This one scene in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith subtly revealed that Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious never had any regard for the Sith Rule of Two. Throughout Star Wars movies and TV shows, Palpatine played fast and loose with the notion that there could only be one Sith master and one Sith apprentice at a time, which has garnered plenty of criticism. In the prequel trilogy era, this was actually clarified in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, which revealed that Dooku was already primed as Sidious’ next apprentice before Darth Maul had died.
Palpatine had similarly been setting Anakin Skywalker up to be his new apprentice even as Dooku continued to loyally serve him (which was the cause of Dooku’s genuine shock when Palpatine commanded Anakin to kill him). Even in the sequels, Sidious had every intention of returning as a Sith Lord but didn’t seem all that preoccupied with having an apprentice. The Sith Rule of Two is meant to shore up the future of the Sith, but Palpatine has often bent or broken the rule—and this moment in Revenge of the Sith reveals precisely when that began.
The Rule Of Two Is Supposed To Ensure Survival Of The Strongest
The Sith Apprentice Is Meant To Overthrow Their Master In Battle
The Sith Rule of Two was established by Darth Bane as a protective measure for the Sith. For too long, the Sith had threatened their own future because of their lust for power. Darth Bane, recognizing that each Sith’s obsession with becoming the most powerful and gaining control would only be self-destructive for the Sith as a whole, created this rule to prevent the Sith from entirely wiping themselves out.
Rather than countless Sith all clamoring for power, the Sith Rule of Two dictated that there would be just one Sith master and one Sith apprentice—the master to wield the power and the apprentice to crave it. Inevitably, this would lead to the apprentice trying to overthrow their master. To ensure that the most powerful Sith between the two of them would come out on top, this was meant to be decided in battle. This would in turn mean that, with each generation, the Sith would only become more powerful.
To ensure that the most powerful Sith would come out on top between the two of them, this was meant to be decided in battle.
Palpatine Broke The Rule Of Two When He Killed Plagueis
Palpatine Threw The Rules Aside When He Killed Plagueis In His Sleep
Revenge of the Sith confirms that Palpatine never had any real interest in following the Rule of Two. In a now famous scene, Palpatine asks Anakin if he’s ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise and reveals that Plagueis’ apprentice (secretly, himself) killed him in his sleep. By killing Plagueis in his sleep rather than besting him in battle, Palpatine had completely undermined the Sith Rule of Two—including the guarantee that the more powerful Sith would be the victor and the one to carry the Sith on.
By killing Plagueis in his sleep rather than besting him in battle, Palpatine had completely undermined the Sith Rule of Two.
There was another layer to this as well. In the same conversation, Palpatine told Anakin that Plagueis had the ability to both create life and keep those he cared about from dying. What the latter also included was Plagueis’ ability to transfer his essence, which may have meant Plagueis possessing Palpatine’s body had Palpatine played fair and won. Of course, another possibility is that Plagueis was the superior Sith and Palpatine wouldn’t have won at all. To avoid any possible obstacle, Palpatine simply cheated the system.
Why Didn’t Palpatine Care About The Rule Of Two?
Palpatine Has Only Ever Cared About Himself
In truth, it’s little surprise that Palpatine was uninterested in maintaining the Sith Rule of Two from the very beginning. Throughout the Star Wars timeline, Palpatine made it quite clear that he was really only interested in one thing: himself. Yes, he maintained a Sith apprentice throughout the prequel and original trilogies, but that was often to serve his own purposes, such as by having Count Dooku lead the Separatist movement so that he could manipulate the Jedi and the Senate through the Clone Wars.
He also had several plans in place to make sure that he was the one to maintain power, including the nefarious Operation: Cinder. This contingency plan effectively meant that, in the case of his death, everything should be destroyed so that no one else could continue the Empire. Likewise, his desperation to be the only one in power was clear in his quest for immortality—he had no real intention of pᴀssing on the mantle of Sith master.
Palpatine was, at the end of the day, purely selfish. He had no real commitment to the future of the Sith; he only had a commitment to his continued power and control. While this moment in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith confirms just how early on Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious’ disregard for the Sith Rule of Two began, his true intentions have long been clear.
