Emperor Palpatine is one of the most iconic villains in cinema history, and an overarching means of menace in the Star Wars Saga. Over the course of the original trilogy and the prequels, it was revealed that much of the groundwork for the merciless imperialism of the Galactic Empire was laid down when Palpatine was still a Senator from Naboo. Outwardly, he found the mewling bureaucracy of the Republic appalling, but behind closed doors he was secretly plotting to overthrow its democracy.
Unbeknownst to the Jedi Order, Palpatine was also a Sith Lord. Not only did he bring about the fall of the Republic, but the rebirth of the Sith, culminating in the near annihilation of the Jedi. He may have been a diabolical mastermind, but he was also a masterful manipulator and cunning politician. His only limitation seemed to be his own hubris, lending credence to the adage the bigger they are, the harder they fall. But if the trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is any indication, we may yet see his triumphant return. Until then, here are 10 hilarious Palpatine memes on the Dark Side.
I'M TOO WEAK
Palpatine was nothing if not a master of hiding in plain sight. It's why he was able to conceal his identity as a Sith Lord from the Jedi Order when members of its august cohort were standing right next to him. Not only that, but he often modulated his personality to appeal to others' sympathy, blinding them to his true intentions.
Tricking your parents or boss into thinking you're too weak to do anything is a classic Palpatine move. By appearing much more frail than he actually was following Master Mace Windu's attack in his Senate chambers, he appealed to Anakin's compassion, giving him just enough time to take care of the Master Windu obstacle.
DON'T TALK POLITICS
There are two things it's commonly suggested to avoid discussing on first dates and at the dinner table: religion and politics. These two hot-button issues are generally regarded as the topics guaranteed to start arguments and therefore usher in an unpleasant evening.
Let the liquid courage flow through you however, and you're well on your way to the Dark Side. Soon you'll be itching for someone to bring up a new law being passed or a bill they support, if only so you can spit through your teeth that You. Are. The Senate.
LACK OF VISION
Emperor Palpatine is not a politically correct character by any stretch of the imagination. When he was a Senator for Naboo, he had to be very careful to present himself as conciliatory with all the inhabitants of the systems included in the Republic, even if he felt superior to them.
Palpatine is an extreme xenophobe, as evidenced by the stipulation he put in place to serve in the Galactic Empire: you had to be human. But he wasn't all that forgiving of human failings either, as Darth Vader pointed out. Even if an error wasn't necessarily an Imperial's fault (like say, being blind), they were still punished accordingly because it was Palpatine's way or nothing.
EPISODE IX RETURN
The trailer for Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker includes an eerie laugh from Emperor Palpatine at the end, indicating that the Imperial dictator may make an appearance in the film that will complete the Star Wars Saga. Actor Ian McDiarmid also appeared at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, sparking even more rumors that he would be in the film.
Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker during his fall to the Dark Side, is also rumored to appear. Though the actor got much maligned for his portrayal of Anakin as a petulant and entitled youth, fans dislike of his performance has softened with their reassessment of the prequels' merits.
PROMISES TO SAVE YOUR WIFE
Palpatine knew that in order to get Anakin Skywalker to turn to the Dark Side, he must appeal to what the young Jedi wanted most. In Anakin's case, it was his wife Padme Amidala's safety. Married in secret, their love was forbidden for a Jedi to have, which made it difficult for Anakin to turn to any member of the Order when he thought her life was in danger.
Palpatine explained to Anakin that the Dark Side offered the ability to create life, which meant that if his vision was correct (and she'd die in childbirth), he would have the power to save her from death. Of course, Palpatine was lying, and Padme ended up dying anyway, which he allowed Anakin to blame himself for.
ROLLING OUT TO ARREST THE SENATOR
By the time of the prequels, a Jedi hadn't had an occasion to duel a Sith in a thousand years. The situation on Tatooine involving Darth Maul was the first of its kind in a millennia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi barely escaped with his life (his master was not so fortunate).
By the time Master Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, and the rest of the Jedi Masters involved in Palpatine's arrest confronted him, they weren't prepared for his resistance. Though they were Jedi Masters, only Windu seemed capable of taking on Palpatine himself and he might have succeeded, had it not been for pesky Anakin.
BEFORE AND AFTER PICS
Due to the hubris of the Jedi, none of the masters of their Order who went to arrest Palpatine returned with their life. He was able to take on Master Mace Windu and half a dozen others without very much difficulty, save for creating a few more wrinkles in his forehead from tapping into the Dark Side.
Even after that, Master Yoda was having a difficult time taking Palpatine down, and their climactic duel in The Senate chamber left the tiny Jedi with no other option than to go into hiding. Challenging anyone after they declare they are the Senate seems to not end well.
HIPSTER PALPATINE
In Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, a reclusive Jedi Master Luke Skywalker revealed to Force prodigy Rey that it was time for the Jedi Order to end. After deciding their hubris and hypocrisy couldn't continue, he hoped that he would be the last of their kind, and die off on the remote island of Ahch-To without anyone noticing.
Which was strangely coincidental to the plans that Palpatine had for the Jedi Order, as well as Supreme Leader Snoke, and really anyone that wanted to see their kind wiped out. If they had just left Luke alone, they could have succeeded in their plans for eventual galactic domination.
IS THAT LEGAL?
Palpatine memes were in some part responsible for making the prequels appealing to Star Wars fans again. Ian McDiarmid's performance through the three films has become iconic, eclipsing even Ewan McGregor's brilliant turn as a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With the rumor that Palpatine will once again appear in a Star Wars film and close out The Rise of Skywalker, we've started to see a few memes trickle onto the internet celebrating the Emperor's triumphant return. Perhaps his presence in sequel memes will also generate a more benign reception to the Disney films?
BUT YOU'RE STILL COMING TO WORK...RIGHT?
Anakin Skywalker went through a staggering amount of hardship to become Darth Vader. He lost his wife, lost three of his limbs, and lost any agency he once had outside of a suit that acted as his life preserver. All of this was Emperor Palpatine's fault, but Vader could only punish him when he realized the truth in Return of the Jedi.
Who hasn't had a boss that has demanded massive sacrifices from their employees, only to expect even more from them when they're pushed beyond their breaking point? Too bad employees don't have the ability to Force Choke at appropriate moments.