Who Was The Better Dark Lord? Palpatine Or Sauron?
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Both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings feature epic tales in universes that have captured the imaginations of millions. They also contain fantastically devious villains, two Dark Lords who have dominated and co-opted the forces of evil. Sauron and Palpatine are the peaks of evil in their respective realms. But who is the greater? Who effectively executed their goals of domination and destruction of their protagonist foes?
Backgrounds
These two dark lords, while similar in many ways, have very stark differences. Their origins in particular take on very different paths; Sauron was a Maiar spirit of the First Age, whom the first Dark Lord Melkor corrupted in ages past. After the defeat of his former master, he took up the mantle of “Dark Lord”, commanding many of the same forces of evil which had once followed Melkor. Establishing his kingdom in the land of Mordor, Sauron terrorized the people of Middle Earth for two long ages as he sought to dominate them. With his mightiest weapon, the One Ring of Power, Sauron was an unstoppable foe.
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Emperor Sheev Palpatine appeared an ordinary man at first, but he was trained in the dark side of the Force. He spent years as a politician, becoming a senator for the planet of Naboo. Using crisis and manipulation, he rose to the ranks of Chancellor, and, after the Clone Wars, Emperor. For twenty-some-odd years, he ruled the galaxy with an iron fist.
As we can see, both Dark Lords used fear and manipulation to rise to power, and both had unusual strength and abilities.
Level Of Success
Both Dark Lords managed to spread evil and terror throughout their respective realms, but let’s look deeper into their careers. Sauron may technically have more power and longevity behind him, surviving not one but two massive defeats. In this respect, Palpatine has something Sauron does not have: success.
The Emperor, despite a shorter reign, had probably far more success in the grand scheme of conquering the galaxy in the name of the Sith. He had eliminated his ancient enemies, the Jedi, nearly managing to wipe them out entirely. For over 30 years his Empire reigned over the galaxy, terrorizing or killing anyone who dared stand in his way. This success, while short-lived, was quite undeniable.
Sauron, for his part, held various degrees of dominion over Middle Earth. The best example occurred in the second age during his war against the Elves. By the Third Age, his power was mostly held in Mordor and the East, and he never was truly able to destroy his enemies again.
Legacy Of Evil
Sauron and Palpatine, as stated earlier, are two of the deadliest evils in fictional history. Both have brought indescribable devastation and despair throughout their respective worlds. Both commanded the forces of evil and armies unparalleled. However, of the two dark lords, it was the one that was the most human that managed to be the most successful. Hence, in this author’s opinion, it is Palpatine who was the most efficient Dark Lord of the Sith over Sauron, the Dark Lord of Middle Earth.
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