In Star Wars’ original trilogy, it seemed the only threats to Emperor Palpatine were the Rebellion and, in the end, Darth Vader; however, one crucial connection between Star Wars: Tales of the Empire and The Mandalorian proves that, even in the Imperial ranks, Palpatine was destined to fail. Palpatine is no doubt one of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith, but his plan wasn’t flawless. In fact, though many Star Wars movies and TV shows are about or heavily impacted by Palpatine’s creation and dominance of the Empire, even among people who should have been his allies, Palpatine had enemies.
In part, these cracks in the Empire’s own system are reflective of the issues with the Sith. Palpatine wanted to rule with an iron fist, and he failed to take into account the ways that could alienate and even radicalize civilians and Imperial officers alike. Yet, his approach to the Empire did exactly that, and one key line delivered in Tales of the Empire and The Mandalorian revealed that even had Darth Vader never betrayed Palpatine, the Empire’s traitors would have.
In Tales of the Empire, Nightsister of Dathomir Morgan Elsbeth, known for her roles in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka season 1, sought work with the Empire. Intrigued by her interest, Grand Admiral Thrawn visited her and questioned her motivations. It was during this exchange that Thrawn uttered the phrase, “Long live the Empire.” While on the surface this may seem innocuous enough and perhaps even come across as being in support of Palpatine, there is a distinct difference between allegiance to Emperor Palpatine and allegiance to the Empire.
To Palpatine, he was the Empire, just as he had said, “I am the senate” in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. However, not everyone in the Imperial ranks shared that perception. Instead, Thrawn clearly believed in the longevity of the Empire, but he did not see that as inherently or permanently linked to Palpatine. Rather, Thrawn sought to safeguard the Empire itself, no matter who was at the helm. In reality, this was actually quite disparaging of Palpatine, as Thrawn went on to highlight to Morgan the flaws with Palpatine’s Empire.
While Thrawn’s critique of the Empire was fascinating, he wasn’t the only one using this refrain, nor was he the first (in release order) to say it. Although Thrawn had also said “Long live the Empire” in Ahsoka season 1, another Imperial loyalist still beat him to it. Multiple times in The Mandalorian, Moff Gideon, a prominent Imperial remnant, also uttered the phrase. Given that repetition so many years later in the Star Wars timeline, it’s clear that this was not just a sentiment Thrawn had. Instead, this traitorous ideology was passed down through the ranks of the Empire.
Interestingly, Gideon’s use of the “Long live the Empire” slogan in The Mandalorian suggests an entire network of Imperials whose loyalties lay not with Palpatine but with the future of the Empire, ruler aside. It seems likely, even, that Gideon was also displeased with how Palpatine had handled the Empire by the time he was using the phrase in The Mandalorian, as Palpatine had failed and seemingly died by then. While Gideon and Thrawn might not have been outright insurgents in the Empire, it’s clear that many Imperials were already looking beyond Palpatine for the Empire’s future.
In the end, “Long live the Empire” reflects the pervasive issues with Palpatine’s approach to the Empire and to potential threats, many of which are flaws stemming from the Sith. Specifically, because the Sith Rule of Two requires a master and an apprentice, and the apprentice is always seeking to overthrow the master, Palpatine was too obsessed with making sure he wasn’t usurped by Vader. Even when the Rebellion began to take on more legitimacy and true plots were underway to dismantle the Empire, Palpatine feared Vader—not the Rebels.
Presumably, Thrawn and Gideon were both aware that Palpatine’s eyes were elsewhere, and they gave allegiance to the Imperial structure rather than to the Emperor for that reason. Arguably, this would have made someone like Thrawn better equipped to rule; unlike Palpatine, Thrawn didn’t have the distractions of the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force. Thrawn’s sole focus would have been the Empire and getting and maintaining power. Ultimately, the “Long live the Empire” motto, uttered in both The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, demonstrates that, Vader aside, Palpatine was destined to fail.
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