Emperor (The Star Wars)

The Emperor is the title of the Head of State of the Galactic Empire. Until the Great Rebellion and the rise of the Knights of Sith, the position had been closely guarded by the Jedi-Bendu for at least 100,000 years. The Emperor in the aftermath of the Knights of Sith rise was Cos Dashit, although the head of the Knights of Sith, Darth Vader and the ambitious Imperial Governor Crispin Hoedaack, planned to usurp the position.

Behind the scenes
This incarnation of the Emperor first appeared in the 1974 rough draft of Star Wars. In this story treatment, the Emperor had been a position used since at least 100,000 years prior to the events of the story and was originally benevolent. This was changed by the final draft to the Galactic Emperor as being a position adopted after the Galactic Republic was reformatted into the Galactic Empire, although hints of its original conception were retained in the novelization for A New Hope, including Obi-Wan Kenobi's mention of there being multiple Emperors, with the later ones becoming corrupt overtime with the prior Emperor being assassinated. Similarly, the same novelization also stated that Palpatine was a puppet ruler.

However, in 2013, a comic book adaptation of George Lucas' rough draft by Dark Horse Comics, titled The Star Wars was announced.

Appearances

 * The Star Wars 1