The Jedi Council: Who would you vote into power after the fall of Emperor Palpatine?
With the recent elections in the UK, we here at Dork Side of the Force thought it would be a neat idea to see which character from the Star Wars universe would have a better chance at leading the Galactic Empire/New Republic into a peaceful era of prosperity? The rules are simple: You can choose any Star Wars character who would have been alive at the end of Return of the Jedi, and they can come from canon or EU/Legends.
David (Razor): There is really only one choice, an Emperor Palpatine clone…I’m kidding. No, the void left by the Emperor can only be filled by one who is able to make those hard decisions, yet is also able to show compassion when necessary…well at least show what looks like compassion. There are really a ton of easy choices, like Leia, who has been groomed her whole life for the job, but can we really trust someone who just found out they are Force sensitive? What if she were to turn to the Dark Side of the Force?
"In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me, and despair!"
I know, I know, it’s a Lord of the Rings quote, but it is strangely relevant here. Luke would be too busy trying to restart the Jedi Order, and well, Han is too much of a rogue to trust with the stewardship of the entire Galactic Republic. So who does that leave? It’s simple, the answer was clearly given to us by the Maker himself, in Return of the Jedi — C-3PO.
He was a benevolent ruler to the Ewoks, doing so well that they even considered him a god. He has experience in keeping unruly individuals under control, like R2, he’s always asking how he can be of service, which is a quality that you want in a leader, he has practical experience from his time in service to Senator Amidala, he was programmed for etiquette, not destruction, and he is fluent in over six million forms of communication. C-3PO also has experience in dealing with religious factions like the Jedi, and his time with Jabba the Hutt proves that he’s not worried about dealing with the seedy underbelly of the crime syndicates.
As a droid, C-3PO is devoid of any real emotions, which makes for a leader who would not make hasty decisions based on anger or love. And really, isn’t that what the galaxy needs at this moment? 3PO has also been on many adventures, traversing just about every corner of the known galaxy, so he would know the people that he would be ruling over.
So vote with your minds, folks, and not your hearts, because in this time of civil unrest and uneasy transition, we need someone who will use their minds as well, as they don’t have a heart. C-3PO: The best and most logical choice for the leader of the New Galactic Republic.
Kyle Warnke: This is an obvious choice to me. No one’s better suited for the job than Lando Calrissian. His qualities are perfect for what the position entails: natural charisma, a deceptive nature, a good heart, and one hell of a smile.
Quite simply, Lando strikes just the right balance between well-meaning bureaucrat and shrewd conman. He’s clearly adept at running his own enterprise on Cloud City, and thanks to his dealings with Han and other shady characters, he’s got enough connections in the criminal underworld to establish a presence. He can play the politics game and manipulate his enemies into getting what he wants, but it’s all for noble purposes, although sometimes he may come off as a bit selfish.
My only concern is that he reins in his gambling problem, or at the very least, improves his sabacc game, as we can’t have him betting away the presidential cruiser on a weak hand.
The only way this deal could get better is if Lobot agrees to be his running mate.
Elaine Tveit: When I read Kyle’s pick for the leadership of the New Republic, I wished I could have thought of him first, because I think Lando is a brilliant choice. But after consideration, there is someone who, though perhaps not as dashing or as well connected in the underworld as Lando, would make a wise leader suited to handling the friction between the Imperial bureaucrats, the civilians of the galaxy, and the Rebel fighters following the events of Return of the Jedi. And the more I’ve learned about her through research on Wookieepedia, the more confident I am in my choice: Mon Mothma, the senator of Chandrila during the Clone Wars, and the civilian leader of the Rebel Alliance during their war against the Empire.
Mothma was first introduced in a brief scene in Return of the Jedi in which she delivered a speech to the Rebel Alliance; made a voiceless cameo in Revenge of the Sith (though she did have a line or two in a deleted scene); and appeared in a few episodes of The Clone Wars. Interestingly, in the Expanded Universe (now known as Legends), she actually did become the leader of the New Republic after the destruction of the Emperor and the second Death Star.
Exuding calm and a preference for democracy, Mothma excels at navigating the treacherous spheres of politics. With regard to the latter, it is worth noting that she, along with Bail Organa and Padme Amidala, advocated for less production of clones during the Clone Wars to shut down the war and bring the conflict back down to civil discussion. In the latter days of the Republic, she and several other senators planned to oppose Chancellor Palpatine and his misuse of the Republic constitution. In her own words, “We are not Separatists trying to leave the Republic, we are Loyalists trying to preserve democracy in the Republic,” demonstrating her understanding of the need for a well-functioning government, rather than a violent takeover by belligerents. After Palpatine’s rise to Emperor, she remained in the Senate, while she and Bail Organa covertly formed the Rebel Alliance to oppose his regime.
With her history of political activism in the pursuit of democracy and peace, and the fact that she is able to straddle the boundary between freedom fighter and politician with dignity, I believe that Mon Mothma would prove a strong and sensible leader of a new galactic republic. She has my confidence, and my vote (sorry, Lando).
Joseph Prescott: Well now that the Empire has fallen (that we know of) we must immediately put power into a party that can deliver not only the safe upheaval of the remaining parts of the Empire, but also focus on creating a New Republic devoted to the ideals of constructive democracy and nobility. I therefore am voting for the Wookiees as I feel this race has the best intentions at heart for a future based on family values, morals and loyalty.
Although feared by many races as strong warriors, Wookiees are in fact very honourable in their tactics. They have a retractable claws that they use to climb the trees of their home planet Kashyyyk and it is considered highly dishonourable to use them in combat through exile from the community. Their fighting skills are indeed tough and fierce, but they do not immediately jump to warring to solve conflict. Even though they are short tempered they fight when it’s necessary, which is the sign of a good politician as they choose their fights wisely. Their size and strength make for good diplomacy between planets in the system that might not be sure about new powers after the fall of the Empire, plus they will no doubt have protocol droids with them when talking to other species as Shyriiwook is unique to them, and having a protocol droid present will only help with diplomatic resolution.
Since the galaxy has been under the oppression of the Empire it needs to be joined together in democracy and family values. The Wookiee race regards family as their highest priority and are die-hard in their loyalties, so they would be best to reintroduce these morals into the splintered systems in a resolute and effective manner. One of their oldest traditions is that of the Honour Family which comprises of their closest friends and family, and they are willing to accept anyone under this tradition so they will defend whomever they deem to be a part of their Honour Family. They are compassionate, courageous and loyal to the end, exactly what the galaxy needs in power to bring justice and democracy back to the Republic after the evil of the Empire, plus their initial enslavement at the hands of the Empire makes them good candidates for empathising with repressed races and planets.
They also possess quick learning skills, have terrific resilience to the elements and are very useful in a starship. They can help societies and systems ravaged by the Empire to rebuild and develop new communities born of devotion, loyalty and democracy. Their focus on familial hierarchy will ensure the New Republic will rise into friendly and open societies, and intergalactic diplomacy will aim to be resolved in an effective and peaceful manner. Sympathy and compassion will be the building blocks of the New Republic with the skills necessary for aggressive negotiations if needs be. The Wookiees can help reform the galaxy after the Empire’s destructive reign with their nobility. Sympathy and compassion will be the building blocks of the New Republic with the skills necessary for aggressive negotiations if needs be. Vote Wookiee.
Because if they lose… you know the rest!
We at Dork Side of the Force would love to hear from you! Who would you vote as the new leader of the New Galactic Republic? Let us know in the comments below.