Money is something that we all need. It helps us afford the necessities of life like food, shelter, and clothing. Money is also needed for comfort items to make our everyday lives on this earth more cheerful.
There’s no doubt that the residents of the Star Wars universe have the same need for money. Those in the galaxy do not share in the monetary currency of our world. Instead, they have something called “Galactic Credits“.
So what exactly are these Galactic credits? Does Darth Vader get paid? These questions and more will be answered in this article. Let’s dive in.
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What Exactly Are Galactic Credits?
Galactic Credits was the official currency of the galaxy. This currency was shared by both sides of the Force, under different names. It was formerly known as Republic Dataries, and later it became known as Imperial Credits.
Simply called Credits, Galactic Credits worked the same way our money does, in that individuals would exchange Credits for goods and services.
Imperial Credits –
Established on the moon Sojourn, the Credit was heavily backed by the InterGalactic Banking Clan (IGBC) on Muunilinst. They continued to back both sides of the currency during the Clone Wars.
As beneficial as the Galactic Credits were, some merchants deemed them worthless and required something more valuable for whatever they were selling.
An example of this came on Tatooine. At the time (during The Phantom Menace), this planet wasn’t under the jurisdiction of the Galactic Republic. As such, the inhabitants of Tatooine did not use the Republic currency, so it had little to no value there.
This is similar to when someone enters the United States and tries to buy something with their native currency. Because of the exchange rate, their money may be no good and be of no use to the merchant.
While we’re speaking of our reality, it has been estimated that one Galactic Credit is approximately 1.44 USD.
Did the Jedi and Sith Get Paid?
Right off the bat, we can say that the Jedi did not get paid. In fact, getting paid would go against everything they stood for.
The Jedi did not believe in personal wealth (they didn’t even believe in forming bonds with loved ones). The Jedi longed to be one with the light side of the Force, and to them, the only way to do this was by being empty vessels for the Force to fill.
As per the Jedi Code, they remained devoid of attachments, emotions, and anything else they thought would prevent them from being filled with the Force, which included material things.
The Jedi may have felt that if they got paid they would become materialistic, which would lead to vanity, which would be a slippery slope to the dark side.
In lieu of getting a salary, the Jedi’s necessities (food, shelter, and clothing) were taken care of by the Galactic Republic as a sort of “thank you” for their service to the Republic.
On the other hand, the Sith were known for being greedy. They hungered for power and were willing to do whatever it took to get there. This included using politics (mainly through Emperor Palpatine) and wealth.
While it is unknown whether the Sith were paid a salary, they have been shown to have gold and enough credits to live comfortably. However, despite their reputation, the Sith did not care for wealth.
All they wanted was power, and the freedom to practice their dark beliefs without being chased by the Republic’s minions. Still, they seemed to be doing pretty well for themselves.
It is speculated that the Sith would simply take the wealth of the terrified people of the planets they destroyed.
Once again, wealth may not have been the Sith’s motive, as they mainly cared about instilling fear in the hearts of these people, but they may have seized the opportunity. They took the credits and precious resources with them.
Did Darth Vader Get Paid?
Now, you may be wondering, “If the Sith are wealthy, that must mean that Darth Vader gets paid a lot, right?” Well, not exactly.
As far as we know, Darth Vader did not receive a salary, although it is plausible that he may have received something small from the Empire, similar to the “thank you” the Jedi got from the Republic.
Furthermore, Darth Vader was the Emperor’s right-hand man and only answered to him. Therefore, he was privy to whatever the Emperor allowed him to have. This could have been anything from military forces to monetary support.
Because of this, Darth Vader had no use for personal wealth, and quite frankly, he did not care for it. Wealth was far more trivial than Vader’s other goals.
Sure, it must have been nice to go from being a slave to never having to worry about where his next meal would come from, but ultimately, Darth Vader just wanted unlimited power.
He wanted to rule the Empire, and for him, that was probably worth more than all the riches in the galaxy.
What Was Darth Vader’s Net Worth?
Vader didn’t really need to worry about money because the Empire covered his expenses. He had a Super Star Destroyer at his command and a whole castle on Mustafar built just for him. That alone tells you he had access to insane resources.
But was any of that technically his? It’s hard to say. A lot of what he had was probably considered Imperial property, but let’s be honest – who was going to tell Vader he couldn’t claim it as his own?
Palpatine also gave him control over several planets, which means he probably got a cut of their income. On top of that, he played a role in various Imperial projects, which might have brought him even more wealth. So yeah, even if he wasn’t collecting a salary (which he probably was), he wasn’t exactly struggling.
Legends Says His Wealth Was Ridiculous
If you look at Star Wars Legends, things get even crazier. In Shadows of the Empire, there’s a brief mention that if Vader’s fortune was turned into physical credits, it would take someone their entire lifetime just to sort through it. That’s how rich he was.
He even had a private account on the banking planet Aargau, completely separate from the Empire. When Leia tried to get a loan for X-wings, Vader used his wealth to try and block it. So yeah, he had money, and he could use it when he wanted to.
But here’s the thing – he didn’t care about wealth. He wasn’t interested in luxury or material things. His only focus was on power and the dark side of the Force. Unlike the greedy politicians and Separatists he fought in the Clone Wars, Vader didn’t chase money. And because the Empire provided for him, his fortune just kept growing without him even touching it.
What Happened to His Fortune After He Died?
So what happened to all that money when Vader was gone? Nobody knows for sure. The New Republic probably seized a lot of it, but there’s also a theory that Luke and Leia inherited some of it. That could explain how Luke was able to fund his Jedi Academy and why Han and Leia could afford a fancy high-rise apartment on Coruscant.
Luke once mentioned that people assumed he was rich, but he chose to live simply as a Jedi. He didn’t avoid wealth because he was broke – he just didn’t see the point in living extravagantly.
How Much Money Did Palpatine Actually Have?
If we’re trying to put a number on it, it’s basically impossible, but let’s break it down with what we do know.
The Galactic Empire ruled over 1.3 to 1.5 million inhabited planets. That’s an insane number to even think about. If we use Earth as a reference point (which has been estimated at about $600 trillion USD in total value), then even averaging out the differences in development levels across planets still leaves us with a number so big it almost doesn’t make sense.
Some planets, though, were worth way more than Earth. Take Coruscant – a city-planet with over a trillion inhabitants, massive industry, and constant economic activity. Just that one planet could be worth $75 quadrillion or more.
And then we’ve got the Empire’s military spending.
- They had 25,000 Star Destroyers
- Millions of TIE Fighters and AT-ATs
- Hundreds of millions of stormtroopers and crew
And then there’s the Death Stars. Based on real-world economic estimates, building a Death Star would cost $850 quadrillion. The Empire built two of them. And that’s not even counting all the other military bases, weapons, and planetary occupations they were funding.
So yeah, Palpatine wasn’t just rich. He had a level of financial power that no one else could even come close to.
Where Did All That Money Come From?
It’s not like Palpatine just found some treasure chest full of credits. He built his financial empire over time, and he had a lot of income sources.
1. He Took Over the Banks
One of the biggest things people forget is that Palpatine literally took control of the galaxy’s banking system. During the Clone Wars, the Republic (which he was secretly running) took control of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. That meant he had access to nearly unlimited funding before he even declared himself Emperor.
2. He Seized Wealth from His Enemies
After the Clone Wars, the Empire absorbed everything the Separatists owned. That included:
- The Trade Federation (who were insanely rich)
- The Techno Union
- The Banking Clan (yes, again – this time officially)
Any assets or resources these groups had? They became Imperial property. And that’s not even counting the planets, factories, and businesses that fell under Imperial control after the war.
3. The Empire Taxed the Whole Galaxy
If you lived in the Empire, you paid taxes. And those taxes weren’t small. Planets that resisted? The Empire didn’t just fine them. They took their resources. This included:
- Heavy taxation on key planets (like Serenno, which Count Dooku ruled before Palpatine took it all)
- Forced labor and resource extraction from occupied worlds
- Control over major trade routes and production centers
The Empire wasn’t just a government – it was a machine built to funnel wealth to the top. And that top was Palpatine.
4. He Controlled the Criminal Underworld Too
Just because the Empire had laws didn’t mean crime stopped. In fact, a lot of criminal organizations worked with the Empire. Groups like the Hutts, Black Sun, and the Pyke Syndicate were able to operate freely as long as they didn’t cause problems for the Empire. And, let’s be real, they probably had to pay a lot to keep it that way.
Did Money Even Matter to Him?
At some point, wealth just stops being about numbers. Palpatine didn’t need money because he controlled everything.
- He built and lost two Death Stars and didn’t care.
- He dissolved the Imperial Senate, which means he could spend whatever he wanted without approval.
- The entire Imperial economy was his personal treasury.
Palpatine wasn’t some billionaire running a company. He was the ruler of everything. He didn’t just have money – he had every resource in the galaxy at his command.