According to George Lucas, Palpatine actually has good intentions??

[gwinna487]

So, I was rewatching the Star Wars prequels recently, and it occurred to me that I had never listened to the audio commentary for Revenge of the Sith. Accordingly I went and did so, and it was very interesting, but there was one thing George Lucas said which struck me as rather bizarre and incredible. I quote:

One of the issues in all of this is

Comments

[ansketil_rose]

The other day I read someone commenting somewhere that George Lucas doesn't understand Palpatine, which I thought was a pretty odd thing to say... this statement makes me reconsider that somewhat. But, possibly more than any other character, Palpatine is a symbol. He isn't deeply examined, he's a Machiavellian, totalitarian, sorcerer-dictator. One of the reasons I don't believe there will ever be an origins of Palpatine novel. Lucas was probably thinking more of the archetypes he drew on rather than what we saw on screen.

Ha! A Voldemort quote - I agree with that interpretation of Palpatine's character. I don't think he regards himself as evil; rather he sees himself as extraordinarily clever and other beings as fools. If evil is the best way to gain power than evil it is... I can't imagine he'd believe his own propaganda, since he was the one who essentially manufactured the demand for peace in the first place.

I'm with Wyn - the text is what matters.

[chameleon_irony]

One of the reasons I don't believe there will ever be an origins of Palpatine novel.

I wish! In case you weren't aware, the Darth Plagueis novel is coming out this fall. I hate to imagine how badly the EU is going to screw up Palpatine's backstory.

[ansketil_rose]

Gosh, really?-! The last I heard about it was that they'd cancelled the novel - was it around two years ago now?

Oh dear. I have a very bad feeling about this. o_O

[chameleon_irony]

It wasn't cancelled, only delayed. Last I heard, the manuscript was complete. Luceno wrote it, which is only slightly reassuring.

There is a rumor that the novel is going to reveal that Palpatine isn't really from Naboo.

[ansketil_rose]

Hm - something about "not being ready" to release Palpatine's back-story, wasn't it? I have vague recollections.

I wouldn't be surprised. Ah well, we shall have to wait and see.