One chilling moment set between two Star Wars trilogies demonstrates Emperor Palpatine’s sheer skill with a lightsaber and philosophy on using the weapons. Throughout the Star Wars franchise, 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’s Dark Empire comic series, set after Return of the Jedi in the original Star Wars Legends continuity. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith would go on to see the live-action debut of Palpatine’s lightsaber.

Later properties, like Star Wars: Empire at War and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, would also show Palpatine using lightsabers. One issue of Star Wars: Dark Times—A Spark Remains in particular, however, would include one of Palpatine’s most chilling uses of his Sith lightsaber.

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 captured Jedi survivors of Order 66 to 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.

Why Palpatine Used A Lightsaber In This Moment

Palpatine did not need to personally dispose of the Jedi in this moment, but he 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 in lightsaber combat and 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.

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 the Star Wars galaxy’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest 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 in Star Wars were more than capable of killing Jedi Knights in direct confrontations.

Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

Created By

George Lucas

Cast

Ian McDiarmid, Sam Witwer, Ian Abercrombie

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Died

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

Alliance

Sith, Empire

Race

Human

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