Star Wars: 15 of the best character introductions

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

7. Emperor Palpatine – Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

We are getting close to the top-5 character introductions, but coming in at No. 7 is the Emperor himself.

The bad of the bad, you have to tip your hat to the Emperor at being able to play the long game so brilliantly.

Not that we knew it at the time with the original trilogy, we had to wait for the prequels to get all the details, but the Emperor was a master tactician. He played off everyone against each other while he gained more and more power and eventually ultimate control.

And yet we had to wait until Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi before we were introduced to him properly.

Very quickly, before we have any confusion, the Emperor did appear in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back but that was nothing more than a hologram. And it was Clive Revil rather than Ian McDiarmid who played Emperor Palpatine. Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor was the first time we met him in person, hence why we are looking at the introduction in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Now that is cleared up, back to the intro!

By the time we got to see The Emperor for the very first time, we all had a good idea of who this person would be like. This was the man who was in ultimate control, he ruled the Galaxy essentially.

So for him to appear for the very time was a great moment.

Troops of all types had been gathered for his arrival, Tie Fighters were circling, Red Guards where emerging, and the epic Star Wars Empire theme song was booming. And then Darth Vader kneeled.

The man who could make other men quiver by a sheer look, the man who could choke someone to death with the force, bowed to this old man. Clearly, he was more powerful than what met the eye. His introduction truly represented how powerful he was.