In a universe full of dark and evil beings, Emperor Palpatine is above the rest as Star Wars'biggest villain. Palpatine was the main villain of the three Star Wars film trilogies, as well as countless stories in novels, video games, and comics. Darth Sidious lurks behind the scenes, turning the galaxy into shadow puppets and eliminating any threat to his power with frightening precision – including the entire Jedi Order.
Despite Emperor Palpatine's position as the ultimate villain of Star Warsthere are surprisingly few instances of Sidious actually engaging in a lightsaber duel. The Emperor's power comes from manipulation and control, which is why people like Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader often fight for him. However, when fans look beyond the films and television series, into the realm of Star Wars comics, they'll find a number of great fights that should have come to life – and these are the 5 best.
5
Emperor Palpatine kills a Jedi strike force like it was nothing
Star Wars: Dark Times – A spark remains #3 by Randy Stradley and Douglas Wheatley
In the Legends continuity, shortly after the Great Jedi Purge that occurred following the execution of Order 66, Emperor Palpatine and the Empire committed a fair amount of resources to rallying the remaining Jedi in an attempt to turn them to the dark side. or kill them outright. When a small strike force of six Jedi is encountered by the Empire, they are presented to the Emperor himself. He gave them back their lightsabers before telling them to kill themselves, promising that the survivor would earn the honor of serving him.
Of course, all the Jedi in the Emperor's throne room attacked Palpatine at once, as the greatest threat to the galaxy was just meters away from them, and they could not let this opportunity pass. However, the Emperor was counting on their noncompliance and took the opportunity to prove his own lightsaber skills. Moving at lightning-like speed, Darth Sidious cut down four of the six Jedi like it was nothing, leaving the other two staring in disbelief at his raw power.
This scene is incredibly similar to what fans saw in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sithwhen Palpatine is ambushed by Jedi Masters, and he kills most of them within moments of his arrival. However, this comic captures the incredible skill and power of this feat better than the film. Furthermore, it confirms that the Emperor did not lose control, even after dominating the galaxy.
4
The Emperor Gleefully Murders Crimson Dawn Soldiers with His Lightsaber
Star Wars: Hidden Empire #5 by Charles Soule and Steven Cummings
Among the events of Episode V and Episode VIthe Empire faces a threat that is aligned with neither the Rebel Alliance nor 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 successor, the crime lord Lady Qi'ra. Qi'ra hated the Emperor and wanted nothing more than to destroy his Empire. So, she comes up with a plan to trap Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader in a Force prison created by the ancient Sith, called the Fermata Cage.
Qi'ra lures Darth Sidious and Darth Vader to a remote planet where she has already prepared the trap. Once they arrive, all Qi'ra needs to do is bring the two Sith Lords close enough to be sucked into the Fermata Cage once it is activated. Unfortunately for a team of Crimson Dawn soldiers, this means sacrificing 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 attacking their own imminent deaths.
Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader plow through the Crimson Dawn soldiers like they're nothing, and Palpatine happily enjoys every second of it. Palpatine comments that it's been a long time since he used his lightsaber, so being given this little exercise on a proverbial silver platter was truly a pleasure. Palpatine's sadism is exposed in this issue, as is his skill with a lightsaber.
3
Darth 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 of Star Wars: The Clone WarsImmediately after Darth Sidious killed Savage Opress and imprisoned Darth Maul, Maul summoned his Mandalorian followers (Death Watch) to free him. Afterwards, Maul calls upon 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 learns of Maul's plans, so he takes Count Dooku and General Grievous to Maul's location to settle the 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 her 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 is able to fully regenerate her physical body. At this point, the lightsabers are put away and Palpatine's battle against Talzin becomes a battle of brute strength.
Mother Talzin's magic is put to the test against Palpatine's Force lightning attack, and in the end, Palpatine emerges victorious. Although it is Grievous who kills Mother Talzin, it is Papalatina who defeats her, proving that her power in the dark side of the Force is superior to her vast knowledge of ancient magic. And along the way, Star Wars fans will get to see an epic lightsaber duel between Palpatine and a Talzin-possessed Count Dooku – one that definitely should have been animated.
2
Darth Sidious Completes Darth Vader's Dark Side Lightsaber Training
Star Wars #25 by Charles Soule, Ramon Rosanas and Giuseppe Camuncoli
Shortly after the events of Episode IIIDarth Sidious is completing Darth Vader's training in the dark side, specifically as it relates to the lightsaber. Fans see a few panels of Darth Vader dueling Emperor Palpatine before Sidious easily disarms Vader, telling him he's still fighting like a Jedi. Palpatine explains that Darth Vader relies heavily on his lightsaber when using it to fight. Sidious says the lightsaber is just 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 steals the importance of the lightsaber during Darth Vader's training session, which directly contrasts with 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 Sith view combat – and how they view lightsabers. There is a level of reverence that a Jedi has for their lightsaber that the Sith do not, and it is fully displayed in this Star Wars history.
While it's true that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader had no shortage of battles throughout Star Wars canon (and Legends), this one stands out from the rest. Typically, when Darth Vader challenges Palpatine, the Emperor electrocutes him into submission with his Force lightning, or simply manipulates Vader into following him once again. It's rare for fans to see the two engage in a lightsaber duel. Here, however, Star Wars fans witness the two Sith Lords using their lightsabers against each other, with the addition of information about the teachings of the Sith.
1
Emperor Palpatine finally has a lightsaber duel with Luke Skywalker
Star Wars: Dark Empire #6 by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
One of the main flaws of Star Wars films is the fact that none of them feature a lightsaber battle between Emperor Palpatine and Luke Skywalker. The two did not fight in their final confrontation in Episode VI (since Palpatine simply shot Luke with Force lightning before being killed by Darth Vader), they didn't even confront each other after the Emperor's return in Episode IXlet alone have a lightsaber duel. Fortunately, a Star Wars Legends History makes up for this major deficiency: Dark Empire.
In Star Wars: Dark EmpirePalpatine returns just as he did in The Rise of Skywalkerbut he did it much earlier in the Star Wars timeline, as he returned just a few years after the fall of the Empire. This means that Palpatine was able to finally seduce Luke Skywalker to the dark side, and although momentarily successful in corrupting the young Jedi Master, Luke ultimately turned against Sidious. At this time, Palpatine's spirit inhabited a clone of himself as a young man, although his altered appearance did nothing to impair his lightsaber skills.
Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine engage in an epic battle, although despite the Emperor's proven power (especially against the likes of Darth Vader), it is Luke who wins in the end. Luke even cuts off one of Palpatine's hands before the Dark Lord is fully defeated, proving that the young Skywalker is the most powerful Force wielder of his time. But even if he lost, this battle is still one of the Emperor PalpatineThe best lightsaber duels of all time Star Wars history.