No doubt the evilest person throughout the Star Wars universe was Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. He caused the death of trillions of humans, creatures, and species, he single-handedly manipulated the entire galaxy, played both sides of the Clone Wars, and destroyed the Republic from the inside. He was also responsible for ultimately destroying the entire Jedi Order, effectively ridding the galaxy of peace and justice by taking out its guardians. Without a doubt Palpatine was evil.

Throughout the Skywalker Saga, in the movies and the TV series, Palpatine manipulated, abused, lied to, and used Anakin Skywalker and the people related to him. As soon as Anakin Skywalker was found by Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine and joined the Jedi Order, Palpatine begins to manipulate and grow close to the boy. He even commented, “We will watch your career with great interest.” Surely Palpatine had heard how this young boy had singlehandedly destroyed an entire Trade Federation Control Ship. It’s possible he also heard from the Jedi that he was full of more midichlorians than Master Yoda himself and knew that he would make a fine addition to his plans for the galaxy, especially since Darth Maul had seemed to have just died.

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There was not a more insidious, evil, corrupt person throughout the galaxy than Darth Sidious. You can feel how evil he was when Maul was screaming and begging for Ahsoka to kill him in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In this scene, Maul is captured by Ahsoka and the 501st, right before Order 66 happened and Darth Sidious went from being Chancellor Palpatine to Emperor Palpatine. The fear resonating from Maul makes you get goosebumps and that is the taste we as an audience get concerning the fear that Darth Sidious caused the entire galaxy.

The original goal that we understand from The Phantom Menace is that the Sith’s original plan was to reveal and destroy the Jedi. Their goal is further brought out to be to take over the galaxy and destroy the Republic also. Although we know that Palpatine is playing both sides of the war (both getting it started and moving the pieces to keep it going). What was Palpatine’s reasoning for this?

You could argue he desired to create the Grand Army of the Republic and destroy the Jedi with the Clone Troopers. But if that was his desire then he could have done that much sooner than he did and could have played it off as a retaliation against the Jedi’s betrayal. But again, that is not Palpatine’s real goal.

While Palpatine is manipulating the entire galaxy, Republic and Separatists alike, he is doing something more sinister right underneath the nose of the Jedi and the Republic. Palpatine is building a relationship with what the Jedi believe to be “The Chosen One”. Anakin already has had a hard beginning to life being raised as a slave at first, being pulled from his mother as a young boy to join the Jedi, traveling back to Tatooine to watch his mother die in his arms, falling in love with a woman while being pulled between his love for her and his commitment to the Jedi Order, the ones who raised him and trained him in the Force. There is a conglomeration of traumatic events and emotional discord and all in the middle of it he is appearing to be cared for and considered important by Palpatine. In Palpatine doing this, he is beginning to manipulate Anakin Skywalker and continues to do so throughout his training and then fighting in the Clone Wars.

Slowly and methodically Palpatine drives a wedge between Anakin and the Jedi Order culminating in Palpatine using Anakin’s fear to have him betray and destroy many Jedi. This led to Obi-Wan Kenobi being forced to fight and attempt to destroy Anakin who now has had an identity change to Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. This duel leaves Anakin on the edge of a lava river burning to a crisp and leaving him completely debilitated by the man who raised, trained, and loved Anakin as a brother. This helped solidify Anakin’s hate for the Jedi and feel utterly betrayed by them. Yet the Jedi had been manipulated by Sidious just like Anakin.

So, what was Sidious’ real plan besides taking over the galaxy for the Sith? Sure, Sidious’ plan didn’t deviate from the main plan, which was to destroy the Jedi, Republic, and take over the galaxy, but he no doubt built this desire and affinity to make Skywalker’s world miserable and to use him to solidify his control and grip on the galaxy. But it didn’t end with Vader, it continued with Palpatine manipulating and attempting to get Luke to turn to the dark side too, effectively betraying Anakin too. On top of that, he tortured both father and son by pitting them in a duel to the death against each other and then attempting to kill Luke for not turning to the dark side by killing his father.

It didn’t stop there though, despite dying, we end up finding out that he continues to manipulate people related to the Skywalkers. Obviously, I’m not talking about Rey, she isn’t a Skywalker, although he makes sure to manipulate her. The person I’m talking about goes by two names, first Ben Solo, and Kylo Ren.

After appearing to die at the hands of Darth Vader on the Death Star above Endor, a Cult on the planet of Exegol works to keep Sidious’ legacy alive by virtually worshipping him, transferring his spirit to a new body, and cloning many Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke was the one who did what Sidious did to Anakin and manipulated Ben Solo to join the Dark Side. Despite being dead, Palpatine continues to manipulate, ravage, and torture the Skywalker family.

After walking you through many of the dastardly deeds of Darth Sidious, how could I possibly say that he got the final victory in the Skywalker Saga if Rey ended up rejecting his offer to join the Dark Side and destroyed Sidious with his own lightning? First off, you’d think he would have learned that lightning doesn’t work and can be propelled back to you and hurt you (some people never learn).

Throughout the Skywalker Saga, Palpatine manipulates and continues to run the Skywalker name into the mud. He uses Skywalker to be known as a person who betrays those who love him, kills innocents over and over again, and spreads fear and dread throughout the galaxy. This took place over generations. No doubt that as time went on Sidious’ endeavor was twofold, to rule the galaxy, and to destroy the Skywalker name, the Jedi’s so-called “Chosen One”. The ultimate revenge of the Sith.

In The Rise of Skywalker, we learn that Rey is a Palpatine, the granddaughter of Darth Sidious himself. After the final battle where she ends up destroying Sidious and bringing Ben Solo back from the dark, she survives as Ben Solo sacrifices himself for her to stay alive. After it is all said and done, Rey Palpatine ends up back on Tatooine and an elderly lady walks by and asks her who she is. She proceeds to claim to be, “Rey Skywalker.” This solidifies Palpatine’s victory in the Palpatine Saga, but how so?

We have already discussed that one of Palpatine’s big goals was to manipulate and run Skywalker’s name and legacy into the mud. What he ends up doing is having his own grandchild who bears his name and has Palpatine blood running through her veins, claim to be a Skywalker. In claiming to be a Skywalker despite being a Palpatine, she has done the very thing she didn’t want to happen, that being to give Palpatine the last laugh. As Palpatine once said, “Ironic.”

On the bright side, this could set up some riveting and very interesting movies or TV series concerning how the fact that a Palpatine carries the Skywalker name around can be used to further fight against what Anakin, Luke, Leia, and Han no doubt want that name to be associated with. It can be used to further bring terror, fear, and destruction to the galaxy. The fact that a Palpatine now claims the Skywalker name is how Palpatine ends up winning the Skywalker in the end.

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