There are many reasons why Palaptine hated the Jedi, (and some I hope will surprise you). It wasn’t simply because he became a Sith lord and the Jedi are his natural enemies.
But because of specific things the Jedi have done. Both to the galaxy under the name of good and to him personally. (Or rather failed to do to him and countless others).
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Why Does Palpatine Hate The Jedi So Much?
This comes down to two things. Different religions, and in Palpatine’s eyes, the Jedi were wasting their talents by serving the Republic.
He didn’t understand why the Jedi would serve non-Force users when using the Force as they saw fit.
Palpatine believes(s)d (is he dead for real this time?) those who can use the Force are superior to those who can’t. (This is regardless of which side they follow).
One of the major disputes between these groups is how they view life.
Where the Jedi are content to spend their years in the service of others and the Force (most will become one with it while a few become Force ghosts), the Sith were more interested in bending the Force to their will.
And some would take it a step further by pursuing ways to obtain eternal life. Palpatine is said to be one of these, and has succeeded in legends and canon (from a certain point of view).
The fandom is divided on this but Palpatine has two theories in episode nine. The first is that he survived the fall in episode six.
We know that it’s possible, considering Darth Maul was sliced in half and fell after his duel with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Palpatine is stronger than Darth Maul with way more experience.
So, this isn’t much of a stretch, (though his connection to Ray is strange and feels more like a tacked on detail, rather than being thought out). The second, (and far more likely), is that he was cloned and somehow attached his essence to his new body.
This works in both canon and legends as we know that cloning exists (we have a war named after clones, after all), and thanks to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, (2010). We know cloning a Force user is also possible.
In legends, he’s made an army of clones that he could switch between at will. Thus, making it impossible to truly kill him.
What Did Palpatine Think Of The Jedi?
He believed they were arrogant. It was one thing to decide to spend their lives in service to others, but in some cases the Jedi were worse than the Sith.
Palpatine believed that the Jedi were hypocritical and didn’t deserve to use the Force. They kidnapped children and were weak.
(This practice came back to haunt them in legends.) The emperor couldn’t stand the way the Jedi claimed to be peacekeepers yet would cross the line when they deemed it necessary.
We see this in episode one, when Qui-Gon Jinn makes a deal to take Anakin with them. He could have tried to find a way to free Anakin’s mother, yet didn’t.
He only cared about the boy because he believed Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one. (For a group that’s supposed to be wise, he really should have found a way to free her at least).
What Jedi Did Palpatine Hate The Most?
This has been widely debated, but the simplest answer is all of them.
Hate is key to the Dark Side, and Palpatine was full of hate and cunning.
Even Anakin Skywalker was no exception, and that hate continued after he became Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a popular choice given his battle prowess, negotiation tactics, and of course, being the Jedi responsible for raising Anakin after Qui-Gon’s death.
Mace Windu is here for much of the same reasons as Obi-Wan, but he also wielded a purple lightsaber (and the Sith hate that lightsaber more than any other). But the one Jedi that makes the most sense is Yoda.
When Palpatine lived a double life as Supreme Chancellor, he would often find himself in the same room as Yoda. The two would form a friendship (though this was only on Yoda’s end), and would discuss the war weekly.
It’s unclear if Palpatine ever tried to get Yoda to join the Dark side, but his feelings towards the Grand Master stemmed from a mix of fear and respect. Which is a rare thing in any part of the timeline.
Palpatine took a perverse pleasure in being so close to Yoda, yet remaining undetected for so long. Yet when the truth was known, Palpatine didn’t want to fight Yoda.
During their duel it was clear that the two were well matched, and it was only due to Palpatine switching tactics and using Force lighting (as well as throwing at Yoda using the Force). That the duel ended with both alive.
Though Yoda admits his defeat, Palpatine didn’t try to find him after Order 66. He even told Darth Vader that it wasn’t important to find him.
The age of the Jedi had passed, and to the emperor, the Grand Master was no longer a threat. With the Jedi scattered, he viewed them as humbled before the Sith.
Did Palpatine Draw Power From Hatred Or Suffering?
When he was training under the Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis, Palpatine rarely suffered. But, he had plenty of hate to use.
The emperor preferred to let his underlings do his dirty work, yet also delighted in causing others great pain. This is one reason why he prefers to fight without a lightsaber.
During the final duel with Luke Skywalker in episode six, Palpatine tortured the young Jedi before Darth Vader. Enjoying the pain he was causing and confident that he couldn’t be beaten.
Other Points Of Interest
Palpatine is one of the strongest Sith Lords. His cunning was only outweighed by his pride.
In Conclusion
The emperor had an intense hatred for the Jedi, yet could still respect and possibly feared them. The idea of facing an army of his clones is terrifying. Thank you for reading.