In a universe filled with beings of darkness and evil,Emperor Palpatinestands above the rest asStar Wars’ greatest villain. Palpatine was the main villain ofall threeStar Warsfilm trilogies, as well as countless stories in the novels, video games, and comics. Darth Sidious lurks in the background, puppeting the galaxy from the shadows, and eliminating any threat to his power with terrifying precision - including the entire Jedi Order.
DespiteEmperor Palpatine’s standing as the ultimate villain ofStar Wars, there are shockingly few instances of Sidious actually engaging in a lightsaber duel. The Emperor’s power comes from manipulation and control, which is why the likes of Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader usually do all the fighting for him. However, when fans look beyond just the films and television series within the realm ofStar Warscomics, they’ll find a number of great fights that should have been brought to life - and these are the 5 best.
5Emperor Palpatine Kills a Jedi Strike Force Like It’s Nothing
Star Wars: Dark Times - A Spark Remains#3 by Randy Stradley and Douglas Wheatley
In Legends continuity, a short time after the Great Jedi Purge that came about upon the execution of Order 66, Emperor Palpatine and the Empire committed a fair amount of resources to rounding up the remaining Jedi in an attempt to either turn them to the dark side or kill them outright. When a small strike force of six Jedi is found by the Empire, they are brought before the Emperor himself. He gave them their lightsabers back before telling them to kill each other, promising that the survivor would win the honor of serving him.
Of course, every single Jedi in the Emperor’s throne room attacked Palpatine all at once, as the greatest threat to the galaxy was mere feet away from them, and they couldn’t let this opportunity pass them by. However, the Emperor was counting on their non-compliance, and used this opportunity to prove his own skills with the lightsaber. Moving at a speed akin to a bolt of lightning, Darth Sidious cut through four of the six Jedi like it was nothing, leaving the other two to stare in disbelief at his raw power.
This scene is actually incredibly similar to what fans saw inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, when Palpatine is ambushed by the Jedi Masters, and he cuts most of them down within mere moments of their arrival. However, this comic captures the unbelievable skill and power of that feat better than the movie did. Plus, it confirms that the Emperor didn’t lose his touch, even after taking over the galaxy.
4The Emperor Gleefully Murders Crimson Dawn Soldiers with His Lightsaber
Star Wars: Hidden Empire#5 by Charles Soule and Steven Cummings
Between the events ofEpisode VandEpisode VI, the Empire faces a threat that’s not aligned with either the Rebel Alliance or the Jedi: the Crimson Dawn. The Crimson Dawn was a crime syndicate founded by Darth Maul, but at that time, it was controlled by his crime lord successor, Lady Qi’ra. Qi’ra hated the Emperor, and wanted nothing more than to tear his Empire down. So, she comes up with a plan to trap Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader in a Force prison crafted by the ancient Sith called the Fermata Cage.
Qi’ra lures Darth Sidious and Darth Vader to a remote planet where she’s already set the trap. Once they arrive, all Qi’ra has to do is get the two Sith Lords close enough to get sucked into the Fermata Cage once it’s activated. Unfortunately for a team of Crimson Dawn soldiers, that means laying down their lives for Lady Qi’ra’s cause. These soldiers attack Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader to drive them closer to the Fermata Cage, knowing full well they are charging into their own impending deaths.
Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader cut through the Crimson Dawn soldiers like they’re nothing, and Palpatine gleefully enjoys every single second of it. Palpatine comments that it’s been far too long since he’s used his lightsaber, so to have this little exercise delivered to him on a proverbial silver platter was truly a treat, indeed. Palpatine’s sadism is put on full display in this issue, as is his skill with the lightsaber.
3Darth Sidious Permanently Defeats the Only Threat to His Power: Mother Talzin
Star Wars: Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir#4 by Jeremy Barlow and Juan Frigeri
During the events ofStar Wars: The Clone Wars, immediately after Darth Sidious killed Savage Opress and imprisoned Darth Maul, Maul called upon his Mandalorian followers (Death Watch) to free him. Afterward, Maul summons the spirit of Mother Talzin to guide him on his quest to defeat Darth Sidious and take his place as the most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy. Of course, Palpatine quickly gets wind of Maul’s plans, so he takes Count Dooku and General Grievous to Maul’s location to settle this matter once and for all.
After confronting Darth Maul, Sidious, Dooku, and Grievous are attacked by the spirit of Mother Talzin, who possesses Count Dooku. Count Dooku becomes Mother Talzin’s host, and with his body, Talzin engages in an epic lightsaber duel with Palpatine while Maul goes after General Grievous. Before long, however, Talzin no longer needs a host, as she’s able to fully regenerate her physical body. At that point, the lightsabers are put away, and Palpatine’s battle against Talzin becomes one of raw power.
Mother Talzin’s magick is put to the test against Palpatine’s Force-lightning attack, and in the end, Palpatine comes out the victor. While it is Grievous who ultimately kills Mother Talzin, it is Paplatine who defeats her, proving that his power in the dark side of the Force is superior to her vast knowledge of ancient magick. And, along the way,Star Warsfans get to see an epic lightsaber duel between Palpatine and a Talzin-possessed Count Dooku - one that definitely should have been animated.
2Darth Sidious Completes Darth Vader’s Dark Side Lightsaber Training
Star Wars#25 by Charles Soule, Ramon Rosanas, and Giuseppe Camuncoli
A short time after the events ofEpisode III, Darth Sidious is completing Darth Vader’s training in the dark side, specifically as it pertains to the lightsaber. Fans get a few panels of Darth Vader dueling Emperor Palpatine before Sidious easily disarms Vader, telling him that he’s still fighting like a Jedi. Palpatine explains that Darth Vader relies too heavily on his lightsaber while using it to fight. Sidious says that the lightsaber is merely a tool used by the Sith, but even during a lightsaber duel, it’s not their greatest weapon - the dark side of the Force is.
Emperor Palpatine robs the lightsaber of its importance during Darth Vader’s training session, which is in direct contrast to what Obi-Wan Kenobi taught Anakin Skywalker many years earlier. In this comic, one of Anakin Skywalker’s training sessions is shown right before Darth Vader’s, forcing fans to see the difference between how the Jedi and the Sith view combat - and how they view lightsabers. There’s a level of reverence a Jedi has for their lightsaber that the Sith do not, and that’s put on full display in thisStar Warsstory.
While it is true that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader have had no shortage of battles throughoutStar Warscanon (and Legends), this one stands out from the rest. Usually, when Darth Vader challenges Palpatine, the Emperor electrocutes him into submission with his Force-lightning, or simply manipulates Vader to follow him once more. It’s rare that fans get to see the two of them engage in a lightsaber duel. Here, however,Star Warsfans witness the two Sith Lords using their lightsabers against each other, with the addition of insight into the teachings of the Sith.
1Emperor Palpatine Finally Has a Lightsaber Duel with Luke Skywalker
Star Wars: Dark Empire#6 by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
One of the main failures of theStar Warsfilms is the fact that none of them featured a lightsaber battle between Emperor Palpatine and Luke Skywalker. The two didn’t fight upon their ultimate confrontation inEpisode VI(as Palpatine merely shot Luke with Force-lightning before getting killed by Darth Vader), nor did they even confront one another upon the Emperor’s return inEpisode IX, let alone have a lightsaber duel. Thankfully, oneStar Wars Legendsstory makes up for this major shortcoming:Dark Empire.
InStar Wars: Dark Empire, Palpatine returns just as he did inThe Rise of Skywalker, only he did so much earlier in theStar Warstimeline, as he came back only a few short years after the fall of the Empire. That means Palpatine was able to finally seduce Luke Skywalker to the dark side, and while momentarily successful in corrupting the young Jedi Master, Luke eventually turned on Sidious. At this time, Palpatine’s spirit was inhabiting a clone of himself as a young man, though his altered appearance didn’t hinder his lightsaber skills in the least.
Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine engage in an epic battle, though despite the Emperor’s proven power (especially against the likes of Darth Vader), it is Luke who wins in the end. Luke even slices off one of Palpatine’s hands before the Dark Lord is fully beaten, proving that the young Skywalker is the most powerful Force-wielder of his era. But, even though he lost, this battle is still one ofEmperor Palpatine’s all-time best lightsaber duels inStar Warshistory.
Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn’t enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.
