Wait, Did The Jedi Actually Know Palpatine Was Building A Death Star Before Revenge Of The Sith?!?

Emperor Palpatine kept the Death Star a secret for decades, but some Star Wars stories suggest that the Jedi knew he was building it. The Death Star’s earliest chronological appearance is in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, where Count Dooku acquires the Death Star plans and delivers them to Palpatine. It next appears onscreen at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as Palpatine and Darth Vader observe its construction.

Star Wars Rebels, Andor, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story further highlight how secret the Death Star project was, which is why the Rebellion failed to prevent Alderaan’s destruction. This onscreen presentation of the Death Star leads us to believe that the Jedi couldn’t have known anything about it, otherwise they surely would have stopped Palpatine. However, reviewing a key book and overlooked moments from the Star Wars movies hints at a different reality.

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Palpatine Began Construction Of The Death Star Before Revenge Of The Sith
- Work began as soon as the Republic acquired the plans

Palpatine Didn’t Bother To Hide The Death Star From Anakin
- He can be seen looking at the plans when Anakin walks in

Why Didn’t The Jedi Stop Palpatine?
- How could they tolerate a Death Star if they knew about it?

Palpatine Began Construction Of The Death Star Before Revenge Of The Sith

Work began as soon as the Republic acquired the plans

Although the Death Star wasn’t shown onscreen until after the Jedi Purge, Palpatine ordered its construction much earlier in the Clone Wars. Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno serves as the official prequel to the film and covers Galen Erso and Orson Krennic’s time on the Death Star project. The station is constructed above Geonosis when Poggle the Lesser is captured, and Galen’s ᴀssistance makes the Death Star’s superweapon a real possibility.

ORDER CATALYST: A ROGUE ONE NOVEL

While it’s possible that Palpatine kept this a secret from the Jedi, it would have been much harder if the Republic approved its construction during the Clone Wars. The Jedi were in charge of leading the Republic’s war effort, so keeping a project like this a secret may not have been practical or wise. Perhaps the Jedi only knew it was a battle station and were convinced of its necessity because of the multiple superweapons created by the Separatists.

If the Jedi Council knew about the Death Star project, this would explain or give new context to an iconic moment from A New Hope. When Luke Skywalker mistakes the Death Star for a small moon, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells the group “That’s no moon. It’s a space station.” Palatine letting the Jedi know about the Death Star would mean Obi-Wan actually recognized what he was seeing, rather than simply having good intuition.

Palpatine Didn’t Bother To Hide The Death Star From Anakin

He can be seen looking at the plans when Anakin walks in

Palpatine looking at the Death Star Plans in Revenge of the Sith

Another Jedi who may have known about the Death Star is Anakin Skywalker, who was closer to Palpatine than any Jedi. Just before Anakin tells Palpatine that Obi-Wan has engaged General Grievous, the Chancellor can be seen looking at what appears to be the Death Star plans. This would make sense if Palpatine was putting the final steps of his plan in motion, and it subtly sets up the Death Star’s appearance at the end of the film.

Palpatine viewing the Death Star plans when Anakin could walk in and see them may imply that the Jedi already knew. Of course, it could also mean that Palpatine didn’t care anymore if the Jedi found out, as he was about to reveal his idenтιтy and spring his trap anyway. Anakin telling the Jedi Council of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly space station at a Sith Lord’s command would give them more incentive to risk arresting him.

It’s also worth noting that Anakin and Obi-Wan both encountered evidence of the Death Star’s superweapon before Revenge of the Sith. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars‘ canceled arc “Crystal Crisis on Utapau”, released as four incomplete story reels, Anakin and Obi-Wan stopped Grievous from acquiring a giant kyber crystal and saw up close how it focused a powerful blast. Palpatine may have trusted Anakin and convinced him of the need to use the Separatists’ technology against them.

Why Didn’t The Jedi Stop Palpatine?

How could they tolerate a Death Star if they knew about it?

If the Jedi really knew or at least suspected that Palpatine was building something like the Death Star, why would they not try to stop him? I already mentioned how they may not have known that it was designed to destroy entire planets, and Palpatine may have convinced the Jedi Council of the need to defend against Separatist superweapons. Even so, the Jedi were known to oppose Palpatine when they felt he was going too far.

The answer is likely the same as why the Jedi didn’t figure out Palpatine was a Sith Lord… they didn’t want to see the truth. The danger he posed was right in front of them, but Palpatine successfully manipulated the Jedi into a trap with the Clone Wars, one that they struggled to escape. If the Jedi had stopped Emperor Palpatine before he finished the Death Star, the Star Wars saga would have had a very different outcome.