The Episode III spoiler-filled reviews and impressions thread

[alien space marine]

*activates the Goron/Weltall alliance*

I still disagree.

Now, I think that aside villains like Darth Maul don't need much, if any, backstory. He appeared for maybe twelve minutes. He was a henchman, a foil, and a vehicle to sell tons of licensed toys. After he's dead, he's meaningless. A backstory would pretty much be wasted on him.

But Palpatine is far more important to the story, and this is what I'm trying to impress. He's responsible for everything! He is REQUIRED to have motives of some sort! He doesn't just show up and disappear without a trace, he's there for every movie, except four. He is the catalyst driving the entire series of events. He is the Hitler, the Caesar, the Joseph Stalin. Each of those men were men of extraordinary power, and each of them has a laundry list of motives and back story. Stalin for example, fabricated his role in the events of the October Revolution, making himself seem far more important that he was, in order to seize power upon Lenin's death. He was driven by both his own desires and an attachment to his ideology, so strong that he slaughtered countless millions trying to build his vision. He wasn't some two-bit fool who liked to kill because he thought killing was fun, or ruled the USSR just so he could say he ruled the USSR. He had goals and motives abound. All three men did. Most such men do. As such, we find them incredibly interesting long, long after they are dead. Stalin and Hitler both go beyond themselves and are known as well for the ideologies they so fervently forced on others, but no one sees them as mere vessels for those ideologies. Palpatine's cause or goals are never well-fleshed, he just seems to be on a huge power grab for whateve reason, but he doesn't seem like anything but a vessel to advance this goal. Major, earth-shattering villains like this cannot get away with having no motive, even one that is merely semi-apparent. It's bad writing. After all, if not for Palpatine, nothing in the series would have happened. The people of the Republic would have gone about their lives normally, more or less. Palpatine came along and turned the galaxy upside down in a major way. He had to have had a somewhat decent reason for doing it. But we're never privy to that reason, if there is one. Thus, he's a bad character.


No, I don't think so at all. If you think I'm wrong, you can try and find proof of it. But right now, I think he's most certainly the best selling novelist in the world.

Well your points are much clearer now , So the issue isnt weither "Palpatine is a cliche character like Marvin the martian like you said before but what was Palpatine all about? So thats the issue , Hitler you know he was racist had bizzare outlandish views of what he wanted to do to the world. Stalin same thing but just a different set of propaganda bibles as basis.

Well Palpatine was a Sith , They do have their own Ideologies mirror to the Jedi. Playing KOTOR for instance gave me insight to Sith philosophy ,It is fascist and power bent , For instance if their empire was stagnate and in decline they knew of a aproaching attack by a foreign force they would allow one of their own planets to be invaded and destroyed by the enemy , Even if they were well aware in advance since they could use their deaths as a rallying call to organize their empire to respond, The people would turn to them for protection and the lossed lives on that doomed planet would bolster their forces.

Palpatine goal could have been to bring absolute order and unity to the galaxy under his Iron rule , Since after all the Repbulic was prone to corruption indecision and internal conflict.

Besides Palpatine wanted to be King of the universe , He was close to achieving his goals by the time A new hope happend, The Death Star was central to that plan , But the rebels and the remnant Jedi got in the way blowing it up. Palpatine rushed the construction on a second death star hoping to try again , But Luke Skywalker and the Rebel alliance blew it up again, This time both Palps and Vader were wiped out.

Palpatine isnt exactly Hitler,Stalin,Lenin George Lucas has said he is based on alot of things, Including Napoleon bonaparte a guy who like Palpatine also had taken over a republic and crowned himself Emperor.

I know trying to make himself God is somewhat outlandish and oldfasioned by that doesnt make Palpatine a poor concieved character because he doesnt fit the modern view of a dictator or villain like Osama Bin ladin who is clearly motivated by religious fanaticism and hatred.

Eventually they will release a novel on Palpatine for sure, Ian Mcdiarmid the actor who plays Palpatine ,Gave a few hints suggesting the character is alot older then people think.

Palpatine doesnt kill for the sake of it, He is a cold calculating mastermind everything is part of his master plan.

I will admit starwars is not the most saphesticated story around , It was originally concieved as a "flash gordonish" space opera, Thankfully it was better!

Palpatine is far deeper character then Emperor "Ming" the merciless in Flash Gordon.

But heck I still personally think Palpatine is a good character especially in the PT, He really saved the show in episode III.