Created by George Lucas, the Star Wars franchise is one of the most epic sagas ever told. From the fall of Anakin Skywalker to Luke Skywalker’s eventual defeat of the Emperor, it is a classic tale of good vs evil. As a result, it is obvious that the saga required a compelling antagonist and the Sith Lord Palpatine might just be one of the best villains in the franchise.
Despite his cunning personality, Vader’s master failed to hold on to power and eventually faced defeat. As a result, fans of the franchise got together to discuss the various mistakes the Emperor made in his quest for total domination over the galaxy far, far away. In the process, the fan debate proved how Palpatine’s blunders were responsible for his downfall, and here is everything you need to know in that regard.
Star Wars Fans Debate What Was Palpatine’s Greatest Mistake
Ian McDiarmid was first introduced as the Emperor, the head of the Empire and master of Darth Vader, in the Return of the Jedi. The character was later expanded upon through the prequel trilogy directed by George Lucas, which revealed that he was originally a chancellor named Sheev Palpatine.
In the Return of the Jedi, Palpatine meets his end after Vader returns to the light side to save his son, Luke Skywalker and the two take him down. Palpatine later returned in the final installment of the sequels but faced a similar fate at the hands of Rey and Ben Solo, apprentices of Luke Skywalker.
Given the extent of the Emperor’s powers and his eventual defeat, fans on Reddit started a discussion to deduce the greatest mistake Palpatine made in the franchise.
Dude was just way too overconfident in Return of the Jedi. He just knew Luke would turn but he failed to realize that most people aren’t terrible like him.
Reddit user @tarheel_204 made the above comment, detailing how Palpatine’s overconfidence led to his eventual defeat. The user argued that Palpatine had too much faith in the evil in people, which drove them to the dark side. However, the Sith Lord underestimated the power of good, represented by the light side of the Force.
How Palpatine’s Blunders Ensured His Downfall in Star Wars
In the same Reddit thread, another user by the name @MarshallDyl26 agreed that Palpatine had become complacent but argued that his overconfidence came from decimating the Jedi Order and he was a victim of his own success in the Star Wars universe.
User @axlslashduff argued that while Palpatine was a master of manipulation, he couldn’t comprehend selflessness and compassion, which also plays with the idea of the Emperor having too much faith in the dark side. As a result, most fans believe that Palpatine committed several blunders while dealing with the Skywalkers.
However, most of Palpatine’s blunders stemmed from his overconfidence. While fans came up with different reasonings for Palpatine’s oversights, the general consensus was that the Emperor had become overconfident in the dark side of the Force and displayed complacency when it came to dealing with the Skywalkers. Therefore, the mistakes Palpatine made in his hubris ultimately secured his downfall.
The Star Wars films and spin-off television shows are streaming on Disney+.
