George Lucas' canceled TV show,Star Wars: Underworld, may not have come to fruition, but it did make an interesting canon change toEmperor Palpatine. For several decades, the Emperor was only known by his last name, while his first was a complete mystery. This changed in 2014 whenStar Wars: Tarkinby James Luceno revealed that Palpatine’s first name is “Sheev.”
During aninterview on the Full of Sith Podcast,Luceno explained that Lucas created this name forUnderworld. Sharing his first name was Palpatine’s way of bringing allies into his inner circle, hence why most people don’t know about “Sheev.” This change had a mixed reception among fans, but it isn’t the only wayUnderworldwould have developed Palpatine.
Star Wars: Underworld Planned To Flesh Out Palpatine A Lot More
Even giving him a tragic love story
Underworldwould have fleshed out severalStar Warscharacters, both old and new, but it seemsPalpatine would have had a surprisingly emotional story. In theStar Warsmovies, Palpatine is purely an evil character, the embodiment of the dark side who manipulates everyone else. However, in a2016 interview with GamesBeat,God of Warcreative director Cory Barlog revealed that parts of the game’s story were inspired by the scripts he had read forUnderworld:
It was the most mind-blowing thing I’d ever experienced. I cared about the Emperor. They made the Emperor a sympathetic figure who was wronged by this ****ing heartless woman. She’s this hardcore gangster, and she just totally destroyed him as a person. I almost cried while reading this. This is the Emperor, the lightning out of the fingers Emperor. That’s something magical. The writers who worked on that, guys fromThe Shieldand24, these were excellent writers.”
While Barlog doesn’t specify if this would have happened to Palpatine inUnderworldor if the show was fleshing out his backstory, it’s still a fascinating direction to take the most evil man in the galaxy. It’s an interesting parallel to Anakin Skywalker falling to the dark side to save his wife, giving a greater connection between the two Sith. Ultimately, the show’s execution would determine if this idea worked, but it would have been a remarkable development.
It’s Incredible To See Even A Canceled Star Wars TV Show Has A Legacy
A glimpse into what Star Wars could have been
Underworldwas a highly ambitious series with so much potential for greatness, so it’s nice to see it has even a small legacy. Perhaps some of the show’s unused concepts, including the significance ofEmperor Palpatine’s name and his failed love life, can make their way into futureStar Warsstories. Expanding on one of the saga’s greatest villains and revisiting what made him into the man he is can always make for a good story.
George Lucas Planned To Give Palpatine A Love Story In His Canceled Star Wars TV Show
Palpatine very nearly had a tragic backstory involving a woman who broke his heart, and it would have completely changed his character in Star Wars.
This isn’t the only legacyUnderworldhas had, asDisney would eventually produce the first live-actionStar Warsshow withThe Mandalorian. Lucasfilm incorporated new technology that made crafting a cinematic show on a budget easier, as Lucas always wanted, and some ofThe Mandalorian’s Coruscant episodes showUnderworld’s potential. With all the scripts sitting in Lucasfilm’s archives, who knows what influenceStar Wars: Underworldwill continue to have?
