Sheeve Palpatine – The Master and Apprentice

In July, I wrote a piece paying homage to Emperor Palpatine. I planned it as part of a series analyzing the dark lord of the Sith. However, “sith” happened and the idea was put on the shelf to collect dust.

I return to shake the dust off the my thoughts and bring you part two.

The rule of two – a dark lord to embody power, and an apprentice to crave it

According to Sith lore, the rule of two was instituted after the decimation at the hands of the Jedi.

The rule – a dark lord to embody power and an apprentice to crave it – was created to ensure the Sith survive. Each apprentice would absorb his master’s knowledge, wisdom and power through learning, and eventually kill him. The new master seeks out a worthy, power hungry apprentice to share knowledge and wisdom with. Thus the Sith would live on, never dying, never outgrowing itself. It seemed a cruel cycle, but effective.

On the surface, Palpatine and his apprentices followed that rule. Over the course of time, two of his apprentices, died at the hands of Jedi. With a deeper look into the rise of Lord Sidious, one may conclude that he toted the line of that rule more than initially thought.

He used Maul, a pawn in his grand scheme, to help set in motion the reveal of the Sith to the Jedi, a move that would surely raise suspicions. This was by his design. He’d hoped that while occupying the Jedi with the reveal, he could alternately seize control of the chancellorship, undetected. Remember, it was Palpatine himself, who said “everything is proceeding as [he] had foreseen.” Maul was never in his long term plans.

Count Dooku was a pawn as well. He posed an opportunity as a renegade Jedi and a “political idealist.” With Dooku as a valuable apprentice, Palpatine could shroud the senate in doubt and political bickering, while pulling the Jedi into a war they didn’t belong. It was the perfect scenario.

Upon discovering Anakin’s abilities, Palpatine saw it as opportunity, not only to replace the aged Dooku, but to cut deep into the heart of the Jedi and rip them apart at the seams. Dooku’s place in the grand plan, was merely to set in motion the war, and draw anger from the young Skywalker in any way possible.

Additionally, he laid the groundwork for the decimation of the Galactic Republic. With the Republic in shambles, the opportunity for Palpatine to tighten his grip on the galaxy landed squarely in his lap. Meanwhile, no one would know what sinister evil had infused itself into the galaxy’s leadership. And with the Galactic Senate in shambles, Palpatine, “the savior”, could rule with order and peace.

One to embody power

Palpatine carried a mantle of rich, unadulterated power. He could foresee the future and manipulate events as he saw fit. His wisdom and military prowess stood unchallenged. Palpatine was cunning, calculative and meticulous, both in planning, and maintaining his rise and stay in power.

One of my favorite quotes was a boisterous statement to a young Anakin – “Power! Unlimited power!” Those simple words embodied the dictator.

One to crave it

Palpatine continued to crave power. Whether seeking out Mother Talzin’s knowledge and insight to dark matters of the universe on Dathomir, or in the galactic senate, where he used his political charm and wisdom to become supreme chancellor, he always sought greater power and knowledge. His capacity to learn and evolve was unprecedented.

What of the chosen one? He was indeed the most powerful of the Jedi. The Dark Lord saw this and seized the opportunity. However Anakin, like his predecessors, was merely a pawn in Palpatine’s plans. Promises of shared knowledge and power were broken and never saw follow-through.

The master and the apprentice

An epiphany – suppose Palpatine was the master and the apprentice. It seemed apparent that Palpatine embodied the rule of two in its entirety – both master and apprentice. He embodied power, while hungering for more. Plus, the patience of the Sith having payed off, and he was the ultimate beneficiary. There’s no need to relinquish power. The ultimate goal of galactic conquest was his and his alone. His paranoia of losing his power, like his master, prevented him from sharing it fully with anyone. He kept his power, wisdom and knowledge closely guarded.

If Darth Vader ever realized his potential, he could overthrow the dark lord and retain the galaxy and power for himself. Instead, Palpatine constantly shredded Vader’s confidence, keeping the apprentice under his forceful thumb. He condescended him with shameful tones and verbal abuse, blaming him for failures and reminding him of his place. He placed him under command of lesser men, as a reminder of who was in charge. Vader remained the ultimate henchman.

Additionally, I believe he knew of Luke’s existence very early on, perhaps before his apprentice did. And because of Darth Vader’s failures, beginning with his mutilation at the hands of Obi-wan, Palpatine saw Luke as a worthy and more powerful replacement at his side. Hence we saw him, in Return of the Jedi, offer Luke the opportunity to “take [his] father’s place at [his] side.” This was proof, again, of his mind’s constant state of evolution.

Palpatine wasn’t just the teacher or the learner. He was the rule – the master and the apprentice. He re-wrote the Sith rulebook. His relentless drive for power, while remaining patiently in control, set him atop the list of Sith legends.

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The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!