Emperor Palpatine is one of the most iconic villains in cinema history, but according to actor Ian McDiarmid, George Lucas had a plan to give the Sith Lord his own TV series. Speaking at Spacecon 2026, McDiarmid revealed that Lucas pitched a show focused on Palpatine's rise to power, drawing parallels to Adolf Hitler's ascent. The project never materialized after Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012.
McDiarmid recalled a lunch meeting with Lucas where the creator outlined the concept: "We could sort of follow the Emperor's progress, like Hitler's, some of that. There might be an assassination attempt, and of course it wouldn't succeed." Lucas even suggested McDiarmid could direct an episode, a prospect that left the actor stunned. "It sounded really exciting," McDiarmid said. "But sadly, that didn't come to pass."
Why the Palpatine Show Never Happened
While the Disney buyout is often cited as the reason, the Palpatine series may have been shelved for creative reasons. The prequel trilogy already chronicled Palpatine's manipulation of Anakin Skywalker and his rise to power. A TV series covering similar ground could have felt redundant. As Andor proved, political thrillers can thrive in the Star Wars universe, but Palpatine's story might have been too familiar.
Lucas had a history of ambitious TV projects that never saw the light of day. He previously pitched Star Wars: Underworld, a mature series set on Coruscant's criminal underbelly, and Star Wars: 1313, a video game starring Boba Fett. Elements of these projects eventually surfaced in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld.
Palpatine's Legacy Lives On
Though Palpatine never got his own show, his influence looms large. In the series finale of The Acolyte, a mysterious figure emerges from a cave—Darth Plagueis, Palpatine's master. Creator Leslye Headland confirmed the cameo, hinting at a deeper exploration of the Sith lineage. Had The Acolyte continued, Plagueis would have played a larger role.
For now, Palpatine remains a big-screen villain, and that might be for the best. His evil is most potent when confined to the movies, where his machinations feel truly epic. But McDiarmid's revelation offers a tantalizing glimpse of what could have been—a deeper dive into the mind of Star Wars' ultimate antagonist.
In a franchise where nearly every character has gotten their own series, Palpatine's absence is notable. But as Darth Maul's crime drama 'Shadow Lord' proves, even the most unlikely villains can find a second life on streaming. Perhaps one day, Palpatine will too.
