Summary
- Palpatine's first Jedi kill played a crucial role in sealing his path to the dark side and establishing himself as a true Sith.
- The Sith tradition of killing a Jedi not only solidified Palpatine as a Sith Lord, but also provided him with a lightsaber powered by a fallen Jedi's crystal.
- Understanding the backstory and upbringing of a Sith apprentice, like Palpatine, can provide intriguing and dark context to his actions in the Star Wars universe.
Emperor Palpatine's first Jedi kill in Star Wars actually goes much deeper than many first thought. Despite being the main villain of the entire Star Wars saga, little has been provided concerning Sheev Palpatine's early life. His history as a Senator of Naboo has been outlined in the prequel trilogy, as have brief details about his Sith upbringing in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith when tidbits were revealed about his master, Darth Plagueis in Star Wars canon.
Interestingly, one upcoming Star Wars TV show has the potential to delve into Palpatine's past through Darth Plagueis. 2024's The Acolyte will center on emerging dark side powers in the waning days of the High Republic, meaning the unknown story of Plagueis – and vicariously through, him Palpatine – could be explored. That said, one aspect of Palpatine's Sith history is clear and means much more to his backstory than first thought given it is a seemingly trivial footnote in the evil life of a Sith: killing a Jedi.
