MovieChat Forums > Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Discussion > Palpatine Vs Thanos: Who's effort was mo...

Palpatine Vs Thanos: Who's effort was more pathetic?

posted 3 years ago by FootOfDavros (6733)
16 replies | jump to latest

Both these charismatic chaps went to great lengths to achieve their aims but in the end their achievements never amounted to much.

"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic."

The Empire on the other hand - after all that convoluted plotting - what twenty five years maybe before toppled? Pathetic.

Thanos, maybe a bit less effort on his part, but nonetheless the sum total of all his shenanigans - put the population back to 1970s levels then give up. So maybe 40 years of glory BUT only on his non time travel altered plane of existence.

What it worth the bother for either of them? Who comes out with greater credibility?

[–] Oskar (273) 3 years ago

Palpy didn't want to create what we'd call a "dynasty", with one family ruling the Empire and the mantle being passed down the generations. He wanted to rule it for the rest of his life ... Which he did. But his life was meant to be longer, artificially extended by Sith Alchemy and trying to crack Plagueis' secret to true immortality.

So technically Palpy achieved exactly what he wanted - he got to rule the Galaxy until Vader threw him down the pit, and his existence was permanently deleted. And even then the Empire would take a while to dismantle.

While Palp's victory depended upon him being alive, Thanos' victory depended upon no-one finding the Stones and magically undoing the Snap.

[–] AckbarsRevenge (3554) 3 years ago

But he survived the pit and got children?

[–] Oskar (273) 3 years ago

I'm only talking about Canon stuff ;)

[–] Ace_Spade (9350) 3 years ago

Nice!

[–] AckbarsRevenge (3554) 3 years ago

But it belongs to Disney now and they say Palps kid is canon.

[–] Ace_Spade (9350) 3 years ago

That's why Oskar's burn was so sweet. Screw them.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7402) 3 years ago

I'm going with Palpatine being less pathetic since he got 25 years or more of what he wanted and Thanos got like a week before Thor chopped his head off thus ending his life without being able to enjoy what he did for long.

[–] FootOfDavros (6733) 3 years ago

^ Good point. I forgot Thanos got the chop on his non altered timeline.

But still, he did achieve his goal, so he still got the 40 years of lower population levels he set out to achieve.

[–] FilmBuff (6691) 3 years ago

I think Thanos is the clear winner here. He achieved his goal, and did exactly what he said he'd do. He knew that once it was done, and his life's work was complete, he was unlikely to survive for long. He went to his remote cabin, destroyed he only means of undoing his deed, and waited for his death. He gets a perfect score.

Palpatine was not as successful. He did eliminate the Jedi order, or at least severely cripple it, and converted their star pupil to his way of thinking, but he was unable to maintain control. 19 years after defeating the Jedi, Luke shows up and blows up his Death Star, and within 4 years, his Empire has crumbled and Darth Vader chucks him to his seeming death. He survives only to watch his weakened Empire's defeat, launches a search for his granddaughter, and finds her only to be killed by her. His life kind of sucks tbh.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Confession here: I LOVE PALPATINE!!! Not that I'm in love with him or anything, but Mc Diarmuid was so damn good that he's one of my favorite characters, he was just so deliciously eeeeevil that he was a blast to watch.

That said, I would say that the competition with Thanos is a dead heat tie. They both got exactly what they were after, and then lost it.

[–] howgamer (3647) 3 years ago

How does Thanos get 40 years of glory? Wasn't it only a few years after that the Avengers return everything to normal?

Palpatine was more successful as he reigned for a few decades and had a more difficult task. Palpatine had to overthrow an order that had been ruling for millennia while also convincing thousands of star systems to join his cause. Thanos just had to collect some stones.

[–] FootOfDavros (6733) 3 years ago

On the original, non altered timeline Thanos' snap was permanent, thus settings the world's population back to 1970s levels (i.e. halved). So he achieved ~ 40 years worth of success.

Palpatine didn't really convince them to join - he pulled a switcheroo then convinced them - via Imperial forces / Death Star - that it would be better to stay in "his cause".

[–] howgamer (3647) 3 years ago

Oh ok, gotcha.

He convinced them and then had to keep the core planets happy during most of the empire's tenure. He didn't dissolve the senate until A New Hope when the Death Star was actually completed which was about 20 years in I guess.

[–] triplea (3577) 3 years ago

I've made the point that half our population was 70's levels and wouldn't have any real impact before - glad someone else has too.

At least the millions palps killed stayed dead.

[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

I don't think the word pathetic means what you think it does.

Palpatine was in total control by the end of AOTC and remained in control until ROTJ. I forget the years, but that's betwwen 25-30 years. he also pretty much wiped out the Jedi in that time.

And Thanos killed half of all life in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. The number of people, animals, and plant life he eliminated is so large there isn't even a word for it.

[–] pjl69 (2431) 3 years ago

I don't even know who the hell Thanos is...