Star Wars: Why Did It Take Palpatine Nearly 20 Years To Shut Down The Senate?

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiousis the greatest evil mastermind in Star Wars, so why did it take him so long to dissolve the Senate during the Dark Times? Throughout Star Wars movies and TV shows, Palpatine has proven what a nefarious political genius he really is. Yes, Palpatine in part got away with all he did because he likely hid himself in the Force using Force concealment, one of the canon Force powers in Star Wars.

Even beyond that, though, Palpatine was quietly working on an intricate political scheme to take control of the entire galaxy for more than a decade. Clearly, he was capable of so much more than anyone could have suspected. Given that's the case, it only raises even more questions about why he would allow the Senate to stand so long after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

Palpatine Used The Senate As A Distraction For His Opponents

Palpatine's Senate Plot Essentially Created A Facade

Shows like Star Wars: The Bad Batch revealed the extent to which Palpatine had control over the galaxy, even with opposition remaining in the Senate. Palpatine simply had too much power, even immediately after the fall of the Jedi and the Republic, to be stopped by the few senators who opposed him. That doesn't mean the Senate was of no use to him, though. On the contrary, Palpatine kept the Senate going throughout most of the Dark Times because it offered a distraction for his opponents and gave them false hope.

Because something like the old political system still stood during the Imperial Era, Palpatine's political opponents believed they had a fighting chance to overthrow him. Mon Mothma is an excellent example of this, as she believed that Palpatine and the Empire could be stopped without violent action. In the end, this was only another ingenious facade by Palpatine. There was sadly never any real hope of the Empire being stopped by political means.

The Emperor Made A Mistake When He Shut Down The Senate

For Once, Palpatine Pulled The Trigger Too Early

In the canon Star Wars comic book Darth Vader #1, written by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca, it is revealed that Palpatine ultimately dissolved the Senate because he believed he no longer needed it once the Death Star was complete. That was just the short-term plan. Unfortunately for Palpatine, this only solidified that Palpatine's control of the Senate hurt the Empire in the long run.

By keeping the Senate operating while he had control, Palpatine helped the right people get connected to the Rebellion, such as Senator Chuchi. This was made all the worse when, very soon after the Death Star's completion, it was destroyed by Luke Skywalker. At that point, Palpatine was weaponless (at least in terms of the battle station with the capacity to destroy an entire planet), had dropped the illusion of the Senate, and was facing the united efforts of the Rebellion.

The concept behind maintaining the Senate was genius in theory. It gave his opposition just enough hope to play by rules that were never going to work. Despite the brilliance of that initial idea, Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious was defeated in the end specifically because of the limitations of his plans with the Senate and the Death Star.