Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine Was A Sith Heretic

Modern Star Wars comics have revealed that Emperor Palpatine was actually a Sith heretic. Even to this day, the history and traditions of the Sith remain shrouded in mystery. The first Sith were Jedi who fell to the dark side, seeking power for its own sake rather than for the good of others. But the Sith Empire failed, with each adherent of the dark side seeking supremacy. Darth Bane reformed the Sith around the Rule of Two; that there should only ever be two Sith, one to crave power and the other to wield it.

The Sith philosophy is designed to contrast with that of the Jedi. At its heart is the Sith Code, deliberately structured in opposition to the Jedi Code. “Peace is a lie,” the Sith Code declares. “There is only Passion. Through Passion, I gain Strength. Through Strength, I gain Power. Through Power, I gain Victory. Through Victory my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.” As important as this mantra may be, though, it is likely there is far more to the Sith Code – just as the complete Jedi Code is a living document that teaches everything from the basic principles of attachment to the proper definition of Jedi ranks.

Sith operate in the shadows, preferring secrecy and mystery. Given that’s the case, it is hardly surprising the full Sith Code has never been revealed, even in Emperor Palpatine’s own documents. But, curiously, what little is known strongly suggests Palpatine was in fact a Sith heretic.

Darth Vader Accused Palpatine Of Heresy

The Sith have long had the concept of heresy; the ancient Sith Lord Darth Momin, a master sculptor who used architecture to manipulate and enhance the power of the dark side, was considered a heretic for his beliefs. All record of his very existence was expunged from Sith records, his Holocrons were destroyed, and his knowledge would have been lost to the mists of time had he not successfully transferred his spirit into the mask he customarily wore. It is certainly striking that Palpatine sought out Darth Momin’s mask, and through communing with it he seems to have learned all Momin’s secrets. Indeed, he had the spirit of this ancient Sith Lord build Vader’s Castle on Mustafar.

But that was not the limit to Palpatine’s heresy. At the beginning of Kieron Gillen’s Darth Vader series, Vader learned his master was attempting to replace him – not with a dark side adept, but with technology. For years the Emperor had secretly funded the research of a scientist named Cylo, who dreamed of creating a scientific substitute for the Force. Cylo had learned to use technology to substitute for telekinesis, he had created synthetic lightsabers that could match Darth Vader’s own in battle, and he had devised countless other weapons he believed to be equal to any Sith Lord. But it is likely the Emperor’s true focus lay upon Cylo’s cloning experiments; he had learned to create an artificial duplicate of his own consciousness, one that could be implanted into a clone body upon his death. Palpatine would ultimately take this idea of cloning and integrate it with the power of essence transference he had learned from Darth Momin and his own master, Darth Plagueis.

Darth Vader’s reaction to this revelation is striking. To be sure, he viewed Cylo’s creations – envisioned as potential replacements should Vader himself prove unworthy – as a personal affront. But more than that, he considered the very idea of using science to duplicate the power of the Force to be blasphemous. When he confronted Emperor Palpatine, he literally declared Darth Sidious to be committing heresy.

Why Palpatine’s Experiments Were Heretical

Darth Vader’s accusation of heresy has remained mysterious since 2015; what specifically made these experiments heretical? An answer has finally been provided in Alyssa Wong’s Doctor Aphra series, in which Aphra – a corrupt archeologist who specializes in powerful artifacts – is dealing with the ancient technology of a dark side cult called the Ascendant. Like Cylo, this cult sought to duplicate the power of the Force – specifically the dark side – using technology. They created tools and weapons so steeped in the dark side that the Sith used some of them to train apprentices in techniques like the mind probe. But their crowning achievement was called the Spark Eternal, which could transform anyone into a being of the dark side equal to the Sith.

It’s easy to see why the Sith would object to this. Any reigning Sith Lord would see the Spark Eternal as a potential challenge to their authority, for it could potentially create beings so powerful they could challenge the Sith themselves. And so it’s surely no coincidence the Ascendant were wiped out long before the Imperial Era, presumably by the Sith themselves. This would further explain why the Sith branded the idea of combining technology and the Force to be heretical; because they knew it could potentially lead to the creation of a new Spark Eternal.

Palpatine’s Resurrection Was A Sith Heresy

In truth, many of Palpatine’s experiments seem to have verged on the heretical. Even the Empire’s experiments to weaponize kyber crystals bordered on heresy, because they depended on a process created by scientist Galen Erso that simulated a Sith Lord’s “bleeding” of a kyber crystal. But the Emperor’s most dangerous acts of heresy can be seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, because his resurrection involved a blend of science and dark side sorcery. Palpatine’s spirit was transferred into a clone body, one that proved insufficient to contain his dark side power. And so he had his scientists experiment with the creation of “strandcasts,” genetically-engineered beings created with the potential to host Palpatine’s essence. One such failed strandcast became Supreme Leader Snoke.

All this means Palpatine was no ordinary Sith Lord. The Emperor had learned from Sith heretics like Darth Momin, and through his reign he sponsored experiments other Sith would have considered heretical. Finally, his very conquest of death itself was possible only because of his heresy. Palpatine considered himself the ultimate embodiment of the Sith – but it’s quite likely the Sith who came before him in Star Wars would have rejected him as a heretic.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4893 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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