Palpatine/Darth Sidious had multiple Sith apprentices throughout Star Wars. Although Darth Vader was the first introduced on screen, Star Wars movies and TV shows ultimately revealed that, chronologically, Darth Maul was first, followed by Count Dooku—but Palpatine always truly had his eyes on Anakin Skywalker. Palpatine, who was never loyal to anyone but himself, had a reason for keeping an apprentice at all times, even after Maul seemingly died in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Namely, the Sith Rule of Two dictated that there must be a master and an apprentice.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Clearly, despite that doctrine, Palpatine always saw his apprentices as expendable, likely in part because he knew firsthand how dangerous Sith apprentices could be to their masters, as he killed his own master, Darth Plagueis. Even with Vader, Palpatine was willing to cast him aside when Luke Skywalker came along and seemed like a newer, better fit. Even so, Star Wars’ newest TV show, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, just revealed why Vader was always Palpatine’s best apprentice, even if their dynamic, too, was flawed.
Darth Vader’s Suffering Was Intentional
Maul – Shadow Lord episode 6 included the line, “The strongest metal is forged at the crucible.” In truth, this could apply to myriad Star Wars stories, and it sounds like something that just as easily could have been said in The Mandalorian. However, particularly given the context of this show, in which Maul is a former Sith apprentice of Palpatine as well, it lends itself clearly to understanding what Darth Sidious was looking for in an apprentice. Maul and Dooku each had their own forms of suffering, it’s true, and there’s something brutal in Sith training in general.
However, perhaps no single Star Wars character suffered to the extent that Anakin Skywalker did (and, no, that doesn’t excuse his heinous actions). Even as a young boy, Anakin had a tortured experience, given that he was a slave on Tatooine. Once he became a Jedi Padawan, life was still difficult, as he felt like an untrusted outsider—and, in fairness, he largely was treated that way, especially by the Jedi Council.
By Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he had suffered the brutal death of his mother and then, at his own hands to a degree, the death of Padmé.What’s more, by the end of Revenge of the Sith, he was also mutilated nearly to death once Obi-Wan Kenobi had sliced off his three remaining flesh limbs and left him burning in the lava of Mustafar.
That ordeal alone left Vader in immense physical pain, and rather than helping, his suit actually kept him in constant pain. In light of all of that, as of the Dark Times, Vader was a shell of the person he once was, constantly suffering both a deep sense of loss, even if it was largely his fault, and physical torture as well. Yet, based on the aforementioned logic, this made Vader a stronger metal.
Palpatine’s Intentions Still Didn’t Go To Plan
Although Vader’s suffering worked to Palpatine’s benefit in certain ways, such as by making Anakin/Vader feel like he had nothing left but his loyalty to Palpatine and newfound role as his Sith apprentice, this undoubtedly wasn’t entirely his plan. After all, even George Lucas has stated that, after Vader’s loss of his limbs and severe injuries on Mustafar, he was never as powerful as he once could have been.
There’s little doubt that Palpatine wanted the Chosen One at the height of his power, and Obi-Wan foiled his plans to a degree by leaving Vader so near the brink of death. However, this also worked in Palpatine’s favor in a way. As mentioned, Palpatine had killed his own Sith master, and it was basically standard for a Sith apprentice to attempt to overthrow and usurp the master. With Vader left in this state, he became much less threatening to Palpatine.
Was Vader Really The Best Apprentice For Palpatine?
Particularly considering Vader was ultimately the reason for Palpatine’s downfall, it’s reasonable to wonder whether Vader was really the best apprentice for him. In addition to his weakened state, Vader was also volatile and selfish, just as Anakin was before his fall to the dark side. Those factors certainly made Vader less than ideal.
Yet, in terms of the three apprentices Palpatine had, Vader was still his best. He was immensely powerful, even with the injuries he had suffered on Mustafar, and he played a critical role in securing and then dominating the Empire, including with Order 66 and the ongoing hunt for any surviving Jedi or other Force-sensitive beings. It’s unclear whether Palpatine actually could have brought an end to the Jedi Order without Anakin, so he was indeed critical for Palpatine’s larger plans and ultimately his best apprentice.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
