Star Wars, George Lucas' galaxy far, far away, continues to trend in Hollywood these days, and the franchise might just continue to grow in the New Year. With the recent release of Tony Gilroy's acclaimed Disney+ series Andor, which has already sent fans reeling with season 2 predictions, it's no wonder Star Wars fans continue to speculate about which other franchise characters will occupy the focus of future films and TV shows. Actress Kelly Marie Tran was unfairly criticized for her Rose Tico character in the sequel trilogy, for example, and we'd love to see her character get further explored down the road.

Another character, Sheev Palpatine — also known as Darth Sidious — offers promise as another character to further explore, despite his evil ways. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original Star Wars trilogy films, he serves as the main antagonist in the overall Skywalker saga, as portrayed by the excellent Ian McDiarmid. In the original trilogy, Palpatine is depicted as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire and the master of Darth Vader. In the prequel trilogy, however, he is portrayed as a charismatic politician — and secretly a Sith Lord, of course, who orchestrates the Clone Wars and more. Here's a closer look at Palpatine's backstory.

History of the Star Wars Franchise

Star Wars 1977
20th Century-Fox

The space opera film series created by Lucas became one of the most successful and influential franchises in motion picture history. The plot, as we all know, focuses on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a young man who finds himself embroiled in an interplanetary war between an authoritarian empire and rebel forces. Skywalker and smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are tasked with saving Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from captivity on a massive space station commanded by the menacing Darth Vader. And from there, the rest is history!

When Lucas developed the storyline and crafted soon-to-be iconic characters, he tapped into elements of theology, mysticism, and mythology, as well as his knowledge of classic films. And there’s nothing subtle about the historical allusion in Star Wars. This is where Palpatine's character comes into play as the ultimate villain, dictating his seemingly unlimited power over the stormtroopers, Darth Vader and more...

Related: Here's Why The Empire Strikes Back Is Still the Best Star Wars Movie

Palpatine’s Journey to the Dark Side

mcdiarmid-christensen-star-wars-revenge-sith-2005-lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Rising to power in the Galactic Senate as the senator of Naboo, the secretive Sith Lord cultivated two identities, Sidious and Palpatine, using both to further his political career and deceive his way to glory. Born during the Republic Era, Sidious possessed a strong connection to the Force and was secretly trained in the ways of the Sith. He eventually trained his own Sith apprentice, Darth Maul, as seen in Episode I: The Phantom Menace. And as a result of the Invasion of Naboo, a crisis orchestrated by Sidious himself, the Senate elected Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor. And following that infamous attempt to arrest the chancellor in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which saw Macu Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) meet his tear-jerking demise, Sidious ultimately enacted Order 66 to wipe out virtually all Jedi left in the galaxy far, far away.

With the Jedi all but extinct, Sidious installed the New Order in the Republic's place, declaring himself Galactic Emperor and bringing an end to democracy. Not too long after betraying and causing the death of Tyranus Dooku (Christopher Lee) — in that epic "kill him" scene early on in Episode III — he took on Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) as his new apprentice, ultimately turning him to the dark side and transforming him into Darth Vader. Their reign was virtually unchallenged for a generation until Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) came along in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, where the Emperor sought to betray Vader and replacing him with his own son. However, Sidious' plan backfired when Vader ultimately chose Luke over Sidious. Hurray!

But that's all not all, as evidenced in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Sidious transferred his essence to a sort of clone vessel that had been modeled on his original body, having anticipated the possibility of defeat. His plans culminated in the creation of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), who's responsible for turning Ben Solo (Adam Driver) to the dark side. Sidious' goal of eternal rule went out the door when Rey (Daisy Ridley) used the strength of past Jedi to stop the Emperor — who turned out to be her biological grandfather, as confirmed in Episode IX — by turning his own power against him. That final trilogy film therefore ended on a high note, but the Emperor's ability to essentially bring himself back from the dead proves that there will always be a chance for him to return again in future Star Wars projects...

Related: Star Wars: Best Character Arcs in Any Movie or TV Series

Future of Palpatine in the Franchise

Ian McDiarmid in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
20th Century Fox

During the annual Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, Sidious actor Ian McDiarmid revealed special tidbits, trivia, and other fun stories about revisiting his infamous role for The Rise of Skywalker. The decision to bring the Emperor back for J.J. Abrams' mixed-reviewed Episode IX film saw backlash, but it's always fun seeing the acclaimed Scottish actor return to the big screen. Speaking of — in looking at what's to come with the Star Wars franchise, there are several opportunities for Palpatine to resurface, especially if any of these take place in a past timeline, or even cut to flashbacks. These projects include: Season 3 of The Mandalorian, coming March 2023; Ahsoka, coming in 2023; theannounceed Lando series in development; the announced Taika Waititi Star Wars film; the announced Star Wars: Rogue Squadron film; and the announced Damon Lindelof Star Wars film.