Palpatine was the top Sith lord. So, he didn’t need a superweapon. Yet, he was obsessed with creating the Death Star. Why was that? The top reason concerns control, but he had other motivations like deterrence and defense.
Table of Contents
Control by Fear
Palpatine was obsessed with the Death Star because of his quest for control by fear. Although he was the most powerful Sith lord, he could not be everywhere at once. He needed an instrument of fear, to paraphrase Moff Tarkin, to achieve this goal.
Fans here tend to emphasize that explanation, with the Death Star providing “a symbol of total control” and the means to maintain “fear and order” across the galaxy. True enough, it was surely “no coincidence” that Palpatine didn’t dissolve the Imperial Senate until the Death Star was ready.
This discussion board highlights how Tarkin commented on that very idea when he stated how fear of the Death Star would deliver control. We may remember how Tarkin spoke about this promise in A New Hope, but he elaborates more in this scene from Rebels. He believed this “weapon of ultimate supremacy” would ensure “the Empire’s rule with absolute finality.”
The Emperor thought as much too. Palpatine wanted this weapon ready so that he could rule from his throne. We get a sense of the urgency when Tarkin met with Director Krennic in Rogue One to emphasize how the Emperor would “tolerate no further delay.”
As demonstrated by destroying Alderaan, Palpatine and his henchmen thought that one firm demonstration of the Death Star’s power would make the galaxy bend to the will of the Empire. Or, did he?
According to Darth Vader Vol. 2 #8, recapped here, the Emperor appears to have regretted actually using the Death Star on Alderaan. The main purpose of this weapon, and the reason for his obsession, was to “inspire fear, not cause destruction.” To that end, Palpatine sought a technological show of force to control everyone outside his immediate reach.
Symbolic Power, Deterrence, and Defense
Palpatine also wanted the Death Star to serve as a symbol of his power for three extended purposes. The first was to ensure that criminal families like the Hutts and Pykes followed his command and were kept in line. Relatedly to control over the galaxy, Palpatine needs a symbol of power to keep the underworld within his sway or anyone else who may undermine his authority.
The second purpose was to deter Rebel resistance through symbolic power. Although the Rebel Alliance was greatly outmatched by the Empire, it still proved enduring and troublesome to the Emperor. We recently got a sense of the Imperial frustration with these ongoing troublemakers in Andor Season 2. The Death Star would provide a way, in theory, to push aside the Rebels for good.
The third extended purpose was to use symbolic power to defend the Empire against “an extragalactic invasion like the Yuuzhan Vong War in Legends.” While Palpatine tended to downplay the threat of the Rebels, he had reason to be concerned about the Yuuzhan Vong. As this article conveys, the Yuuzhan Vong were “particularly deadly to Jedi and Sith alike.”
According to Legends, this extragalactic species was “outside” or immune to the Force and later almost wiped out the New Republic. The Outbound Flight novel reveals the depths of this threat to the Star Wars galaxy. Palpatine was concerned about it and possibly other outside forces threatening his newly established Empire.
These extended reasons help explain why Palpatine persisted with his plans for a Death Star after the first was destroyed. And, how he discarded both Vader’s and Thrawn’s criticism of this superweapon. The Emperor’s obsession had its reasons but was ultimately misguided.
Palpatine’s Obsession with the Death Star
Palpatine was primarily obsessed with the Death Star because he sought an instrument of control by fear. He also recognized the value of symbolic power to deter criminals and Rebels and protect against outside invaders. His obsession equated with his designs for the galaxy.