Here's how old Emperor Palpatine is in each Star Wars trilogy. Also known as Darth Sidious, Palpatine was the overarching villain of the Skywalker saga, serving as the thread that tied all three trilogies together. Over the course of the movies, audiences witnessed Palpatine's rise to Supreme Chancellor, reign as Emperor, and last grasp to seize control of the galaxy via the Final Order. Each time, Palpatine set his sights on corrupting a young member of the Skywalker family, successfully turning both Anakin Skywalker and Ben Solo before they were ultimately redeemed.
The Skywalker saga spans a total of 67 years, and since Palpatine was there to see the whole thing, it means he isn't a young man. However, since the Star Wars movies refrain from explicitly revealing character ages within the runtimes, some viewers may be wondering exactly how old Palpatine is. Here, we take a look at the villain's age in each trilogy of the Skywalker saga.
How Old Is Palpatine In The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?
Palpatine was born around 84 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), meaning at the outset of the prequel trilogy, he is 52 years old. The Phantom Menace is set in 32 BBY. As the trilogy progresses, Palpatine reaches age 65. There's a full decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, while Revenge of the Sith takes place 3 years after its predecessor.
How Old Is Palpatine In the Star Wars Original Trilogy?
There is a 19-year gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, making Palpatine the aforementioned 84 years old when the classic trilogy begins. When his Empire is finally defeated at the end of Return of the Jedi, he is 88. Three years separate the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, while there's only a one-year gap between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
How Old Is Palpatine In The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy?
While Palpatine's body died in Return of the Jedi, he was able to transfer his consciousness to a clone vessel on Exegol, setting the stage for the sequel trilogy. The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, which would make Palpatine 118 years old. By the time Rey faces her grandfather in The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine is 119. The sequel trilogy is the shortest Star Wars trilogy in terms of in-universe time spanned. There's no jump between Force Awakens and The Last Jedi (a first for the series), and only a single year between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Palpatine was able to live as long as he did due to his mastery of dark side techniques.