5
Emperor, chancellor, and the Phantom Menace of it all
Star Wars
Creator: George Lucas
Actor: Ian McDiarmid
He is the embodiment of evil. A master of the dark side. A true Sith Lord. The devil behind it all. And he is the Phantom Menace that is at the center of all the conflict in the galaxy. And it’s presented with bombastic gusto and glowering glee by a stage actor that relishes every second of his time with the character. All hail Palpatine, the true villain in Star Wars.
We’re not here to take anything away from Darth Vader, mind you. Good ol’ Darth emerged as one of the most iconic villains in all of cinema, following his menacing debut in 1977, and he continued to build on that legacy with each film. That’s understandable. He deserves the accolades and the multiple covers of Time magazine. The character was immediately memorable and timeless. Vader was positioned as the Big Bad in A New Hope, despite clearly having to answer in part to Governor Tarkin and not getting much respect from those conniving Imperial officers. Those details weren’t yet being combed over by obsessives like myself (“Um, actually, Admiral Conan Antonio Motti didn’t care for Vader…”). Vader was the villain. The Emperor was only a brief mention, an Easter Egg from Tarkin, before getting one FaceTime call in Empire Strikes Back. It is only in Return of the Jedi that we got to see the full power and glory of the Emperor and he confidently arrives just in time for Darth Vader’s redemption and his own fall.
When George Lucas finally got to tell all six episodes of his story, Darth Vader, by design, was less and less the villain of the series, he was more a victim. In a few Revenge of the Sith featurettes from 2005, Lucas gleefully proclaims that Palpatine is the true villain of Star Wars. “He’s the devil,” says The Creator. Producer Rick McCallum adds, “He has manipulated this whole saga.” And he most definitely has. It’s not about the semantics of who was the actual villain either. It’s about the pure joy of watching the Emperor’s rise.
In the character of Palpatine, Star Wars fans are blessed with the simmering sinister sizzle of a classic horror monster. He’s Dracula with a lightsaber, lurking in the shadows, pulling his strings, and chewing up the scenery. And then it explodes into a fiery feast of ferociousness. Ian McDiarmid doesn’t hold back and, in Revenge of the Sith alone, he delivers beat after beat of glorious, meme-worthy villainy. And every second should be cherished.
I’ve always understood why someone might watch the prequels, particularly Episode III, and come away with the critique that Palpatine is over the top. He absolutely is. When he blurts out, “Do it,” (or more appropriately “Dew it,”) takes every beat he can to relish the story of killing his master, pleads with Anakin to use his power, and, most notably, uses every ounce of his outrageousness to strike back against Mace Windu, the Emperor is figuratively twirling his mustache with no reservations. It is truly over the top. Which is exactly what we need from the biggest villain in the land.
The Emperor we see in Return of the Jedi is quietly overconfident. He’s cocksure and believes that nothing is happening that he hasn’t already foreseen. He has a reason to be comfortable with everything going on. Palpatine has been in power for over twenty years. His Empire is in place and Vader’s been doing his dirty work while an entire cadre of leaders, some bumbling, most coldly capable, have been oppressing the galaxy for him. He’s not worried about the Rebellion. His eyes have been focused on what else is out there for him. Unconquered realms in the Unknown Regions. Mysterious signs of the dark side out there for him to use. Secrets and relics from the past. He’s an old man looking to extend his reach and his life. McDiarmid plays it as such, perfectly. However, coming back to play the same role thirty (then twenty) in-story years earlier gave the veteran stage performer a chance to rediscover a man on the move.
The Palpatine of the prequels is thirsty for that power we later see him have. He’s playing the game of politics and having to walk quietly among his pawns. It’s an intriguing balancing act, full of great tension in how far, deep, and long he can play it. In The Clone Wars series, we get to watch that stretch out even more. The wise, warm leader covering up the cold, calculating dictator within. Palpatine keeps moving his chess pieces until he finally gets a checkmate. And that’s when it all explodes. McDiarmid plays it as a man reaching goals and finding himself unopposed. He’s downright giddy with the power. Revenge of the Sith is a victory party for Palpatine…and he can gloat if he wants to.
There are many great villains in Star Wars. And, often, a story is only as good as its villain. Vader certainly counts and undeniable dominates the story of the original trilogy with his tragic quest for internal peace. Darth Maul brought an unchecked lust for violence and vengeance. Count Dooku questioned the intentions of the Jedi and brought grace and reason to the dark side. Asajj Ventress represented coiled-up righteous rage. General Grievous was the quest for power at the cost of your humanity. (Or Kaleeshness, rather.) Kylo Ren is a bundle of misplaced anger, crushing expectations, and neglect that we’re still figuring out. Along the way, there have been many vile gangsters and deadly bounty hunters. We’ve had to deal with crooked politicians and scheming military leaders. The Star Wars galaxy has its wonderful fill of all that is bad and evil. But, among them all, only one rose to the very top of where you can go, cackling and manipulating all the way, until he reached what everyone else always wanted.
Power.
Unlimited Power.