Palpatine is certainly among the greatest manipulators in all Star Wars movies and TV shows, if not the single greatest overall, and a primary target of his deceit was Anakin Skywalker. From the moment Anakin arrived on Coruscant in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Palpatine had his sights set on winning Anakin over to the dark side, which was clear in his ominous comment about watching Anakin’s career with great interest. Yet, it wasn’t until Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith that the extent of Palpatine’s plot became clear.
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Specifically, along with plotting to take down the Jedi Order and the Republic, Palpatine had meticulously twisted Anakin’s perception of the Jedi and preyed upon his anxieties (especially about Padmé dying) to make it so much easier to turn him to the dark side when the time was right. Interestingly, though, not everything Palpatine said to Anakin at that time was a lie. Palpatine’s biggest temptation for Anakin, it turns out, was technically true.
Palpatine Did Know How To Stop People From Dying
Throughout Revenge of the Sith, Anakin experiences intense nightmares about Padmé dying in childbirth, and particularly because he had similar dreams about his mother, Shmi, before her death in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, these dreams became a massive source of paranoia. Initially, Anakin attempted to do the right thing and went to Master Yoda for guidance. Unfortunately, Yoda’s advice to let go of what he feared to lose didn’t work for Anakin.
What does work is Palpatine’s revelation that there are Force powers that can prevent people from dying—something that becomes absolutely essential in Anakin’s decision to turn on Mace Windu (and the Jedi more broadly) and become Palpatine’s new Sith apprentice. At first, it might seem like Palpatine was simply lying. However, a new Star Wars book, Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith: The Chronicles of Emperor Palpatine, confirms that it was in part the truth.
The text explains, from Palpatine’s own perspective, “My master discovered ways to use the Force to keep others from perishing… Studying his methods, I learned how to transfer my own consciousness, through the Force, from one mortal vessel to another.” Technically, this means that Palpatine did know how to stop death, but it was far from the version of this power he offered to Anakin.
Palpatine Was Never Going To Use This Power For Anyone Else
What is most notable about Palpatine’s insights in The Secrets of the Sith is that he had one clear intention when it came to learning this Force power that could stop death: Transferring his own consciousness. That is ultimately exactly what he does, as well, which is how Palpatine’s controversial resurrection in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is possible. Clearly, though, Palpatine was not interested in the ability to prevent others from dying, least of all Padmé.
As is typical of Palpatine throughout Star Wars, his aims with this Force ability were entirely selfish; he was never going to use it for anyone else. In fact, it actually benefitted Palpatine enormously for Padmé to die, as it not only meant no one competing with him for Anakin’s loyalty but also was one surefire way to push Anakin over the edge and have him consumed by the dark side.
Palpatine Knew Exactly How To Play To Anakin’s Desperation
Unsurprisingly, Palpatine’s comments about there being Force powers that could stop death, however true they may have been, were only used to further manipulate Anakin. It’s clear in Revenge of the Sith (and Star Wars: The Clone Wars only made this all the clearer) that Anakin had been confiding in Palpatine. Undoubtedly, Palpatine was well aware that losing Padmé was Anakin’s greatest fear, and he confirmed in Revenge of the Sith that he knew about Shmi’s death and what Anakin did to the Tuskens.
Dangling the possibility of saving Padmé’s life in front of Anakin was therefore a very effective strategy, and it was only made all the more convincing after Anakin’s conversation with Yoda about his nightmares, which made Anakin feel even more anxious and alone. By Revenge of the Sith, Anakin was also too far gone to see Palpatine’s manipulations for what they were. Having lost his mother and believing that his pregnant wife was going to die, he had lost any ability to see the situation objectively.
If anything, the fact that Palpatine’s offer to Anakin came with a kernel of truth only made it all the more effective, but the truth is that (unsurprisingly) Palpatine never had any intention of helping, much less saving, anyone other than himself.
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