10 Perplexing Sci-Fi Film Problems Solved By The Internet

5. Was Emperor Palpatine Born Evil?

Darth Vader gets all the glory for the cool helmet and husky tones, but the ultimate villain of both Star Wars trilogies was definitely Emperor Palpatine. Rising through the ranks from Senator of Naboo to the Emperor of the entire Galactic Empire, he was matched in his cunning and Machiavellian machinations only by his control over the Force. You have to be pretty gifted in the ways of the Dark Side to do the whole lighting-bolts-from-the-fingers trick, and his ability to manipulate Jedis of Anakin Skywalker's stature speaks to his mastery of the Force. So how come the Jedis never found him as a kid? And what would happen if they did? Like the Syndrome discussion, it comes down to that contentious psychological debate of nature vs nurture. Was he born sensitive to the Dark Side, and thus lost to the good guys from the start? Or was he just raised by a couple of jerks? In fact his level of power led to him being mentored by Master Yoda himself, who sees him not only as a potential force for good in the universe but also a passionate, selfless sort. Turns out he actually manipulated his parents and everyone around him the whole time, before hooking up with Darth Plagueis and going full Dark Side. So yeah, despite being effectively raised by the nicest guy in the galaxy, he turned out evil.