11 Unforgettable Star Wars Scenes That Show How Cunning Palpatine Really Was

Although many of Emperor Palpatine’s deceptions may seem obvious now, Palpatine is truly one of Star Wars’ most cunning characters, and 11 tricks in particular prove why. Originally introduced as the cruel Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars’ original trilogy, Palpatine appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as an inconspicuous senator of Naboo. Unlike the character development of characters like Anakin Skywalker, though, who grew from innocent to evil in the prequels, Palpatine was simply concealing his true nature as Star Wars’ most powerful Sith.

While Emperor Palpatine’s biggest and most successful scheme was the near-extinction of the Jedi, with very few Jedi surviving Order 66, he laid out many smaller deceptions to ensure that his ultimate plan would succeed. 11 of those tricks demonstrate that, not only is Palpatine one of Star Wars’ smartest characters, but also that those on the losing end of his schemes, namely, the Jedi, were not truly so foolish after all.

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11 Senator Palpatine Put On A Front As A True Mentor To Padmé In The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Cast

Ewan McGregor , Liam Neeson , Natalie Portman , Jake Lloyd , Ahmed Best , Ian McDiarmid , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Pernilla August , Frank Oz , Ray Park , Samuel L. Jackson

Director

George Lucas

Release Date

May 19, 1999

Writers

George Lucas

As shocking as it was for Anakin Skywalker to be shown in The Phantom Menace not as someone on a path to the dark side but as a cherubic young boy, it was perhaps even more shocking for Palpatine to be a very human senator, walking as a friend among the movie’s heroes. While audiences would have known what Palpatine (and Anakin/Vader) would go on to become, this nevertheless showed how convincing Palpatine was as he manipulated the galaxy on his rise to power. One key way he did this was through the connection to his homeworld, Naboo.

Presenting as a good-natured Senator would have been a good cover for Palpatine in any case, but his particular home planet gave him a serious advantage. Naboo is known for being a peaceful, beautiful planet focused on the arts. The idea that a person from Naboo could go on to take over the galaxy would seem inconceivable. This also gave him access to Naboo’s young Queen Amidala. As senator of Naboo, Palpatine was able to reasonably present himself as a true mentor and ally to Amidala. Ultimately, this helped him secure a move into the role of Chancellor.

10 Palpatine Feigned Having No Knowledge Of Young Anakin When He Arrived

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Audiences are divided on whether Palpatine engineered Anakin or simply took advantage of a powerful, vulnerable young boy, but it’s unlikely that Palpatine would have been as unaware of Anakin as he seems when he meets him in The Phantom Menace. Anakin, at minimum, had unparalleled strength in the Force, which Palpatine would have felt. Moreover, though, given the depth of Palpatine’s manipulation and control already, it seems impossible that he wouldn’t have had Anakin on his radar. In either case, his casual comment about watching Anakin’s career with great interest was an effective deception.

9 Palpatine Acted Like He Was Begrudgingly Accepting More Power Throughout The Prequel Trilogy

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

Cast

Ewan McGregor , Hayden Christensen , Natalie Portman , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Frank Oz , Temuera Morrison , Ahmed Best , Daniel Logan

Director

George Lucas

Release Date

May 16, 2002

Writers

George Lucas , Jonathan Hales

Throughout the prequel trilogy, Palpatine acts like each addition to his political power is something he must begrudgingly and temporarily accept. This begins with him manipulating Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace, convincing him to vote no confidence for the current Chancellor so that he can take over the position, but it continues throughout Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. In fact, as it’s now clear that Palpatine engineered the entire Clone Wars for his benefit, this becomes an even more impressive feat of deception.

In The Clone Wars show, Palpatine seems disappointed that the war is continuing and acts like he is resisting any new ’emergency’ power. In reality, this was all according to plan, and he was actively stoking the flames on both sides to ensure the war continued. This act of seeming as though the power is an unfortunate necessity that others want for him but he does not want for himself allows Palpatine to convince even the Jedi that he is just trying to serve the Republic, pushing off any suspicion about his farse until it is too late.

8 Palpatine Covered Up His Role In Engineering The Clones (And Their Inhibitor Chips)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Cast

Matt Lanter , james arnold taylor , Ashley Eckstein , Dee Bradley Baker , Matthew Wood , Tom Kane , Catherine Taber , Terrence Carson , Corey Burton , Nika Futterman , Katee Sackhoff , Sam Witwer

Release Date

October 3, 2008

Seasons

7

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

Writers

Dave Filoni , George Lucas

Directors

Dave Filoni

Showrunner

Dave Filoni

Palpatine had long plotted the genocide of the Jedi, but his plan hinged on no one uncovering what he’d done with the clone troopers and their inhibitor chips. This required a masterful level of planning, lying, and feigning ignorance, in addition to the brilliance behind the plan itself. Despite the suspicious circumstances under which the Jedi/the Republic received a clone army and Palpatine’s considerable involvement in the war, no one ever suspected that he was behind the few examples of clones’ inhibitor chips malfunctioning prior to Order 66 or had anything to do with the creation of the clones.

Given that Palpatine had amassed an entire army of thousands with kill switches who would serve Palpatine at the drop of a hat, this is an incredible example of his capacity for deception. However, it doesn’t reflect a weakness on the Jedi’s part in this case; Palpatine had given himself so much plausible deniability and distanced himself from the clones enough that the Jedi accusing him of involvement or even suspecting him of being involved would have been a logical leap. Of course, this was by design, as it enabled Palpatine to slaughter them.

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7 Palpatine Tricked Count Dooku Into Believing He Was His True Apprentice

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

While it’s debated whether Palpatine personally created Anakin, it’s certainly true that Palpatine quickly developed the plan to turn Anakin to the dark side of the Force. In fact, Darth Maul gives voice to that in the final episodes of The Clone Wars show, when he explains to Ahsoka Tano that Anakin is the key to Palpatine’s plan. This means that Palpatine’s previous apprentices, Darth Maul and Count Dooku, were merely placeholders until Palpatine could fully turn Anakin.

While Darth Maul eventually knew that this was the case, and sought vengeance because of it, Dooku was genuinely unaware that he was not Palpatine’s true apprentice. Palpatine had effectively convinced even him, a powerful Sith Lord, of his deceptions. Because of that, when Palpatine tells Anakin to kill Dooku at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, Dooku is sincerely surprised, and he dies with that shock.

6 Chancellor Palpatine Seemed Willing To End The War During The Clone Wars Show

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3, Episode 10 “Heroes On Both Sides”

Alongside Palpatine seeming to begrudgingly accept power throughout the Clone Wars was Palpatine’s deceptive willingness to end the war. At multiple points throughout The Clone Wars show, although especially during the story arc when Padmé is attempting to coordinate a truce between the Republic and the Separatists, Palpatine acts as though, if that is what the Republic wants, he will acquiesce. In reality, Palpatine was never going to allow that to happen, as his ultimate goal was always to establish an Empire with himself at the helm.

Despite that reality, Palpatine effectively convinces the Senate and the Jedi that ending the war is a real possibility. Even as late as Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi confidently believe that if they can simply capture General Grievous, they can end the war. This was yet another layer to Palpatine’s deception; he kept everyone working toward an unachievable goal all under the guise of someone who was also prioritizing ending the war.

5 Palpatine Staged An Attack By Fives In The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 6, Episode 3 “The Fugitive”

During The Clone Wars show, Palpatine’s Order 66 plot is put in major jeopardy when clone trooper Fives goes on a mission to expose the truth behind the clones’ inhibitor chips. This is the greatest risk of exposure that Palpatine’s plot faces, so he, of course, acts quickly and brilliantly. To have the issue squashed for all parties, Palpatine stages an attack, making it seem as though Fives has attempted to kill him and is out of control. This quick thinking effectively extinguishes the investigation along with Fives’ life, and Palpatine secures the future of his Order 66 plan.

4 Chancellor Palpatine Pretended He Was Captured By Count Dooku

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Cast

Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Frank Oz , Ahmed Best , Temuera Morrison

Director

George Lucas

Release Date

May 19, 2005

Writers

George Lucas , John Ostrander , Jan Duursema

No doubt part of the reason Count Dooku was shocked when Palpatine told Anakin to kill him, Palpatine arranged for Dooku to ‘capture’ him at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, and Dooku was obviously in on the plot. This capture not only seriously stoked the flames of war for the Republic, but it also made Palpatine seem truly innocent; none could have guessed that this was completely arranged by Palpatine himself, which is clear given that Anakin and Obi-Wan are sent to rescue him. This also perfectly situated Anakin to kill Dooku, driving him further toward the dark.

3 Palpatine Pretended To Be Concerned About Padmé Dying

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

One of the best deceptions in terms of tricking Anakin, Palpatine pretends to want to save Padmé from death in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin is having nightmares that she dies. In reality, Palpatine had set up an elaborate plot in Attack of the Clones to have Padmé killed, and, while his exact level of involvement in her demise remains unclear, he surely knew that Padmé dying would only be to his benefit. Even so, Palpatine uses the idea that only the dark side can save Padmé’s life to convince Anakin to embrace the dark side as Darth Vader.

2 Chancellor Palpatine Acted As Though He Was Really Going To Be Killed By Mace Windu

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Arguably Palpatine’s best manipulation of Anakin, even more than assuring Anakin that he wants to save Padmé’s life, is leading Anakin to believe that Mace Windu is going to kill him. Palpatine was never really going to let Mace Windu kill him, and he could have attacked him with Force lightning, as he ultimately did. However, Palpatine wanted Anakin to witness Windu’s willingness to kill rather than capture Palpatine while he was unarmed to further Anakin’s doubts about the Jedi. This solidified for Anakin that Palpatine was right about the Jedi being evil, leading him to join Palpatine.

1 Palpatine Pretended To Be Dead For More Than 30 Years

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

While his most controversial Star Wars deception, Palpatine’s most impressive trick is nevertheless convincing the entire galaxy that he was dead for thirty years. The franchise has yet to fully explain exactly how this was done, but it goes without saying that being in hiding for decades as he manipulates the galaxy from behind the scenes is one of Palpatine’s most impressive feats. Even outside this more debated deception, though, Palpatine proved throughout Star Wars, the prequel trilogy in particular, that his rise to power was built on a series of crafty tricks that gave him a major advantage.

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