Why Is Palpatine Thought of As Some Manipulative Evil Genius Despite Him Ending Up Always Electrocuting Himself at the End of Every Trilogy?

Have you ever noticed that at the end of each Star Wars trilogy, Palpatine ends up electrocuting himself with his own Force Lightning? 

Despite his brilliant, well-crafted plans, the Emperor always seems to meet the same fate in each saga. 

But why does one of the most manipulative masterminds in the galaxy keep making this fatal mistake? 

Let’s break down the different scenarios across the trilogies to uncover the answer.

Palpatine and Every Time He Electrocutes Himself

1. The Original Trilogy: Return of the Jedi

The original trilogy is where many of us were first introduced to Palpatine, and it’s here that we see his manipulative prowess come into play. 

The entire trilogy revolves around Luke’s journey from a farm boy to the last Jedi, but of course, we know that Luke doesn’t bring down the Empire alone. His father, Anakin Skywalker, plays a critical role in that final confrontation.

In Return of the Jedi, the climactic moment comes when Luke refuses to strike down his father, Darth Vader, and tosses away his lightsaber. 

He tells Palpatine, “I’ll never turn to the dark side. I’m a Jedi, like my father before me,” which is essentially Luke’s defiance of everything Palpatine stands for.

Palpatine doesn’t take kindly to this rejection and immediately resorts to Force Lightning, attempting to torture and destroy Luke for his insolence. 

What he doesn’t foresee is Vader’s redemption. Watching his son suffer, Vader’s fatherly instincts take over, and he turns on Palpatine, grabbing the Emperor and throwing him down the Death Star reactor shaft. 

Palpatine continues using Force Lightning even as he’s being lifted by Vader, ultimately electrocuting them both.

Once again, Palpatine’s arrogance and overconfidence cost him everything. He’s so blinded by his need to destroy Luke that he fails to recognize the shift happening right in front of him—Vader’s return to the light.

2. The Prequel Trilogy: Revenge of the Sith

In Revenge of the Sith, we finally see Palpatine’s long game come to fruition. His manipulation of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi Council, and the entire Republic is a masterpiece of deception. 

This is the film where all of Palpatine’s carefully laid plans are revealed, and it’s hard to find any flaw in his strategy. 

Even when Palpatine exposes himself as the Sith Lord to Anakin, it’s all part of his plan. He knows that Anakin will report him to the Jedi, but Palpatine is already one step ahead.

The tension peaks in the now-iconic showdown between Palpatine and Jedi Master Mace Windu. 

As the battle unfolds, Palpatine unleashes his signature move: Force Lightning. Windu deflects the attack back at him with his lightsaber, scarring Palpatine’s face. 

While this might look like a setback, Palpatine uses it to his advantage. 

He manipulates Anakin into believing the Jedi are traitors and convinces him that only the dark side can save Padmé. 

This confrontation marks the final stage of Anakin’s fall to Darth Vader, sealing Palpatine’s control over the galaxy.

3. The Sequel Trilogy: The Rise of Skywalker

In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine’s return marks a shocking twist, as it’s revealed he has been orchestrating events behind the scenes, manipulating both the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke.

As the climactic battle unfolds on Exegol, Rey faces Palpatine, who is once again rejuvenated by the dark side and ready to assert his dominance using his infamous Force Lightning.

As Palpatine unleashes a torrent of lightning, confident that Rey is no match for him, things quickly escalate.

Rey, struggling to withstand the assault, calls upon the strength of past Jedi, drawing on their wisdom and power.

In a moment of resolve, she pulls not just one but both Skywalker lightsabers to her, symbolizing the legacy of the Jedi and their enduring fight against the Sith.

Using the lightsabers, Rey deflects Palpatine’s lightning back at him, much like Luke did in Return of the Jedi.

But this time, it’s not just about weakening him—the power is too much, and Palpatine’s own energy overwhelms him, disintegrating him into dust. 

It’s a fitting end, as once again, his overconfidence and refusal to stop unleashing his own attack leads to his undoing.

So Why Was Palpatine a Genius Despite His Repeated Failures?

By now, we’ve looked at how Palpatine ended up electrocuting himself in every trilogy. 

Let’s break down why this happened, despite his seemingly masterful plans, and how his genius still shines through—even when things go wrong.

Palpatine Didn’t Sense the Betrayal of Darth Vader

In Return of the Jedi, Palpatine’s plan was to turn Luke to the dark side, replacing his father, Darth Vader. Palpatine believed Luke was the perfect replacement young, powerful, and ready to be molded. 

However, Palpatine fails to see the deep emotional bond between Luke and his father. 

His hatred for the Jedi and his overconfidence in his manipulative abilities made him blind to Vader’s inner turmoil.

When Luke defied Palpatine by refusing to strike down his father, Palpatine responded with Force Lightning, intending to destroy Luke for his disobedience. 

In that moment, Palpatine was so focused on punishing Luke that he completely missed the shift happening in Vader. 

The Emperor’s single-minded desire to crush the Jedi led to his downfall, as he didn’t anticipate Vader’s redemption and return to the light.

Palpatine Grand Plan Letting Anakin to Choose

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine’s manipulation is flawless up until the confrontation with Mace Windu. 

He orchestrates a war, brings the Jedi to their knees, and turns Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader—all according to his grand plan. 

When the Jedi finally discover his true identity, Palpatine already knows Anakin will come to his aid.

Palpatine allows himself to be defeated by Mace Windu’s lightsaber and even lets the Force Lightning scar him. 

This wasn’t a moment of weakness—Palpatine was playing the long game.

By allowing Windu to temporarily gain the upper hand, he created a scenario where Anakin had to choose: let the Jedi kill Palpatine or save him. 

Palpatine’s self-inflicted wounds heightened Anakin’s fear of losing Padmé, ultimately pushing him to embrace the dark side.

The Emperor Underestimates The Power of Rey

In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine’s return marks another grand plan to reclaim power. He orchestrates the First Order from behind the scenes and creates a fleet of Star Destroyers, ready to dominate the galaxy. 

But like before, his overconfidence in his own power and underestimation of his enemies lead to his downfall.

As Palpatine faces Rey in the final battle, he once again relies on Force Lightning, confident that his power will be enough to destroy her. 

What he doesn’t anticipate is Rey’s ability to connect with the Jedi of the past and use their strength to deflect his lightning. 

Just like before, Palpatine is undone by his refusal to stop attacking, believing that sheer power will always win. 

The result? His own lightning is reflected back at him, disintegrating him in the same way he was defeated in Return of the Jedi.