One chilling moment set between twoStar Warstrilogies demonstratesEmperor Palpatine’s sheer skill with a lightsaber and philosophy on using the weapons. Throughout theStar Warsfranchise,Palpatine rarely uses a lightsaber, preferring to order and orchestrate the deaths of his enemies rather than killing them himself. On the few occasions that Palpatine does battle his enemies, his preferred weapon is the dark side itself (with a particular affinity for Force lightning), though he will, on rare occasions, wield a lightsaber.
One of the first properties to show Palpatine wielding a lightsaber is Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’sDark Empirecomic series, set afterReturn of the Jediin the originalStar WarsLegends continuity.Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sithwould go on to see the live-action debut of Palpatine’s lightsaber.
Later properties, likeStar Wars: Empire at WarandStar Wars: The Clone Wars, would also show Palpatine using lightsabers. One issue ofStar Wars: Dark Times—A Spark Remainsin particular, however, would include one of Palpatine’s most chilling uses of his Sith lightsaber.
Quick Links
Palpatine Couldn’t Resist Showing How Dangerous He Really Is
A Spark Remains#3 by Randy Stradley, Douglas Wheatley, Dan Jackson, and Benjamin Carré saw Palpatine order five capturedJedi survivors of Order 66to be brought before him. In one of his many cruel acts as Emperor, Palpatine gave all five Jedi their lightsabers and demanded that they fight each other, promising the survivor freedom and knowing that the Jedi would simply attack him instead.Three Jedi immediately worked together to kill the emperor, but Palpatine was too quick and too skilled for them, igniting his lightsaber and slaying them with ease.
Of the two remaining Jedi, Master Beyghor Sahdett, chose to become an agent of Emperor Palpatine, killing the other captured Jedi and becoming an agent of the Galactic Empire.
Why Palpatine Used A Lightsaber In This Moment
Palpatine did not need to personally dispose of the Jedi in this moment, buthe chose to kill them himself rather than let his soldiers or guards dispatch them seemingly out of sheer spite and cruelty. The scene not only demonstrates Palpatine’s malice but also his superlative skill inlightsaber combatand his view on the weapons. Palpatine has famously stated his belief that lightsabers are obsolete to Sith Lords, yet they continue to wield the weapons to simply humiliate the Jedi Knights.
20 Years After Revenge Of The Sith, I Can’t Believe I’m Just Finding Out What Palpatine’s Lightsaber Color Was Supposed To Be
Palpatine wields his red-bladed Sith lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith, but he nearly wielded a different weapon with a different blade color.
This belief is embodied in Palpatine’s murder of the three captive Jedi.Palpatine’s training under Darth Plagueis rendered him one of the most skilled lightsaber-wielders in galactic history, yet he rarely needed to deploy these skills, thanks to his skills in manipulation and vast resources.
Palpatine was theStar Warsgalaxy’s deadliest Sith Lord and the embodiment of Darth Bane’s definition of Sith Lordship. They favored secrecy and manipulation over brute strength, even if the Sith Lords of Bane’s dynasty inStar Warswere more than capable of killing Jedi Knights in direct confrontations.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
