed - but most likely Anakin might be the target of assassinations and eventually rebellions and such - given whilst Anakin may have had the best of intentions for those he cared about - he was never always the best at being tactful or such ... and that he was always open on his emotions on his sleeve ... and he was never the crafty politician ... and most likely though his empire would have had problems then - given whilst he may have tried to discover the secrets of immortality - Anakin always being arrogant and too impulsive and getting angry easily - hardly the idea leader or husband at times for Padme or a Republic or Empire as he envisioned eh? And not to mention soon enough - there would be separate factions wanting to either kill him, kill or kidnap Padme or survivors of both sides vying for power ... and the fact Anakin might even grow more and more delusional ...

The Star Wars Archivist - Indeed Indeed - but then again Anakin was practically himself when in the heart of the action and as the 'Hero with No Fear...' he could still command the loyalty of some of the Clones/Storm-troopers ... and he might have done abit better militarily rather than politically ... though he'd indeed need to have the backing of Grand Moff Tarkin ... and considering how we see the two in the EU had a good working relationship and how in the Clone Wars where Anakin and Grand Moff (well Captain at the time) Tarkin shared some views and gradually had a working friendship over one another despite Obi-Wan Kenobi's concerns and disapproval ...