Palpatine

Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, He is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.

Appearance and Personality
Palpatine in the Original Trilogy is an aged, pale-faced figure who wears dark robes.

In the films and the Expanded Universe, Palpatine is portrayed as cunning and deceptive in manipulating people and events to achieve his goals. Palpatine's principal desire is to have ultimate power. Palpatine presents himself in public to others as a modest, polite, and harmless person. However behind this public persona, in reality he is a ruthless megalomaniac.

History
Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and was voiced by Clive Revill (later by Ian McDiarmid in the Special Edition releases). In the film he contacts Darth Vader via holographic communication and tells him of a "great Disturbance in the Force," and warns him that Luke Skywalker is becoming a threat. But Vader convinces the Emperor that Luke would be an asset if he could be turned to the dark side of the Force.

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Palpatine (now portrayed by Ian McDiarmid) arrives on the second Death Star oversees the final stages of the war between the Rebel Alliance. When Vader delivers his son, to Palpatine, he tempts the young Jedi to the dark side by appealing to his fear for his friends. This leads to a lightsaber duel in which Luke defeats and nearly kills Vader. Luke ultimately refuses to turn to the dark side, which angers Palpatine who attacks him with Force Lightning. Vader witnessing the suffering of his son turns on his master and redeems himself by throwing the evil Emperor into the Death Star's reactor shaft, in which Palpatine is ultimately destroyed for good.

In the prequel trilogy, Palpatine is a middle-aged politician of the Republic who rises to power through deception and treachery. As the Senator from Naboo and later the Chancellor of the Republic, he outwardly behaves like a well-intentioned and loyal public servant and supporter of democracy, yet underneath his affable public persona lurks his true identity: Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith. As both Palpatine and Sidious, he sets into motion a series of events—including the Clone Wars—which ultimately destroys the Jedi Knights and the Republic, allowing him to usher in the Galactic Empire, a brutal authoritarian regime.

Attractions
He was a meetable character during the Star Wars Weekends event in Disney's Hollywood Studios at The Walt Disney World Resort.

Trivia

 * Since the initial theatrical run of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has become a symbol of evil and sinister deception in popular culture