Star Wars explained why the Jedi never suspected Palpatine, and we all missed it

Palpatine is a pretty bad guy (understatement of the year), yet the Jedi never suspected him. Or, if they did, they didn’t consider him much of a threat.

After years of wondering why that is, Star Wars fans finally got answers, and it turns out the truth was in front of us the whole time.

Obviously, the abilities of the Dark Side provide an easy answer as to why: Palpatine’s actions were clouded by the Dark Side, and thus the Jedi Order remained oblivious.

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However, there’s more to this concealment than tricks of the Force.

As mentioned in The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, Palpatine was simply so busy, and seemingly without privacy, that suspecting him was foolish.

“Palpatine was one of the most prominent and publicly recognisable individuals in the galaxy,” the excerpt reads. “As the supreme chancellor he was beloved by the people and seemingly every movement he made outside of the Senate was broadcast by HoloNet News channels.”

The argument here is that someone with such a public following wouldn’t be able to hide their true identity.

This, partnered with Palpatine’s marriage, enabled him to stay masked; he seemed normal, albeit one of the affluent few.

But there’s more to the story than the publicity he hid behind, there’s the people he chose to act in his stead.

Although the orchestrator, Palpatine wasn’t the one actually getting his hands dirty; vassals and dealings in the dark allowed his actions to go unnoticed.

If you need proof of this, look no further than the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones film.

Palpatine ordered the assassination of Padme, yet he didn’t attempt to carry out the deed for himself. He employed another, and thus, once again, his true intentions were concealed.

Sometimes, it’s better to go unnoticed by hiding in plain sight – just look at how skilfully Qimir has done that in The Acolyte. When you put yourself out there, you’re less likely to draw suspicion.