# Star Wars question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206 "2005-10-27T21:44:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/21 "2005-10-28T06:47:46Z")
I’m fairly sure Lucas is on the record as saying that he was deformed all along and all the lightning did was strip away the illusion of health. We can’t have any discussion of Palapatine and his curiously disposable apprentices without [this](http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/241489) surely. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/22 "2005-10-28T12:06:31Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > 1. …Yoda would have finished Dooku if he hadn’t run. So while P figures he can beat Yoda if they go head to head, knowing he was a lot more powerful than Dooku, once P sees Annikin make mincemeat of Dooku, he really shouldn’t be so confident. But he _wanted_ Annie to kill Dooku. It was a whole new-young-apprentice-kills-old-apprentice thing. P set it up, just like he did Luke v. Vader. > [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > 3.) Thinking that he could turn Luke without knowing Luke. P knew Annikin well, and he was easily goaded emotionally and P knew all the buttons from knowing him for years. P wants Luke instead of Vader because Luke is going to be more powerful and isn’t damaged goods. Luke also has far less personal motive to hate Palpatine like Vader does. But Luke is not emotionally adrift and playing with mixed loyalities like Annikin was. Luke knew who he was and wasn’t going to turn, and P should have known this after Vader described the Bespin battle. To be fair to old Palpy, I highly doubt that Vader described the Bespin battle in any great detail. Vader: So, uh, I told him we’d kill you and rule the Galaxy as father and son. Palpy: Good…goood! ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/23 "2005-10-28T12:16:09Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > He also should have made sure they built a railing around the bottomless pit. The Emperor knew that was a bad idea, for he had seen _Space Mutiny_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/24 "2005-10-28T12:36:41Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > There must be some building code in that galaxy banning railings around bottomless pits. Yes, but OSHA was rife with rebel scum and the Emperor had them eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/25 "2005-10-28T13:15:11Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > He also should have made sure they built a railing around the bottomless pit. Well, the DS was still under construction. All the railings were supposed to have been installed the following week. ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/26 "2005-10-28T13:59:14Z")
More than anything, not making sure the Jedi were exterminated between episodes 3 & 4. Palpatine knew Yoda was still alive at the end of Ep. 3, but apparently gave up trying to find him at some point in the intervening years. If there’s a guy out there as powerful as Yoda, I’m going to have a strike team searching every freakin’ planet in the galaxy until I find him. Obi-Wan, while admittedly living a secluded life, was living under his own name on a planet he had a connection with. His only protection was that Palpatine didn’t know he was alive, but a sensible evil dictator would have put a flag on the name “Kenobi” just to be on the safe side. For that matter, I’d have anyone associated with Vader/Anakin’s former life under observation. Anakin’s step-brother raising a kid called Skywalker should have been caught a lot sooner than it was. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/27 "2005-10-28T14:48:57Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Actually, I think it was the whole “kill your father and take his place at my side” bit that really blew it for old Palpy. That’s what triggered the rage in Vader, not any residual Anakin. Vader got pissed, and made up his mind to off the Emp. Luke’s whinging was just a distraction to the Emperor…Vader just tuned it out and bided his time until he could frag his boss. > > That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! 😃 I’ll go with this one too. Especially since this is what Vader intended to do in the first place. Vader wanted Luke to join him so they could off Palpatine together. Remember the line from Empire “Join me and we can rule the galaxy together as father and son.” So now Palpatine turns this on Vader and starts with the “Get rid of your Dad, and it’s you and me kid”, and does it right in front of Vader. Luke tells him to get bent, Palpatine gives him the ol’ “so be it”, tries to kill Luke and then expects Vader to eat the line “Well, I really wanted you dead and Luke as my apprentice, but seeing that the little guy won’t budge I guess I’ll take you back as my right hand man, no hard feelings?” Vader then changes his mind thinking “you know what Palpy, I’ve had enough of your crap. I’d rather go back to the light side that be your second choice. This is getting old. And besides, my plan was to get Luke to help me off you so I could take your place, now your going to kill the kid. How am I ever going to get promoted that way?” ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/28 "2005-10-28T15:06:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What went wrong there? He did succeed in getting hideously deformed. That was his plan. Remember that scene? It was his own lightning that did that to him; the BMF with the 'saber was only deflecting it, not producing it. If Palpatine hadn’t wanted to be hideously deformed, he could just turn it off. But, by allowing himself to be mangled, he could go up in front of the Senate and say “See what he did to me?”. A Sith master is not about to let some pain and anguish get in the way of good propaganda. Well… I don’t think it was totally intentional. Yes, it was Palpatine’s own lightning deformed him. However, I’m pretty sure it was the force(hah!) of that lightning that was keeping our BMF from taking off Palpatine’s head. So, if he turned off the lightning he dies. If he keeps it up it holds off BMF while slowly killing Palpatine. Thereby giving him time to plead with Anakin. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/29 "2005-10-28T16:04:20Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > More than anything, not making sure the Jedi were exterminated between episodes 3 & 4. > Palpatine knew Yoda was still alive at the end of Ep. 3, but apparently gave up trying to find him at some point in the intervening years. If there’s a guy out there as powerful as Yoda, I’m going to have a strike team searching every freakin’ planet in the galaxy until I find him. > > Obi-Wan, while admittedly living a secluded life, was living under his own name on a planet he had a connection with. His only protection was that Palpatine didn’t know he was alive, but a sensible evil dictator would have put a flag on the name “Kenobi” just to be on the safe side. > > For that matter, I’d have anyone associated with Vader/Anakin’s former life under observation. Anakin’s step-brother raising a kid called Skywalker should have been caught a lot sooner than it was. There probably was some sort of search mounted, but I’d imagine that after a decade or so of the two surviving Jedi causing him absolutely no trouble whatsoever it would become a bit of a back-burner issue. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/30 "2005-10-28T16:38:24Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > There probably was some sort of search mounted, but I’d imagine that after a decade or so of the two surviving Jedi causing him absolutely no trouble whatsoever it would become a bit of a back-burner issue. Combine that with the whole idea of flagging every Kenobi out there (only a few hundred thousand) and the like and it becomes a bit impractical. Besides, everyone knows that once you go Darth you never go back - so what’s the big concern? It’s not like his kid (who died with mom) is going to be raised on some backwater for 20 years and then get trained by an old Jedi who is going to send a half-trained kid out to take out Mac Daddy and Mac Granddaddy…the Macs are the guys who took out the entire freakin’ Jedi Order! Your weakness and cowardace disgusts me! Guards! Execute him! Put him on the pneumatic catapult and launch him over a railing! -Joe, almost had a seizure while laughing due to **Tentacle Monster** ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/31 "2005-10-28T17:23:49Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > Obi-Wan, while admittedly living a secluded life, was living under his own name on a planet he had a connection with. His only protection was that Palpatine didn’t know he was alive, but a sensible evil dictator would have put a flag on the name “Kenobi” just to be on the safe side. True…but Tatooine was outside Imperial jurisdiction. It was in the Outer Rim, controlled by the Hutts. I mean, think of how many times the CIA tried to kill Castro and failed. Think of Tatooine like Cuba. So Obi-Wan is now known as “Old Ben” (probably only his neighbors knew his last name), living near some little backwater town like Anchorhead, which is I guess a Mos Eisley suburb. He doesn’t have any ties-he lives alone, he’s largely self-sufficient (I believe he trades with the Jawas), and so he probably was able to hide there. Plus, it was the LAST place Vader would look. He doesn’t want to go back there. His mom’s dead, he only met his step-family once, he was a slvae there. Not a happy place to be. But it wasn’t like there wasn’t a Jedi hunt going on-there was, right up through the overthrow of the Empire. I’m sure more than a few managed to hide out (and if you buy into the novels and stuff, there were!) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/32 "2005-10-28T17:31:41Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t think it was totally intentional. Yes, it was Palpatine’s own lightning deformed him. However, I’m pretty sure it was the force(hah!) of that lightning that was keeping our BMF from taking off Palpatine’s head. So all that talk of bringing him to trial was just misdirection? And besides, it didn’t look from Mace’s grip and arms that he was pushing on the lightsabre, so much as finessing it: Holding it in the exact position and orientation needed to deflect the lightning back at Palpy. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/33 "2005-10-28T17:33:40Z")
See, it all comes down to the Emperor being too infatuated with his own personal Force powers. He relies upon them to the exclusion of using his actual brain cells. Most of his mistakes come from relying on his own vision too much instead of relying on espionage and intelligence and good old forward planning. He has no agents in the galaxy that he trusts to advise him, not even Vader. He plans decently to things he can foresee, but he doesn’t seem to have contingency plans for things he cannot foresee. Palpatine: “I see… a mighty… duel. It ranged all over. They were both Jedi masters.” Vader: “Who won? How did it end?” Palpatine: “I dunno. Our side, most likely. I didn’t look.” Vader: “Should we track them both?” Palpatine: “The loser is nothing. Only Princess Leia matters.” Vader: “Do you think it could be a trap?” Palpatine: “Nah, probably not. It’s probably not important. Couple of Jedi fighting for control over the universe? Face it, we’re gonna have that one in the bag.” Vader: “Yes, Master.” Palpatine: (dancing like Colonel Sanders) “In the _bag_ BABY. Yeah, uh-_huh_, uh-_huh_. Give it up for the Emperor. Inna _house._” Vader: “Uh…” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/34 "2005-10-28T18:12:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So all that talk of bringing him to trial was just misdirection? Not at first. I think that that would probably be the ideal situation, but since Palpatine offed three other Jedi Masters, Mace was probably prepared to kill him if he had no other option. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/35 "2005-10-28T18:30:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So all that talk of bringing him to trial was just misdirection? And besides, it didn’t look from Mace’s grip and arms that he was pushing on the lightsabre, so much as finessing it: Holding it in the exact position and orientation needed to deflect the lightning back at Palpy. Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t Windu’s exact words, “He’s too dangerous to live!”? Mirroring, of course, exactly what Palpatine said about Dooku - and demonstrating to Anakin that the Jedi weren’t all that much better than the Sith. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/36 "2005-10-28T18:41:24Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > Palpatine knew Yoda was still alive at the end of Ep. 3, but apparently gave up trying to find him at some point in the intervening years. If there’s a guy out there as powerful as Yoda, I’m going to have a strike team searching every freakin’ planet in the galaxy until I find him. They tried, but when they got close they decided he wasn’t the Kenobi they were looking for. He could go about his business. [sub]Move along.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/37 "2005-10-28T19:57:05Z")
> [@](#): > > He relies upon them to the exclusion of using his actual brain cells. Not at first anyway. And remember, he even invited Anakin to cut his head off, if it would mean the continued Sith domination fo the universe. And according to Novels, at least, he didn’t intend to die anyway… ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206/38 "2005-10-29T02:01:21Z")
The railing thing was his biggest mistake. He had everything planned perfectly, but he failed to [die in front of Luke.](http://www.brunching.com/lukeside.html) Even Amidala had the good sense to do that (but she somehow failed to appear to anyone other than Leia, apparently). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question/328206.md?page=1)