Star Wars: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Empire
5. The Empire Didn't Really Rule The Entire Galaxy
Time and time again during the rise of the Galactic Empire, it's made clear that the Emperor and his Apprentice Darth Vader are looking to rule the entire galaxy.
And by the time of the original trilogy, it does seem like they're well on their way to achieving that villainous goal. Their Death Star was up and running (for a bit), wiping out any planet they wanted to and striking fear into the hearts of countless others. It appeared as though the entire galaxy had no choice but to obey the evil organisation.
It wasn't always as simple as that, though.
Take Jabba the Hutt, for example. In the wake of the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire desperately needed to make a deal with the crime lord - one that involved him giving them military resources in exchange for payment and the freedom to carry on operating his criminal empire.
This gangster slug and his Hutt Clan weren't the only ones the Empire allied with rather than ruled either. The Mandalorian Protectors on Concord Dawn also formed a mutually beneficial alliance with Papa Palpatine at one point, too.
So, while the Empire did typically have a habit of controlling through force, it did occasionally work with its enemies in order to get what it wanted.