The Emperor does not appear on-screen, leaving Tarkin and Darth Vader (portrayed by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) as the film's main villains. On the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin ( Peter Cushing) explains to his fellow Imperials that the Emperor has dissolved the Imperial Senate. He is briefly mentioned in Star Wars (1977), the first film in the original trilogy, which was later subtitled Episode IV – A New Hope. The character is referred to as "the Emperor" in the original trilogy. Palpatine uses the dark side to rejuvenate his body but is ultimately defeated and destroyed by Rey. Having covertly turned Kylo Ren- Anakin's grandson and Luke's nephew - to the dark side, Palpatine orders Ren to find and kill Rey, the last remaining Jedi and Palpatine's paternal granddaughter. He secretly masterminds the First Order to restore the Empire, with Snoke as his puppet ruler. Unbeknownst to the galaxy, Palpatine's spirit lives on. Palpatine rules the galaxy for over two decades before Vader betrays and kills him to save his son, Luke Skywalker. He transforms the Galactic Republic into the Empire and declares himself Emperor, using Machiavellian manipulation to invoke martial law. Palpatine proceeds to almost entirely exterminate the Jedi through Order 66 and manipulate Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into becoming his new apprentice, Darth Vader.
He further masterminds the Clone Wars to grant himself dictatorial emergency powers and stay in office long after his term expires. As Sidious, Palpatine engineers the invasion of Naboo, using the conflict to get elected as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. However, he is really Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith who plans to destroy the Jedi and take permanent control of the galaxy. In the Star Wars fictional universe, Palpatine is initially a Senator from Naboo, presenting himself to the public as charismatic and well-intentioned. Aside from the films, Palpatine appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media. Since the release of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has become a widely recognized symbol of evil in popular culture, and since the prequel films, also one of sinister deception and the subversion of democracy.
The character also cameos in the Disney+ television series Obi Wan Kenobi (2022) set between the events of the prequel and original trilogies.
In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in the sequel trilogy, Palpatine is revealed to be the mastermind behind the First Order and the creator of its former leader, Snoke, as well as the grandfather of protagonist Rey. In the prequel trilogy, he is portrayed as a charismatic politician-and, secretly, a Sith Lord-who orchestrates the Clone Wars, all but exterminates the Jedi Order, ends the Galactic Republic, and seduces Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the Force. In the original trilogy, Palpatine is depicted as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire and the master of Darth Vader. He serves as the main antagonist of the nine-film Skywalker saga, in which he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid.
Initially credited as the Emperor in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine was officially introduced in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas.