Philosophical Musings Part II

The second in a series of philosophical studies of Star Wars, using the Films and EU, and of course a little bit of my own personal reflections...

Today's topic:

Resurrection
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One of the biggest contentions that so-called Film Purists have with the Expanded Universe is that materials like Dark Empire, which showed Luke's fall to the Dark Side and the return of Emperor Palpatine as a clone, is that they "trample on Lucas's story". I guess, because I really don't know, but I guess that they think that the return of Palpatine is completely false because that would make Anakin's act at the end of Return of the Jedi meaningless.

Here's where philosophy comes in: I do think that Anakin Skywalker's destruction of the Emperor in Return of the Jedi led to a return of balance to the Force.

I also think that it really was the spirit of the Emperor that returned to life in a cloning chamber on the Imperial throne world of Byss in the Deep Core.

Not possible, Mr. Moderator? I'm a whack job, you say? A total hack of a writer and I shouldn't call myself a Star Wars fan? Please hear me out, if you can take your fingers out of your ears and uncover your eyes for a moment.

Let's look at this from my perspective of balance, as I espoused in my previous entry:

The Force, like nature, is always seeking balance. Something I neglected to mention in my previous blog was that I see the Force, as I see nature, in the following way: the natural order of things does not strive for good, and it does not strive for evil. The natural order of things is survival, at all costs. Nature does not judge actions, only results. Anything that allows nature to keep on going is what will ultimately prevail. The Force is the same way; light and dark are but ideas about the Force that are trivialized and made dogma. But this is another topic for another day.

The Force seeks balance, and the imbalance created by the power-wielding Palpatine led to the end of two institutions that had survived for a thousand generations. So how do you bring balance? You take the power away from that person.

When Anakin destroyed Palpatine on the second Death Star over the forest moon of Endor, he effectively ended the reign of the single most powerful man in the galaxy, who had wielded his power and influence for more than three decades. Surely, even taking the EU into account without my upcoming explanation, that has to amount to something?

The problem then becomes this: if Palpatine didn't die on the Death Star, how does Anakin bring balance to the Force?

Anakin restored the balance of power in the galaxy when he ended the tyranny of the despotic Palpatine. Once the Emperor had been defeated, and the Death Star had been destroyed, this cemented in history an historic day for the galaxy. Whether he was truly dead or not, the victory of the Alliance that day changed the course of events in the years to come.

Within two years of the Battle of Endor, the newly formed New Republic struck at Coruscant (then called Imperial Center) and reclaimed the world for the Republic. A new government was formed, which gained legitimacy and power every day for several years.

So, by this point in the Expanded Universe history, the power of diplomacy had been restored, and the galaxy was working on healing the wounds created by Palpatine's regime. By the time of the campaign of Grand Admiral Thrawn five years after Endor, the power of the Empire had greatly diminished and very little of its former glory remained.

Back to the matter at hand, the imbalance in the Force was (in my opinion) a result of the hording of power by Palpatine. Thus, when he was destroyed and the New Republic replaced his Empire as the legitimate galactic government, his power was effectively lost for good. Even if the Republic had fallen within days of reasserting its presence, Palpatine himself was still believed dead at this point, and the power he once wielded had already been redistributed (or balanced) in other places, and would take years to reacquire.

So, we finally get to the events leading up to Dark Empire. Thrawn has been killed, as has Ysanne Isard, both chief lieutenants in Palpatine's regime and two of a very select company who even knew anything of the Emperor's plans to retake control of the galaxy. Just prior to the comic's events, Palpatine organizes the remaining warlords and former Imperial leaders, without their knowing that he has returned, and has them retake Coruscant, driving out the New Republic. When that happens, however, the tenuous alliance between the warlords crumbles and the Imperial Civil War breaks out, nearly decimating Coruscant. This is where Luke realizes that there is more going on that meets the eye, and allows himself to be captured and taken to Byss, where he comes face-to-face with his new masters, the resurrected Emperor, looking much as he did in Return of the Jedi.

Now, here's where I have to just lay it out for you. Anakin's sacrifice on the Death Star took away Palpatine's hold on the power and control of the galaxy. His resurrection and return in Dark Empire does nothing to change that. In fact, his return actually splinters his former Empire further, to the point which even one of his trusted Royal Guards takes the initiative and destroys the remaining clones of Palpatine.

If you're going to tell me that this negates Anakin's act of love for his son over Endor, then you just haven't been reading. By the time of Dark Empire, Palpatine has tried to reassert himself into the power structure of the galaxy, only to find that it has changed drastically in the time he has been gone. During the height of his power, does anyone really think that the Emperor would have allowed a treasonous Royal Guard get anywhere near his personal doctor and his cloning tanks? He controlled everything prior to Endor, and no one dared oppose him. Yet, by the time of this comic, the New Republic opposes him, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo openly oppose him, former Imperial leaders oppose him, even a few of his Royal Guards oppose him.


Anakin did bring balance to the Force by ending the decades-long tyranny of this despicable man, and even though he returns years later to seek revenge once again, he may be strong in the Force, but his true power, the power he held as the sole master of the galaxy, had been stripped from him.

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Here's hoping that this little dissertation made some sort of sense. Maybe you agree, maybe you don't, either way I'd like to know!

My next philosophical blog will actually be a direct reprint of one of my earliest philosophical studies on the nature of the Force, and the Living Force vs. the Unifying Force.

Until next time, live long and may the Force be with you!

~James T. Skywalker