Star Wars' most powerful Sith, but that frankly isn't where his intelligence and power are most evident. Rather, it is Palpatine's political prowess and incredible capacity to manipulate that make him such a formidable threat.
That ability has dominated the Star Wars timeline, although it is arguably most evident in the prequel trilogy and in the shows that take place throughout the Dark Times. Shows like Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars Rebels, for example, shed light upon the ways Palpatine and his Empire maintained control and oppressed the galaxy following Revenge of the Sith. While Palpatine has no physical appearance in Andor season 2, though—at least not so far—this show has made the best use of him since Revenge of the Sith.
Palpatine Is Never Directly Seen In Andor - But His Presence Is Everywhere
This Shows How Much Power The Emperor Truly Had
Throughout Andor season 1 and in the first 9 episodes of Andor season 2 (and thus all episodes that have been released so far), Palpatine doesn't have a physical appearance in the show, but his presence and his power can be felt throughout the narrative. After all, it's well-established that the Imperials are all acting under Palpatine's direction, making everything the Imperials do an extension of his will. During the Ghorman Massacre, Dedra Meero even tells Syril Karn that the orders for the attack on Ghorman had come down from the Emperor himself.
What makes this particularly impressive (and terrifying) is the fact that Palpatine clearly doesn't even need to be physically present for his power to be felt across the galaxy. That is an alarming demonstration of his power, which feels distinct from Star Wars projects like Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, which made his influence so overt. Andor season 2 didn't stop there, though. Andor season 2, episode 9, took this representation of Palpatine's role in the galaxy one step further, and it's a truly perfect update to this character.
Palpatine clearly doesn't even need to be physically present for his power to be felt across the galaxy.
Andor Brought Back Palpatine's Classic Facade
Andor Season 2 Reinforces George Lucas' Original Plan For Palpatine
Palpatine being absent from Andor is more than just a choice the show made. Palpatine's absence from the horrific events in Andor, such as the Ghorman Massacre, is all part of his plan. That is, Palpatine intentionally distanced himself from the most heinous acts of the Empire so that he could continue presenting himself as a benevolent leader, rather than a violent dictator.
Palpatine intentionally distanced himself from the most heinous acts of the Empire so that he could continue presenting himself as a benevolent leader.
It seems this worked on many in the galaxy, given, in Andor season 2, Carro Rylanz, a Ghorman politician, tells Syril Karn, "Many of us believe the Emperor has no idea what's being done on his behalf. We think the ISB is running a shadow government." Interestingly, this actually connects back to George Lucas' original Palpatine plan, which would have seen the Emperor as little more than a figurehead. Obviously, this changed by the end of the original trilogy, which revealed Palpatine as the true villain.
Even so, this is really the perfect cover for Palpatine now. By remaining seemingly aloof, Palpatine has the plausible deniability he needs to hold onto his power even as he is brutalizing entire planets. Luckily, based on Mon Mothma's incredible speech in Andor season 2, episode 9, that facade may now be at an end.
Mon Mothma Exposes Palpatine For The First Time
Mon Mothma's Speech In Andor Season 2, Episode 9, Broke This Wide Open
In arguably the most captivating moment of Andor season 2 thus far, Senator Mon Mothma delivered a speech before the Senate that called Palpatine out by name. The reach of this speech went far beyond just the Senate, though, as it ended up being transmitted out to the larger galaxy. In this speech, Mon bravely declared, "The monster who will come for us all soon enough... is Emperor Palpatine!"
Star Wars Just Revealed Palpatine's First Failure (& It Was Glorious)
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious just experienced a very public failure in Andor season 2, episode 9, and it was genuinely satisfying to see.
This is surely not going to change everyone's perception of Palpatine, but it's likely enough to cast doubt in the minds of many. At the very least, it has shattered the illusion that Palpatine is somehow oblivious to or disconnected from the atrocities the Empire is carrying out. The fallout from that speech remains to be seen in the final three-episode arc of Andor season 2, but this will undoubtedly cause plenty of problems for Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious.
New episodes of Andor season 2 release weekly on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.
Release Date |
Episode Drop |
|---|---|
April 22, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 1-3 |
April 29, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 4-6 |
May 6, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 7-9 |
May 13, 2025 |
Andor season 2, episodes 10-12 |
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