26 years after Palpatine was reintroduced as a duplicitous Senator in the Emperor Palpatine’s role in Star Wars is fascinating. As the cruel mastermind behind most of the galaxy’s biggest tragedies, including the Clone Wars, the destruction of the Jedi Order, and Imperial tyranny, he’s influenced almost every Star Wars character’s lives in one way or another. And yet, despite his widespread impact, Palpatine is rarely truly present in the galaxy, manipulating things from the safety of the shadows.

Doing so is arguably in Palpatine’s nature, especially as a Sith Lord. He rarely shows his face, even after declaring himself Emperor of the galaxy. Though Star Wars projects like Andor and Star Wars: The Bad Batch have provided more insight into what Palpatine was working on behind the scenes as the Imperial machine brought the galaxy to an oppressive standstill, there’s still the question of why. For someone who desires power above all else, why not wield it freely and openly?

Palpatine Continued Acting In The Shadows - Even As Emperor

As we've seen in The Bad Batch and more recently, Andor season 2, Palpatine continued maneuvering certain plots, battles, and resources after his ascension to Emperor. He did so extremely carefully, to the point where some of the galaxy’s most vulnerable citizens believed his involvement was non-existent. The only people who ever seem to mention him are those who work within the Empire’s hierarchy.

In Andor season 2’s Ghorman Massacre arc, the Ghorm freedom fighters suggest the Imperial Security Bureau ran a shadow government, free from Palpatine’s influence. This is even more tragic, considering we know Ghorman was specifically targeted for its resources, which were needed to complete the construction of the Death Star. How were they to know?

Palpatine structured his Imperial government with painstaking care. There are a few high-ranking officials in some semblance of with him, and everyone beneath them reports to someone else, leaving Palpatine in the clear. No matter their Imperial rank, there will always be someone to take the blame (or credit) for any high-profile public incidents. Without a tangible trail of Palpatine’s orders, without showing his face in the Imperial Senate, Palpatine could always maintain an air of innocence and ignorance.

Why Palpatine Chose To Maintain This Pretense

This was all by design, of course. Palpatine built an Imperial machine so vast, so well-populated, filled with officers willing to do the wrong thing for a false sense of order and glory, that if anything ever went awry, the Imperials who served him would be blamed instead. After all, how is one simple man supposed to keep track of everything that goes on in an entire galaxy? Each planet, each skirmish, each act of insurrection is someone else’s responsibility. His hands are never tied.

Palpatine’s strategy worked; those who worked for him feared him, and those who were oppressed barely thought of him.

In the meantime, as the galaxy deteriorated under the Empire’s despicable cruelty, Palpatine could lie in wait, keeping his most nefarious project under wraps until it was time to reveal to the galaxy just how cruel he could be. All he needed to do was wait for the Death Star to be finished, send a genocidal message that the galaxy would not soon forget, and bask in the glory of his domination. Palpatine’s strategy worked; those who worked for him feared him, and those who were oppressed barely thought of him.

Mon Mothma Gave Palpatine His First Defeat

Palpatine’s strategy even worked on those sworn to topple his Empire. One of the most fascinating discussions in the Andor season 2 finale occurs when Cassian Andor delivers the intel that Luthen Rael died for – the creation of the Death Star, Galen Erso’s involvement, his station on Eadu, the reason behind the Ghorman Massacre, and the dire situation on Jedha. Even with all that knowledge, the Rebellion’s leadership quickly casts doubt on the information. They have a hard time believing that the Empire, and by extension, Palpatine, would ever create such a destructive weapon.

The only one who seems to take Cassian’s words at face value is Palpatine his first public defeat. Her speech in the Imperial Senate, where she named Emperor Palpatine as the “monster who will come for all of us,” was a reminder of who is really in charge. Yes, the ISB, the Imperial Navy, and other Imperial branches of government operate somewhat independently, but Palpatine’s influence is everywhere.

Mon Mothma’s speech led to the union of the Rebel Alliance, the theft of the Death Star plans, and the eventual destruction of the Empire itself. She was brave enough to challenge him. She was so brave, in fact, that it fundamentally altered Emperor Palpatine’s grip on the Star Wars galaxy.

All episodes of Andor are now available to stream exclusively on Disney+.