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<blockquote data-quote="Deset Gled" data-source="post: 5416258" data-attributes="member: 7808">The short version:The Star Wars movies (both trilogies) are essentially history as written by the victor.&nbsp; They are told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, who paints the defeated enemy as pure evil, while the winning side is pure light.&nbsp; In reality, neither side is completely good or bad.&nbsp; However, when you look at true actions that took place and ignore most of the characterization used to brainwash the viewer into believe who is right at wrong, I believe that the galaxy was probably better off as an Empire than the Republic.The Galactic Republic is really a corrupt and inefficient government, as is clearly shown in Phantom Menace.&nbsp; The Jedi Order is actually an oppressive religious collective, positioning themselves as the only legally recognized religion, and exerting control over the government while refusing to allow the government to have any control over them.Palpatine was simply desperate to reform the government and stop the prosecution from the Jedi.&nbsp; To do so, he engineered a war that could be fought with no citizens of the Republic needing to fight; only droids and clones would battle, and the Jedi were basically brought down from the inside.&nbsp; After he gained power, he led what was essentially the most peaceful 20 year span in the history of the galaxy (note the long series of wars that predate the prequel trilogy, and endless string of confilcts that arise after the New Republic takes over).I will admit Palpatine used some less-than-saintly methods, but I believe he was essentially a neutral good character, only delving into questionable acts when absolutely necessary.&nbsp; Also, the amount of his evil (and the amount of evil inherent in the Jedi Order) varies quite a bit based on what material you consider.&nbsp; Deciding what material is canon and what isn't is a key part in determining if Palpatine is a villain or protagonist.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Deset Gled, post: 5416258, member: 7808"] The short version: The Star Wars movies (both trilogies) are essentially history as written by the victor. They are told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, who paints the defeated enemy as pure evil, while the winning side is pure light. In reality, neither side is completely good or bad. However, when you look at true actions that took place and ignore most of the characterization used to brainwash the viewer into believe who is right at wrong, I believe that the galaxy was probably better off as an Empire than the Republic. The Galactic Republic is really a corrupt and inefficient government, as is clearly shown in Phantom Menace. The Jedi Order is actually an oppressive religious collective, positioning themselves as the only legally recognized religion, and exerting control over the government while refusing to allow the government to have any control over them. Palpatine was simply desperate to reform the government and stop the prosecution from the Jedi. To do so, he engineered a war that could be fought with no citizens of the Republic needing to fight; only droids and clones would battle, and the Jedi were basically brought down from the inside. After he gained power, he led what was essentially the most peaceful 20 year span in the history of the galaxy (note the long series of wars that predate the prequel trilogy, and endless string of confilcts that arise after the New Republic takes over). I will admit Palpatine used some less-than-saintly methods, but I believe he was essentially a neutral good character, only delving into questionable acts when absolutely necessary. Also, the amount of his evil (and the amount of evil inherent in the Jedi Order) varies quite a bit based on what material you consider. Deciding what material is canon and what isn't is a key part in determining if Palpatine is a villain or protagonist. [/QUOTE]

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