One recent live-action Star Wars TV show has recaptured a key aspect of Emperor Palpatine from the original Star Wars trilogy. While the galaxy has generated numerous iconic villains, Palpatine is easily the franchise’s best, combining sinister Machiavellian manipulations with dark side Force powers that no other Sith Lord could equal or surpass. Yet in the original trilogy, Palpatine is absent from A New Hope and only appears briefly in The Empire Strikes Back before supplanting Darth Vader as the ultimate antagonist in Return of the Jedi.
The Star Wars prequel trilogy gave Palpatine a far more prominent role than the original trilogy, with the secret Sith Lord and future Emperor appearing in all three films. Rather than delving into his backstory, which can be found in James Luceno’s Darth Plagueis, the prequels showed his rise to power, with Palpatine orchestrating the Clone Wars and controlling both sides before wiping out the Jedi Order and twisting the democratic Galactic Republic into the autocratic Galactic Empire. Unfortunately, one aspect of his original trilogy portrayal has been missing from recent Star Wars properties set in the same era, save for one live-action TV show.
Andor Nails What Makes Palpatine Great (Without Him Appearing)
The recent Disney+ TV series Andor manages to recapture part of Palpatine’s menace in the original trilogy by not having him appear in season 1. Palpatine is mentioned many times in the original trilogy, despite only having a major role in one movie. Until his arrival aboard the second Death Star, Emperor Palpatine is a looming presence who is referenced more than shown, letting the characters and viewers alike know he is the true power behind the Empire and the galaxy writ large, orchestrating and controlling everything from the shadows.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took the same approach with Emperor Palpatine, but this cannot be said for many recent properties in the Imperial era – until Andor. Palpatine appears in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Bad Batch, two of the most recent Imperial era additions to live-action and animated Star Wars storytelling. In comparison, Andor focuses on the smallest parts of the galaxy rather than the largest, making Palpatine’s unspoken presence feel like the same shadow that loomed over the heroes of the original trilogy.
Will Emperor Palpatine Be In Andor Season 2?
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Little is known about the story of Andor season 2, other than its finale leading into Cassian Andor’s introduction in Rogue One. This, of course, means the series will further show the formation of the Rebel Alliance and will accordingly have a wider scope than Andor season 1. This creates the possibility of an appearance by Emperor Palpatine, but given the show’s focus and the way season 1 recaptures the same unseen menace of Palpatine as the original Star Wars trilogy, it is safe to assume that the Emperor will only be referenced once again in Andor season 2.
