Emperor Palpatine Specifically Wanted 1 Jedi Force Power To Be Forgotten Forever

Summary

• Palpatine erased Jedi from the galaxy through propaganda, false information, and eradication of their practices.
• In Dark Horse Comics, Vader dismantles Jedi reputation on Vaklin, focusing on erasing their ability to control animals via the Force.
• Palpatine’s desire to erase this Jedi power remains a mystery, possibly linked to his own creation of monstrous beasts.

After Emperor Palpatine wiped out the entire Jedi Order with Order 66, he didn’t just slaughter countless Jedi, but he effectively erased their existence from the Star Wars galaxy through the spread of false information, an overabundance of anti-Jedi propaganda, and an eradication of their practices. Palpatine scrubbed the galaxy of the Jedi to the point where they were considered by many to be nothing but the stuff of myth barely twenty years after their fall. And there was one Jedi Force power in particular that Palpatine really wanted erased.

In Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Purge – The Tyrant’s Fist by Alexander Freed, Marco Castiello, and Andrea Chella (which takes place in Star Wars Legends continuity), Palpatine has sent Vader to a planet called Vaklin to kill three Jedi leading an insurgency against the Empire. However, Vader can’t just kill the Jedi and leave, as Vaklin has mines of minerals useful to the Empire. Palpatine wants good relations with the planet to maintain that mineral source rather than just using fear to enact his will. Thus began Vader’s systematic dismantling of the Jedi’s reputation on Vaklin.

Vaklin loved Jedi, with monuments and parks dedicated to these cosmic heroes. However, when Imperial forces destroyed those monuments and parks, the Empire built schools and resource centers with off-world opportunities in their place. Slowly, the people of Vaklin realized that the Empire was doing more for them than the Jedi ever did, and they started to accept their new government. However, there was still the matter of Jedi practices remembered on Vaklin that needed to be erased, and one of the most pressing was the Jedi’s ability to command/connect with animals and beasts through the Force.

Palpatine Wanted to Erase the Jedi’s Power to Connect with Beasts – But Why?

Every aspect of the Jedi was erased from the galaxy (with Vaklin being the best example of what was happening in practically every system), but this comic puts a heightened focus on Darth Vader eliminating even the idea that Jedi could connect with animals through the Force before destroying every trace of the fact that this ability was ever possible. So, this begs the question: why did Palpatine want the galaxy to forget the Jedi could command beasts?

While the reason isn’t given, as it could easily be chalked up to this ability being just one of the many Palpatine wanted to see eradicated, there are a few reasons why the Emperor wanted the galaxy to forget the Jedi could control beasts. Perhaps Palpatine wanted to sever the inherent connectedness to all things the Jedi were known for, given his campaign to make them all seem like traitors and terrorists. Or, perhaps the Emperor didn’t want new Force-sensitive people to know this power could even be achieved, as it could potentially be a threat to him.

Whatever the reason, it is interesting that Palpatine wanted this Force power erased, especially given his own affinity for controlling beasts.

Palpatine Doesn’t Just Know How to Control Beasts, He Knows How to Create Them

As noted by Palpatine himself in one of the volumes of his Dark Side Compendium!

The Dark Side Compendium was first introduced in the
Star Wars Legends
storyline,
Star Wars: Dark Empire
!

Shortly after he became Emperor, Palpatine began writing a series of volumes detailing powers that were possible through the dark side, using his own experiences for reference. While he intended it to have many more, the Dark Side Compendium has just three volumes: The Book of Anger, The Weakness of Inferiors, and The Creation of Monsters. Readers see the third part of that volume in action in Star Wars: Darth Vader #11, when Vader goes to Exegol to challenge Palpatine and stumbles upon his twisted laboratory filled with horrific creations.

Creating beasts was clearly integral to Palpatine’s galactic rule, and erasing the idea that Jedi could control beasts was seemingly at the top of his priority list. Perhaps these are connected, with Palpatine making efforts to ensure no Jedi can control the beasts he’s created. Unfortunately, this particular mystery will seemingly remain unsolved. However, what isn’t a mystery is the fact that – for one reason or another – Emperor Palpatine specifically wanted this one Jedi Force power to be forgotten forever in Star Wars.

• 

  Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

  Created By:

  George Lucas

  Cast:

  Ian McDiarmid, Sam Witwer, Ian Abercrombie

  Died:

  Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

  Book:

  Alliance:

  Sith, Empire

  Race:

  Human

  Movies:

  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

  TV Shows:

  Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi

  Franchise:

  Star Wars

  Description:

  Dathan (Technical Son), Rey (Technical Granddaughter)

  First Appearance:

  Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back