SPECULATION Did Palpatine Believe He Was Doing Good?

To answer OPs question yes I do no one believes there doing bad things they always believe there doing the right even if your a mass murder like Sheev.

 

It was a genocide what happened to the jedi generals

 

Bingo! While reading Darth Plagueis, canon or not, I couldn't help but to think this book reads from the eyes of a psychopath. The moment that Palpatine met Plagueis, he was thinking of himself and how to benefit for his own name. But back on point. Thinking that the sith characters personalities were developed as psychopaths, I would have to say that they might know their actions hurt people (evil) But they just don't have the ability to give a ----- ( fill in your favorite four letter lol!)

 

There was an attempt in the old EU to make a justification based on the Yuuzhan Vong. Personally, I don't see any good intentions in erecting The Empire as much as I see a politcal duality that piggybacks on the Jedi/Sith conflict. Kenobi states that you can control the force and it can control you. The Sith are inherently compelled by the Dark Side to forge an empire; the Jedi conversely are inherently compelled by their concept of balance to support a Parliment/Constitutional Monarchy.

 

”Darth Sidious insistently made clear to Anakin Skywalker, that he did not believe himself to be evil, but simply beyond common morality, calling evil ”a label we all put on those who threaten us”.”

→from ”Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” novelization

 

So he labeled himself as evil in a good for a purpose of him being in power as his own gain

 

Of all Sith Lords, Palpatine is a clear manipulator and psychopath. He wanted unlimited power because he felt he deserved it, and he also knew he wasn't the strongest being in the galaxy. That would be Anakin, who he knew from the start didn't fit most of the obsessive new-age Jedi rules. By throwing hints and praised at Anakin, he created a loyal and loving man, but one who was insecure and looked heavily for approval (ex. Promotion to a Master). In the EU, Palpatine even wants Anakin for his blood and bones, to send his essence into Anakin! He never was going to let Anakin defeat and succeed him, but with Anakin left burnt, much less blood, limbless, etc, his potential was much weaker for Palpatine to use. As far as we know, he could have given Vader crazy physical strength under his suit or armor like Grievous, but instead Vader had to use his rage and adapt to his weakened state, albeit which he did very well.

To answer the question, Palpatine was your typical evil villain, and knew he was evil. Anakin/Vader was simply a tortured soul, who allowed his emotional rage to control him after his failure to balance them with Padme and his Jedi life. In the new comics, specifically Vader, we even see how he longs for his old life, friends, mentors, but suffocates them under his current focus.

 

Nobody thinks that they are evil. From his point of view, the Jedi and Republic were evil and corrupt.

Sidious didn't care about the common people of the galaxy, but he probably felt that eliminating the Jedi was the "right" thing to do, just like how the Jedi felt about the Sith.

We'll probably never know why he did what he did, but it's clear (at least to me) that he didn't consider it evil.

 

Both sides were as bad as eachother.

 

Good is a point of view. Sheeve clearly believes the distinction between good and evil is irrelevant. He acts to achieve his goals. If I had to piece together more of his thinking I would likely think he views morals like Neitche did keeping the sheep down. While those who "will to power" act regardless of taboo.

 

I think in many cases a villain committing evil acts could be doing so "for good intentions". With Palpatine...he is a psychopath, knew it, and used it to his advantage. Even formidable villains like Magneto, Loki, Vader etc. have moments where you see some redeeming qualities, moments of sympathy...or at least that the character *thinks*what they are doing is right to preserve their species or a way of life, etc.. While the 80's were chock full of "pure evil" villains (like Saturday Morning cartoon baddies, one dimensional terrorists etc.) the just plain evil villain is actually pretty hard to come by these days. I stand by Palpatine falling into this category. Palpatine is a psychopath, he's evil, he knows it, and he USES this knowledge to his advantage. Any moments of sympathy, good intent, or redeeming qualities are nothing but manipulation from a villain mastermind.

Some villains show reluctance, indifference, or even regret when faced with life-or-death decisions involving enemies (or subordinates.) Palpatine is not only eager to bring death and destruction...but he clearly DELIGHTS in it. This is a guy who laughs as a father and son are trying to kill each other (and the father happens to be the closest thing to family he has), he laughs as countless rebel AND imperial lives are lost in the battle, he laughs when Anakin turns to the dark side and even while Mace Windu has to deviate from his preferred Jedi calmness to engage in combat with him. He is laughing when he almost dies at Windu's hand and is laughing up until the point where Vader throws him into the pit. It is not Palpatine's actions that convince me he is purposely committing evil acts, it is his delight in doing so and lack of emotional attachment towards anything or anyone apart from power and the dark side. Even at his worst, Vader tried to keep Luke alive (and arguably Leia in ANH).

He was an evil manipulating bastard as a senator and an evil ruthless bastard of an emperor. While he grew more powerful, one thing that never changed was his very clear delight in not only bringing pain and suffering to others but turning others to the dark side as well.

 

Evil.

There was peace in the galaxy until Old Sheevey pulled some strings with the Trade Federation.

 

Even though Palpatine says "good is a point of view", I don't think he believes that. He seems so sinister and loves being evil that I don't think that he thinks he's doing good. He loves the dark side so much and he knows how it affects everyone and everything around him. Vader was lured in by Palpatine but I believe he told him that "good is a point of view" to sway him and not actually believe it himself. Vader definitely still has that good in him deep down. Palpatine does not. At least not that we've ever seen. Vader wanted the empire in order to bring peace. Palpatine wanted the empire for power and control. The power and control slowly took Vader over but he wasn't as far down the hole as Palpatine.

 

Yup.....exacto mundo

 

He had said good is a point of view to Anakin. Palpatine's point of view of good was only self-serving to his own power grab and destroying opposition to it.