Emperor Palpatine fastidiously hid the actual fact he was a Sith Lord, however there have been some Star Wars heroes and villains who knew the reality. Darth Sidious was all the time a schemer, preferring to function within the shadows moderately than stand within the highlight. When he lastly turned Emperor in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he noticed no have to abandon the secrecy that had served him so properly for yrs. The Empire he dominated was characterised by deceit and distrust, with solely the higher echelons realizing the reality about their chief.

The primary Star Wars novelization suggests the Emperor managed to deceive your entire galaxy into believing he was a kindly and beneficiant man. The evils of the Empire had been blamed on Palpatine’s advisers and army leaders, with the general public believing the Emperor himself was unaware of what was occurring. It was the grandest deceit of all, perpetuated over the course of a long time, though he had clearly deserted it by the point of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Listed below are all Palpatine’s buddies, allies, and enemies who knew the Emperor was a Sith Lord.

Darth Vader

As Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Vader was properly conscious of his Grasp’s true id; the revelation that Palpatine was Sidious was instrumental in Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the darkish facet in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Darth Vader turned the general public face of the darkish facet cult, identified to the galaxy because the Darkish Lord of the Sith however in actuality subservient to his Grasp. Few knew sufficient of the Sith to know there shouldn’t be one Sith however two, and any who did in all probability assumed one in every of Vader’s Inquisitors was truly a Sith Apprentice.

Darth Maul

Though Darth Maul was thought-about a Sith Apprentice, Palpatine all the time considered him as little greater than a instrument. As such, till Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 it was tough to say simply how a lot Maul knew – together with whether or not he knew Darth Sidious’ true id. These questions had been answered through the Siege of Mandalore, when Maul teased Ahsoka Tano with simply sufficient data to recommend he knew all about Order 66 and Darth Sidious’ plans for Anakin Skywalker. Into the Darkish Instances, Maul deliberate to make use of this data as leverage to undermine and destroy Palpatine.

Mas Amedda

A Chagrian politician who served within the Senate from the time of Chancellor Valorum onwards, Mas Amedda was one in every of Palpatine’s closest political allies. He proved himself helpful throughout Palpatine’s rise to energy, serving to him navigate the treacherous waters of galactic politics and witnessing the Sith Lord’s ascension to Emperor. He remained implacably loyal to Palpatine over the subsequent few a long time, however curiously, he was not approached by the Emperor’s droids with a view to take part in Operation Cinder after Palpatine’s demise in Return of the Jedi.

Sly Moore

Sly Moore served as Palpatine’s Chief of Employees throughout his time as Chancellor. Not solely was Sly Moore conscious of Darth Sidious’ true nature, she herself was truly a Power-sensitive, efficiently concealing her personal darkish facet powers from the Jedi. The Umbaran lady’s previous continues to be one thing of a thriller, however she remained unflinchingly loyal to the Emperor all through his reign, and she or he was nonetheless a power-player in Palpatine’s authorities till shortly earlier than Return of the Jedi. She seems to have vanished after the destruction of the Second Loss of life Star, maybe heading to Exegol.

Grand Moff Tarkin

One of many Empire’s foremost army minds, James Luceno’s novel Tarkin confirms the Grand Moff turned shut sufficient to determine his grasp, the Emperor, was truly a Darkish Lord of the Sith; he likewise deduced that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker. However Tarkin had no actual curiosity within the secrets and techniques of the Sith, nor was he in any respect thinking about difficult the Emperor’s reign. He proved himself a loyal ally, along with his so-called “Tarkin Doctrine” – of utilizing worry to deliver the galaxy to heel – becoming in properly with the Sith philosophy. Tarkin died on the First Loss of life Star.

Grand Admiral Thrawn

The Chiss strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn was the one alien to realize such a excessive army rank within the Imperial Navy, primarily as a result of his information of the Unknown Areas was helpful to the Emperor. Timothy Zahn’s novels have strongly urged Thrawn – like Tarkin – swiftly deduced Palpatine’s true id as a Darkish Lord of the Sith. Missing any actual curiosity within the methods of the Jedi and the Sith, Thrawn considered all this as some type of mental curiosity and disregarded it with a view to proceed doing his responsibility in service to the Emperor.

Gallius Rax

Gallius Rax was a Sith cultist who was launched in Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy. He seems to have numbered among the many Emperor’s closest advisers, even anticipating his resurrection after the Battle of Endor. Nonetheless, for all Rax held Palpatine in excessive esteem, he didn’t totally perceive the methods of the darkish facet; he was conscious the Emperor sensed a darkish presence within the Unknown Areas, probably the traditional Sith world of Exegol, however he was unable to know why solely Palpatine may detect it. He truly thought the Emperor had gone mad.

Ochi of Bestoon

The Sith murderer Ochi of Bestoon was first talked about in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, recognized because the agent of Palpatine who killed Rey’s mother and father. He is since been woven into the Star Wars timeline, launched within the present Darth Vader run as an agent of the Emperor who was assigned to focus on Vader himself for his failure in The Empire Strikes Again. Ochi appears to know much more of the Emperor’s secrets and techniques than even Darth Vader, with dialogue hinting he was conscious of Palpatine’s makes an attempt to beat demise and the cultists who had been primarily based on Exegol.

Grasp Yoda

Grasp Yoda discovered the painful reality about Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and he even engaged the Darkish Lord of the Sith in a determined duel within the Senate chambers. Yoda subsequently retreated to the planet Dagobah to meditate upon the methods of the Power and proceed his apprenticeship to the Power Ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn. He was properly conscious he was not the one who would put the galaxy to rights.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Like Grasp Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered Palpatine’s true id in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The place Yoda went after Palpatine, Obi-Wan focused Darth Vader himself. He subsequently retreated to the desert planet Tatooine to observe over the toddler Luke Skywalker, and he got here to consider Luke was the true Chosen One who was destined to destroy the Sith. Obi-Wan appears to have largely stored his head down through the time of the Empire, cautious of drawing an excessive amount of consideration to himself for worry of exposing Luke to hazard, and he died within the first Star Wars movie.

It is tough to say whether or not or not any of the Insurgent leaders knew Palpatine was a Sith Lord. Though Bail Organa heard Yoda and Obi-Wan speaking after their fateful battles with Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, he was by no means truly advised. He might properly have put the items collectively, nonetheless.

Ahsoka Tano

Anakin Skywalker’s previous apprentice Ahsoka Tano was one of many few to determine Palpatine was a Sith Lord. E.Ok. Johnston’s novel Ahsoka is basically set shortly after the occasions of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and it sees Ahsoka hunted by one of many Imperial Inquisitors.

”
The shadow was virtually definitely one of many darkish facet’s creatures. Ahsoka had no thought what kind of factor it could be, however no matter it was couldn’t be that highly effective, as a result of it hadn’t been capable of monitor down Hedala. That dominated out Palpatine himself, not that the Emperor may simply present up on a planet with out inflicting an excessive amount of alarm.
“

Ezra Bridger

That fateful encounter within the World Between the Worlds virtually definitely noticed Ezra Bridger work out the Emperor was a Darkish Lord of the Sith. Ezra was no stranger to the methods of the Sith, having discovered from a Sith Holocron and mistakenly entertained a bond with Darth Maul, and he would undoubtedly have acknowledged Sith lightning. The curious query is whether or not he ever selected to inform any of his buddies; Ezra might properly have merely assumed everyone larger up within the chain of Insurgent command knew this, and so stored it to himself.

Eneb Ray

One Insurgent spy did, nonetheless, uncover Palpatine’s Sith powers. The Emperor tricked an agent named Eneb Ray into mustering all of the Insurgent spies on Coruscant to make an assassination try that performed into his arms. Eneb Ray managed to flee the lure and launch an assault upon Palpatine himself, just for the Emperor to dam the blaster bolts and undertaking a lethal volley of Power lightning. Though Eneb Ray survived, he deserted the Insurgent Alliance as a result of he believed their techniques had been too weak, and sought revenge upon Palpatine and the Empire. Evidently, he did not final lengthy.

Qi’ra

Han Solo’s former love curiosity, Qi’ra turned concerned with the felony empire of Darth Maul generally known as Crimson Daybreak. As seen on the finish of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Qi’ra apprenticed herself to Darth Maul. He taught her an amazing deal, together with the secrets and techniques of the Sith, and she or he devoted herself to persevering with her grasp’s work. Qi’ra taught lots of Crimson Daybreak’s higher echelons the key of Palpatine’s true id, main them in an try and overthrow the Sith. Key members of Crimson Daybreak included:

• An skilled in Sith and Jedi lore generally known as the Archivist
• A Nightsister murderer named Deathstick
• Qi’ra’s closest advisers, Trinia and Margo
• The bounty hunter Chanath Cha

The Knights of Ren

Launched within the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the Knights of Ren are feared throughout the Outer Rim. Brokers of the darkish facet, they lack the type of energy you’d anticipate from the Sith, however solely got here to the Emperor’s consideration when Qi’ra recruited them to attempt to undermine his reign. It is unclear whether or not the Knights of Ren already knew Palpatine was a Sith or whether or not they had been advised this by Qi’ra, however they nonetheless initially labored in opposition to Palpatine, earlier than bowing to his rule.