Return of the Jedi originally featured a later deleted scene that was reused for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and showed the dangers of serving the Sith. While he may be one of Star Wars’ more forgettable characters, Tiaan Jerjerrod had a much more substantial role in the original draft of Return of the Jedi. Instead of stuttering about needing more men to build the second Death Star, he was meant to serve as a rival to Darth Vader, which seems hard to imagine. Unlike Grand Moff Tarkin, whose goals tended to line up with Vader’s, Jerjerrod constantly vied with Vader for the favor of the Emperor—even going so far as to stand up to Vader himself.

The destruction of the first Death Star was a major setback for Palpatine since he was no longer able to control the galaxy through fear. Because of this, he expedited the construction of the second Death Star in order to regain control, much to the inconvenience of Michael Pennington’s character, Jerjerrod. Despite Jerjerrod’s best efforts to complete the enormous project on schedule, he must answer to the Emperor’s emissary, Vader. But in a deleted scene toward the end of Return of the Jedi, Jerjerrod reports to the Emperor directly rather than going through Vader.

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Return Of The Jedi's Deleted Scene Shows The Anger Of Darth Vader

Darth Vader uses the force choke in Rogue One

In the deleted scene, Vader attempts to see the Emperor and inform him that Luke is among the rebels, but Jerjerrod forbids Vader to enter. If it had been Tarkin, Vader would have obeyed. Instead, Vader wipes Jerjerrod’s grin off his face by Force choking him. Here, Jerjerrod reveals to Vader that the order to deny Vader comes directly from the Emperor. In doing so, he reveals the difficulty that comes with serving two Sith Lords. On the one hand, he must obey Palpatine’s order and bar Vader access—but on the other hand, this incurs Vader’s wrath. He finds himself stuck between two angry Sith Lords with no way out.

Unfortunately, Jerjerrod’s predicament is all too common among underlings who serve Sith Lords. The core belief behind the Sith—the Code of the Sith—stated that their goal was power, victory, and freedom. But this often led to them backstabbing and sacrificing one another to achieve unnatural Sith Force powers. To Palpatine, Jerjerrod is nothing more than a pawn in his grand scheme. To Vader, Jerjerrod is a nuisance that stands in his way. Regardless of how diligently he may serve, he is destined to be trodden upon and eventually cast aside.

The Rule Of Two Would Mean Sith Acolytes Were In Grave Danger

Michael Culver as Captain Needa in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

Darth Bane’s Rule of Two helped save the Sith from extinction through natural selection. If the master Sith was stronger than their apprentice, they would rule unchecked. But if the apprentice was able to usurp their master, then it meant they had succeeded in becoming stronger than the previous generation. Palpatine represented the culmination of the Sith in Return of the Jedi, and Jerjerrod just happened to be caught in a routine squabble between master and apprentice. In several ways, Disney's upcoming Star Wars show is a risk since it explores the tragic tales of those—like Jerjerrod in Return of the Jedi—who get caught in the Siths' struggle for power.

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