Star Wars: The 10 best villains of the Skywalker Saga, ranked

1. Emperor Palpatine

The greatest Sith lord to ever live, Emperor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, managed to take over the galaxy and create the Galactic Empire while barely lifting a finger. A master manipulator in every sense of the word, Palpatine managed to rise through the ranks of the Galactic Senate until he became Chancellor, all while playing both sides, ensuring a war that would consume the galaxy. Everything he did came back to his plans to conquer, which is exactly what he did.

And how he did so is what makes him the greatest villain in Star Wars. He’s had very few actual lightsaber fights in the entirety of canon, as he would rather resort to manipulation. He twists and bends people to his will, shaping them into what he needs them to be. He did this with Dooku when he felt disillusioned with the Jedi Order and did the same with Anakin Skywalker, along with so many others.

Probably the most powerful move the Emperor ever pulled came when he finally obtained the control of the galaxy he craved; he tossed it aside like it was nothing. He only wanted the power the Force gave, and the only way he was able to truly obtain that power was to take over the galaxy. He doesn’t care about the galaxy at all and lets it go descend into turmoil. By the time of Return of the Jedi, he barely acknowledges the Rebellion, which proves to be his downfall, and instead, only uses its destruction as fuel for Luke’s rage. Of course, powerful figures like Palpatine can find ways to carry on, and we’ll see how he’s done just that in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.