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Star Wars

Emperor Palpatine

Emperor Palpatine is the ruler of the Galactic Empire and, secretly, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the master behind Darth Vader. He first appeared as a hologram in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, played by the actress Marjorie Eaton with a voice by Clive Revill; a 2004 re-release replaced that scene with Ian McDiarmid.

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Star WarsDebut 1980filmanimationtelevisiongames

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First appearance
The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lucasfilm
Created by
George Lucas
Also known as
Darth Sidious, Sheev Palpatine
Universe
Star Wars
Appears in
film, animation, television, games, comics

Who is Emperor Palpatine?

Emperor Palpatine is the ruler of the Galactic Empire and, secretly, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the master behind Darth Vader. He first appeared as a hologram in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, played by the actress Marjorie Eaton with a voice by Clive Revill; a 2004 re-release replaced that scene with Ian McDiarmid. McDiarmid played him in person in Return of the Jedi in 1983, as a hooded, withered old man who uses Force lightning and is finally thrown into a reactor shaft by Vader. The prequel trilogy from 1999 to 2005 showed his earlier life as Senator Palpatine of Naboo, who manipulated a galactic crisis to take absolute power, and he appears in the animated series The Clone Wars. He returned unexpectedly in The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, and the brief line explaining his return became a widely shared joke. His black hood, pale face and yellow eyes are the defining image, along with the crackling blue lightning of his hands. On shirts he appears as the Empire's figurehead or as a villain in group designs with Vader and Maul, and the Galactic Empire crest often stands in for him.

Emperor Palpatine: the details

First appearance
The Empire Strikes Back, 1980, as a hologram
First hologram
Marjorie Eaton, voiced by Clive Revill; replaced by Ian McDiarmid in 2004
Played by
Ian McDiarmid, from Return of the Jedi (1983)
Sith name
Darth Sidious
Before the Empire
A senator from Naboo in the prequel trilogy
Signature power
Force lightning
His return
The Rise of Skywalker, 2019

Why Emperor Palpatine endures

The mastermind of the Star Wars saga, whose rise to power the prequels were built around.

What Emperor Palpatine looks like on a shirt

Signature motif: Black hooded robe, pale face, yellow eyes, blue Force lightning

Blue lightning on black is the most striking design. Imperial crest designs are a subtler option.

Lightning and hood designs on black for adults and teens; group designs with Vader and Maul.

Emperor Palpatine T-shirts

See all on Amazon →
Star Wars Emperor Palpatine Darth Sidious Unlimited Power T-Shirt, Men, Royal Blue, Large
STAR WARS
Star Wars Emperor Palpatine Darth Sidious Unlimited Power T-Shirt, Men, Royal Blue, Large
$19.99on amazon.com · Sep 17, 2026
Check sizes and price on Amazon

Buying from outside the United States? Prices shown are amazon.com in US dollars. Links redirect international readers to their local Amazon, where pricing, sizing and availability are shown in local terms.

Price and availability are taken from Amazon at the time shown and can change. The price on Amazon at the time of purchase applies.

Sizes: kids to adult

These links run a live Amazon search for Emperor Palpatine shirts in each US size band. Amazon shows what is currently listed; availability in a particular size is confirmed on the product page, not here.

BandAgesUS sizesSearch
Toddler 2–4 years 2T, 3T, 4T Search toddler sizes
Kids 4–7 years XS (4/5), S (6/7) Search kids sizes
Youth 8–14 years M (8), L (10/12), XL (14/16) Search youth sizes
Adult 15+ S–3XL Search adult sizes

US sizing shown. Cut and measurement vary between brands — see the size guide before ordering, especially for youth sizes. Base search: Star Wars Emperor Palpatine t-shirt.

Who has played Emperor Palpatine

PerformerProductionYearType
Ian McDiarmidReturn of the Jedi1983Live action

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Emperor Palpatine T-shirts: common questions

Who created Emperor Palpatine?

Emperor Palpatine was created by George Lucas, first appearing in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 (Lucasfilm).

What does a Emperor Palpatine T-shirt usually look like?

Black hooded robe, pale face, yellow eyes, blue Force lightning. Lightning and hood designs on black for adults and teens; group designs with Vader and Maul.

Are Emperor Palpatine T-shirts made for children?

Yes — Emperor Palpatine appears on our kids pages, and shirts are commonly made from US toddler 2T up through youth XL.

Who has played Emperor Palpatine?

Emperor Palpatine has been played on screen by Ian McDiarmid (Return of the Jedi, 1983).

How much does a Emperor Palpatine T-shirt cost?

Emperor Palpatine shirts we currently track start from around $17.99 on amazon.com. Every price on this page is dated, because they move.

This profile was compiled from published reference material about Emperor Palpatine — first appearance, creator credits and production history — and is a secondary source rather than a substitute for the original publication. Where a detail could not be corroborated it has been left out. We do not physically test garments; see how we work for what that means and what it does not.

Reference. This profile was compiled from published sources. For the character's full publication history see Wikipedia (Wikidata Q51770). Our method and limitations are stated in full.

CharacterTshirts.com is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or connected to any character rights holder, publisher, studio or network named on this site. All character names and titles are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the products described.