Sheev Palpatine is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as The Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Palpatine is also known by his Sith identity Darth Sidious. He is mainly portrayed by Ian McDiarmid.
Palpatine appears in each trilogy in the nine-film Skywalker saga, serving as the overarching villain. In the original trilogy, he is depicted as emperor of the Galactic Empire and the master of Darth Vader. In the prequel trilogy, he is portrayed as a charismatic politician and Sith Lord who transforms the Galactic Republic into the Empire, and turns Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the Force. 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 its former leader, Snoke, as well as the grandfather of Rey.
Since the release of Return of the Jedi (1983), 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. Aside from the films, Palpatine appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media, such as books, comics, television series, and video games.
