does the emperor have a tragic backstory (before tpm) ? - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Discussion

[–] overseas7 (5071) 3 years ago

I think he is just evil.

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[–] KingsRule (997) 3 years ago

How is he evil?

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[–] LanceDance (1397) 3 years ago

Have you not seen the movies?

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[–] KingsRule (997) 3 years ago

Of course, but I am interested to see why people think he is evil.

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[–] LanceDance (1397) 3 years ago

Despite all the evidence presented in the movies, you still wanna know why he’s evil?

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[–] KingsRule (997) 3 years ago

Did I stutter?

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[–] LanceDance (1397) 3 years ago

Did the fact that he’s willing to kill without remorse, order the deaths of anyone including children and his own allies, and manipulate people like a psychopath not tip you off?

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[–] KingsRule (997) 3 years ago

One could argue that this was all a "necessary evil" in order to bring about a greater good, the Galactic Empire. Say what you will about the Empire, it did bring about peace and stability in many regions of the galaxy.

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[–] LanceDance (1397) 3 years ago

You could argue that, if he didn't enjoy the pain he caused, and felt remorse for all the bodies he walked over to get to the top. And whether there was actual peace and stability is debatable. Going by the movies alone, we have no evidence one way or the other, but the fact that there were rebels suggests it wasn't a stable and benevolent imperial rule. The Expanded Universe showed bigotry, racism, abuse of local resources, and other actions that would be considered crimes, or at the very least heinous acts.

The Sith may have been about negative emotions and "letting the hate flow through you" to power up in a fight, but I've only seen Palpatine get actual pleasure from hate. I could be swayed for a necessary evil, but Palpatine isn't it.

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[–] mirelurk (884) 3 years ago

You won this exchange

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[–] millsey72 (10947) 3 years ago

Palpatine started the war in the first place that brought about instability in the galaxy. He was playing both sides. He was born evil and would never change

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[–] KingsRule (997) 3 years ago

Born in 82 BBY on the planet Naboo to the aristocratic House Palpatine, Palpatine discovered the Sith at a young age as a collector of dark side artifacts. In 65 BBY, he met Hego Damask, a Muun businessman who was in reality the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis. Under Plagueis's manipulation, Palpatine killed his father and pledged himself to his new Master's dark side teachings as Darth Sidious. Palpatine lived a double life for many years, serving an untarnished career as Naboo's ambassador in the Galactic Senate while learning from his master and training a young Zabrak as the Sith assassin Darth Maul. Plagueis and Sidious, both exceptionally skilled and powerful in the Force, were able to conceal their identities from the Jedi for decades. As Plagueis privately searched for the key to eternal life, Sidious manipulated galactic politics, culminating in the blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation. In the wake of the political crisis, the Galactic Senate voted to elect him as Supreme Chancellor, and around the same time, in accordance with Bane's Rule of Two, Sidious murdered Plagueis and usurped the role of Sith Master.

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[–] Guitar King (5112) 3 years ago

Of course he will, the villains working at Disney and LFL will give him his own "Cruella" movie showing he was just mistreated and misunderstood.

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[–] Leodicaprio (6426) 3 years ago

to be fair 2d bad guys are often boring. the emperor isnt clearly. but often they are

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Some villains are so fucking awesome that they don't need a backstory!

And face it, Vader was more awesome before the prequels, he was pure power and evil, not some douchey stupid kid.

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[–] Leodicaprio (6426) 3 years ago

he was good in the clone wars animated. likeable, heroic, not moody. but we did get flashes of disobedience and him ignoring his Jedi training to do what was right in his mind even if questionable. without that moody angst we got in the films.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

If the character was better in "Clone Wars", IMHO that's because he wasnt being played by a young actor working with "The worst actor's director alive"! But that wasn't the whole problem, the main problem with Anakin/Vader in the prequels, the all-powerful ultimate- badass Vader was written as a dupe and a fool. I really think the story would have had more power if he'd deliberately chosen evil rather than being duped by Palpy, like if he'd turned Sith because he thought it was the way to save Padme... and then killed or injured her when she tried to stop him from using his new Sith powers.

And that's one of the many things I love about Palpatine, no tragic backstory to take the edge off his eeeeeevilness, just a glimpse of him when he was pretending to be decent. Nope, he's just plain eeeeeeeevil, megalomaniacal, brilliant, treacherous... and fun!

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[–] Leodicaprio (6426) 3 years ago

1. the worst director is part of it. dont forget the script too that made him this moody dark unlikable character.

2. in the movies I agree. in the show he isnt a dupe. hes principled and heroic to a fault. will save his friends and loved ones even at great risk and even if the Jedi council tells him no. it does a great job of taking Georges fumbled mess of "anakins fall" and making it believable, not cringe and perfectly sensical and inline with what we saw.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I didn't say Lucas is the worst director alive, obviously he isn't! He's just the worst *actor's* director alive, most directors work with their actors and guide their performances so that all the performances are in tune and the actors give scenes the feelings the director wants to convey... but not Lucas! He ignores his actors and focuses on his technical innovations, and the actors in his films are all over the place. Old pros like Ian McDiarmuid are fantastic, because they don't need a director to tell them what to do, but youngsters like CHristiansen and Lloyd are doomed to be awful. And it's not their fault.

As a writer, Lucas is... variable. Yes, I love the SW films, but perhaps the best SW films are those where there was a fully engaged director who worked with the actors and editors and so on, and maybe tweaked the script a bit, and Lucas had a great time with his technical innovations.

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[–] Leodicaprio (6426) 3 years ago

yes ive heard that. and how some were so frustrated on the prequel sets with his lack of acting directing.

his best film was surrounded by other competent people who kept him in check. his wife apparently turned a new hope forma mess and edited it into what we got.

arguably the best Star Wars film wasnt even directed by him. hes good with ideas. but the prequels showed what happens when hes surrounded by yes men who won't keep him in check

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Lucas spent years saying he didn't *like* the gruntwork of directing, he'd rather do the things he was interested in. So when he was making the prequels and had chosen to go back to directing these huge shows at his own expense, I wonder why he didn't hire people to do the directing gruntwork that didn't interest him... like bring on an acting coach. At least, an acting coach to work with Jake Lloyd. I mean there are some great ideas in the prequels and they're frustratingly close to being awesome, but every time the two young leading actors comes on screen they go to hell.

And yes, I've heard that the first Mrs. Lucas made huge contributions to his early films, and never got the credit she deserved.

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[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

Lucas is the world's most successful toy salesman. He is an adequate director.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I actually think that the production design of the original trilogy is THE BEST IN THE HISTORY OF FILM.

And that includes creating a sci-fi futuristic world that not only tells you everything you need to know about the characters and the society they live in, which not only looks totally awesome, the films are stuffed to the gills with costumes and objects so incredibly unique and easily identifiable that... they sell toys. All I can say is that selling toys wasn't his original intent.

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[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

I can live with that.

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[–] howgamer (3988) 3 years ago

Just wait for the prequel series in 2027 called Palpatine: It's Treason Then.

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[–] Gd5150 (11966) 3 years ago

Maybe that’ll be the next Disney tv show.

The Emperor's yute groove.

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[–] millsey72 (10947) 3 years ago

He doesn't deserve any back story from Disney. He is too evil

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[–] MAGolding (1240) 3 years ago

I'm certain Palpatine's backstory wa tragic for a lot of people,whether or not it was tragic for him.

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