Sheev Palpatine's Timeline | Star Wars Guide

Sheev Palpatine (Darth Sidious) was born in 84 BBY and died in 35 ABY.

Sheev Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, was a human politician from Naboo who rose to become Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and ultimately Emperor of the first Galactic Empire. Trained in the dark side by Darth Plagueis, he cultivated dual identities — the affable public senator Palpatine and the shadowy Sith master Sidious — using both to engineer the galaxy's collapse. He manipulated the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo to win the chancellorship, orchestrated the Clone Wars from both sides, and used the conflict as a pretext to purge the Jedi Order through Order 66 and declare himself Emperor in 19 BBY. He ruled the galaxy through fear and the dark side until he was cast down by Darth Vader at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. Yet Sidious cheated death: having prepared cloned bodies and a hidden cult on Exegol, he returned decades later, only to be finally destroyed by Rey and the combined spirits of the Jedi in 35 ABY. He is remembered as the galaxy's greatest villain and the architect of the Republic's fall and the Empire's rise.

Homeworld: Naboo

Species: Human

Force Sensitive: Yes

84 BBY - Birth on Naboo

Sheev Palpatine is born into an aristocratic family in Theed, the capital of Naboo.

~65 BBY - Apprenticeship to Darth Plagueis

As a young man, Palpatine is discovered and taken as the Sith apprentice of Darth Plagueis, becoming Darth Sidious and learning the ways of the dark side while building a political career.

~52 BBY - Enters Naboo politics

Palpatine establishes himself in public life, eventually representing Naboo as its senator in the Galactic Senate on Coruscant.

~32 BBY - Murder of Darth Plagueis

Following the Rule of Two, Sidious kills his master Plagueis in his sleep, becoming the reigning Sith Lord and taking his own apprentice, Darth Maul.

32 BBY - The Phantom Menace

Sidious orchestrates the Trade Federation's blockade and invasion of Naboo, using the ensuing crisis to have Chancellor Valorum ousted and to be elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

22 BBY - Attack of the Clones and the Clone Wars begin

Manipulating the Separatist crisis through his apprentice Count Dooku, Palpatine is granted emergency powers as the Clone Wars erupt, secretly commanding both the Republic and Separatist forces.

22–19 BBY - The Clone Wars

Palpatine prolongs the galaxy-spanning war to consolidate power, erode the Senate, and set the Jedi Order up for destruction.

19 BBY - Revenge of the Sith

Sidious turns Anakin Skywalker to the dark side as Darth Vader, issues Order 66 to exterminate the Jedi, reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire, and declares himself Emperor.

0 BBY - A New Hope

Emperor Palpatine rules through the Death Star and his apprentice Vader as the Rebel Alliance destroys the battle station at Yavin.

3 ABY - The Empire Strikes Back

The Emperor directs Vader to hunt down Luke Skywalker, sensing the young Jedi's potential and plotting to turn him.

4 ABY - Death at the Battle of Endor

Aboard the second Death Star, Palpatine attempts to corrupt Luke, but Vader turns on his master and hurls him into the reactor shaft, killing the Emperor at the Battle of Endor.

~5–35 ABY - Secret return on Exegol

Having transferred his essence into cloned bodies prepared on the hidden Sith world of Exegol, a weakened Sidious survives and builds the Sith Eternal cult and a secret armada while orchestrating events from the shadows.

35 ABY - The Rise of Skywalker

Palpatine reveals his return and lures his granddaughter Rey to Exegol. Drawing on the strength of all the Jedi, Rey turns his own Force lightning against him, destroying Sidious and his cult once and for all.

View Sheev Palpatine in our timeline:

Learn more on Wookiepedia.com

Back to All Characters

⚡ Sheev Palpatine's Timeline

Key Events in Sheev Palpatine's Star Wars Story