As a senator in the Old Republic, Palpatine was an unassuming man serving at a time of widespread corruption and social injustice. The massive bureaucracy of the Republic had grown twisted and sickly over the span of generation. Like an immense tree with decaying roots, the Republic appeared strong but was slowly dying from within. To appease the member worlds who saw the galactic government as nothing more than a useless burden, the Senate offered up a promising young politician who seemed perfect for keeping the union together. Senator Palpatine appeared to lack drive and ambition, for he had remained apart from the political corruption that racked the Senate. Those who needed a stable government in place to continue their plundering believed they could use Palpatine as a figurehead, teaching him to smile obediently for the holomedia. Those who genuinely wanted to save the Republic saw him as a compromise candidate who would serve as a puppet leader, following and implementing their plans to repair the system. Palpatine, however, had his own ideas.

Palpatine exceeded everyone's expectations after he was elected as head of the Senatorial Council and President of the Republic. He got the wheels of government turning again after long periods of inactivity. He stepped forward as a great leader who inspired trust and commitment. During the time of jubilation, promise, and hope that followed Palpatine's election, he slowly introduced the New Order and declared himself Emperor. The brief period of hope and light quickly turned dark as tyranny spread across the galaxy. The Empire was born.

The first real threat to the Emperor's rule appeared years later. Members of the Senate who had once tried to oppose him leagally turned instead to rebellion and formed the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The Emperor was not concerned by this development; in fact, he welcomed it. A rebellion and the threat it represented gave him a motive to wipe away the last remnant of the Old Republic. He disbanded the Emperial Senate for the duration of the emergency and instituted the crowning policy of his New Order - rule by fear and force.

How the Emperor achieved his mastery of the dark side of the Force remains a mystery lost in the passage of time. Through his dark will, Darth Vader was created, the Jedi Knights were destroyed, the Old Republic was swept away, the Empire was forged, and the greatest military force ever assembled was unleashed upon the galaxy. He worked upon levels few could comprehend, forming plans within plans and manipulating his Empire the way a master gamesman manipulates the pieces on a holoboard. His grand schemes continued until a new player stepped to the table - Luke Skywalker.

From the moment that the Emperor learned of young Skywalker's existence, he knew he had to bring the young man into his fold. Like his father before him, Luke possessed nearly unlimited strength in the Force. The Emperor wanted that strength in his camp, under his tutelage. He wanted Luke turned to the dark side. In fact, the massive trap the Emperor set up in the Endor system was designed to finally achieve his desires concerning young Skywalker. That he also planned to destroy the Rebellion was a distant second. The Emperor craved power, and Luke Skywalker was a power for good that could not be allowed to remain free. Either Skywalker's power had to be turned to evil like his father's power before him, or he had to be destroyed. In the end, however, it was the Emperor who was destroyed. He died refusing to believe that good could actually find a way to triumph over evil.