The Darth Sidious Twist: Unveiling the True Nature of the Emperor

Introduction

To those who never grew up watching The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker, it might seem like a significant twist that

Darth Sidious is actually Emperor Palpatine. However, for those of us who have been following the saga from the original trilogy, especially those engaged with the prequel trilogy, it was mostly assumed all along that one and the same baddy was wearing multiple masks. Just as in a biblical reference, Satan and the Dragon in Revelation Chapter 12, or the snake in the Garden of Eden who tempted Adam and Eve, these characters are all representations of the same evil force.

Intended Twist vs. Assumption

Yes, the revelation that Darth Sidious is actually Emperor Palpatine was intended to be a significant twist in the Star Wars saga. In the original trilogy, particularly with the utilization of Darth Vader's voice and appearance, up until the final scenes of the second film, it was clear who the Emperor was. In the prequel trilogy, especially in The Phantom Menace, the connection was strongly implied, though not explicitly confirmed.

The alias Darth Sidious was created only to enhance the buildup for the character, Emperor Palpatine. The character's other name served to maintain an air of mystery and intrigue, creating a more complex narrative and deeper enigma for the audience.

Anime Nerd Perspective

I remember it being infuriating prior to the release of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith that Palpatine Sidious hadn’t been formally confirmed. We knew Senator Palpatine and the Emperor were one and the same, but Sidious was deliberately kept vague until the end. It would have been a bigger twist if Sidious was not Palpatine, the latter being a mere puppet Emperor.

I remember checking the Star Wars Databank after Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and noticing that Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine had slightly different heights, with the entry for Darth Sidious saying something along the lines of ‘little is known about the enigmatic Lord of the Sith…’. In contrast, Emperor Palpatine's biography was completely fleshed out.

Whilst the audience certainly knew there was a bit of doubt, for the stubborn among us, the reveal to Anakin Skywalker was a moment of clarification and intrigue.

Secret Knowledge and Easter Eggs

Looking back, if it was a twist, it was not a very good one. At least not to fans who knew more than just the films. I remember reading a sourcebook a friend had back in the 1980s that informed of the Sidious/Palpatine connection.

I had sucked up everything Star Wars I could back in those days, so when Palpatine was introduced in The Phantom Menace, I knew exactly who he was. Books back in the 80s would have known this because it was written down well before the first Star Wars installment hit theaters. Information wasn't as freely available as it is today with the Internet, but Star Wars was big back then, and a detail such as this wasn't going to be missed.

I'm sure it was a surprise to a lot of casual viewers, but the secret knowledge of the Palpatine/Sidious connection was a fun Easter egg and a hat tip to those who paid attention for over a decade. On top of that, IMDB was around at the time, so all someone had to do was look up Ian McDiarmid's page, and curious latecomers may have figured it out as well.

In conclusion, the Darth Sidious twist was a significant moment, but it was more of an assurance to fans who had been following the saga closely rather than a revelation. It served to add depth and complexity to a story that had been building for decades.