Palpatine's Age

I have been wondering about this. Has anyone found anything that gives a hint to his age?

(Yes, I know he uses clones)

I have been wondering about this. Has anyone found anything that gives a hint to his age?

(Yes, I know he uses clones)



Well, the issue of using clones is again an Expanded Universe contrivance that was used to explain how Palpatine survived the constant physical degradation inherent to his constant and powerful use of the Dark Side....which was also a contrivance of the EU. Since it now appears that the Emperor's deformity is due more to injuries actually sustained in battle and less from 'Dark Side corruption', the idea of him using clones loses validity.

That's still pure speculation. Was it an EU thing? Yes. But the EU is still considered "mostly canon," and can be taken as some truth until the movies otherwise denounce it. Since we haven't seen anything that completely denounces Palpatine using clones, don't discount it entirely. As far as his actual age, or even how long he's been around (if he uses clones), I've never seen anything.

I came upon an souce some time back that stated that Palpatine was in his 50's in EPS I. If we use that as determination we can extrapolate his age group if not his exact age.

EPS I to EPS II:- 10 years
EPS II to EPS III:- 3 Years

EPS III to EPS VI:- Imperial rule for 23 to 25 years. (refers to when he crowns himself Emperor)

Thus:- 50+10+3+25 = 80 to 88 years to a max of 97.

Thats my guess. Hes definately a senoir citizen

If that is true he polished up his connection to the force much quicker than Yoda did in his, what 900 years.(I forget Yoda's age)

If that is true he polished up his connection to the force much quicker than Yoda did in his, what 900 years.(I forget Yoda's age)



Which basically just feeds into the spiel Yoda gives Luke about the fact that the Dark Side isn't stronger than the Light (yeah, right! >:) ), but quicker and easier.

The Dark Side is easier to tap in to, easier to Master, and thus easier and faster to exhaust/ruin you.

The Light Side is harder to harness, to master, and thus produces longevity (unless someone cuts you open with a sabre).

I came upon an souce some time back that stated that Palpatine was in his 50's in EPS I.  If we use that as determination we can extrapolate his age group if not his exact age.

EPS I to EPS II:- 10 years
EPS II to EPS III:- 3 Years

EPS III to EPS VI:- Imperial rule for 23 to 25 years.  (refers to when he crowns himself Emperor)

Thus:- 50+10+3+25 = 80 to 88 years to a max of 97.

Thats my guess.  Hes definately a senoir citizen



Well... I would place him more in his mid or late 60's by EP1. He looks it, heh. And one thing you have to realise is that he constantly fed off of other people's life force so he could live longer (it's explained int he Dark Empire coming book trilogy). So he may as well have been much, much older. Besides, wasn't his first clone already withered and old? Granted, it's side effects from the Dark Side of the Force gnawing away at him, but the proccess can't be THAT fast

Well, I think he was older then 100 years. from what I understood from the Ep III comics, that Jedi Master who ordered to make that clone army some decades ago was his apprentice. And remember that story he told luke about Darth Pelagius (sp?), who knew how to live for ever, tought that his apprentice, got killed by him while sleeping? Well, I have a strong feeling, that Sidous was that apprentice. he he might have been very, very, very, very old.

Uh...Palpatine told Anakin about Darth Plagueis, and yes you are correct about Palpatine being Darth Plagueis' apprentice.

(Just found the correct spelling of Palpatine's master it is Plagueis).Palpatine called "The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise" a myth, he first told Anakin about it.

My post has been deleated. This is quite odd! ANy idea how this travesty of justice has occured.

Thus:- 50+10+3+25 = 80 to 88 years to a max of 97.



Take off the 25 years. That imperial crap has no relevance to anything .
So 63? not too old, but when you're big on dope and smoking it makes you age a lot faster, making you look about 25 years older than you really are
My guess is cosmetic surgery and the like weren't made available to the empire , and thus old Palp didn't have the ability to fix his screwed up face :ermm: .

Yes Tib I know how it happened. Súrion requested one of his posts get deleted, but the MBs burped and snagged two deletes for the price of one. So I made note of the dual deletion and am waiting on a code monkey to undelete yours.

Now back to the topic at hand.

Nothing actually stops Palpatine using clones... though I wouldn't say he used them before getting his ass thrown down the shaft in the Death Star in ROTJ. The idea of dark side corruption causing premature death may not longer exist but Palpatine could still have kept clones in case of a more natural death... like getting thrown down a shaft in the Death Star and going KABOOM. I never bought the dark side corruption causing death idea myself anyway. It was always said that Sith Lords could prolong their lives, hence why people like Marka Ragnos lived until three hunred. At 300 you're not going to be looking too good, which would be a good enough explanation as any for why you looked 'corrupted'.

In terms of his actual age though... nobody knows. It'll be a good year or two before we do I recon, as we'll have to wait for somebody to do a prequel story about Palpatine's history.

He does say though that he doesn't know how to keep himself alive forever (which would explain why he later resorted to clones). He tricks Anakin at first by claiming he does, but later tells him that he doesn't but that the two of them will be able to work it out together. That implies that he wasn't ancient in The Phantom Menace.

I'd say...

TPM: 60
ATOC: +10
ROTS: +3
ANH: +20
ESB: +1
ROTJ: +2

Which works out to approximately 96 or so. That isn't all too unbelievable. People don't look that good at 100 as it is. Has anybody ever seen a bad burn victim? Palpatine's face actually looks EXACTLY like some of the rare survivors who have their faces literally melted off. Add 25 years from ROTS to ROTJ and you'll have wrinkly old looking burn scars. That explains his face.

Moving into post-Endor territory.

Dark Empire: +9
Empire's End: +10

So at his final demise he was probably about 110.

Too young to explain why he was about to beat Yoda? Not really. ROTS will answer this one. Yoda pretty much accepts that the Jedi lost because he was too old and hadn't allowed the Order to evolve and adapt with the times. That effectively destroys the idea of Palpatine being ancient, because its saying that the younger generation had changed so much that the Jedi were never going to win a war stuck in the past.

Don't forget also that there was only 1000 years between Darth Bane and Palpatine. That's not a lot of time if Palpatine was hundreds of years old. If each Sith Lord lived for 100 years that'd only be 10 Sith Lords, which wouldn't explain how the Sith had grown and evolved that much. Add in the fact that a lot of Sith probably died early because their apprentices killed them and you add a few more generations. I really wouldn't say Palpatine was super-old in TPM though... at *most* I'd call him 80, making him 130 in Empire's end. Taking into account the idea that a lot of Sith Lords got killed off by their apprentices I'd say 100 was damn good for a Sith Lord. Dooku became a Sith Lord in just 10 years, Anakin in about 3 years... the dark side is meant to be the "quick and easy path" after all.

They say Palpatine was younger than Qui Gon in EPS I, Qui Gon being 60. Thus Palpatine had to be less than 60. Other than that I fully agree with Xanon age grouping, since it is quite similar to my own.

Another question. Do you think Palpatine had anything to do with Shmi's kidnapping?

Knowing Palpatine... probably. In George Lucas Land pretty much anything that happened in Anakin's whole life had to do with Palpatine.

He's old. Very old.

I read an interview with the actor dude where he talked about originally playing an old man, then coming back and playing the old man at an earlier age, when his ages was about the same cos he was younger then and he would have been too you g during the original. What? Who?! X-) :blink:

Anyway, he mentioned the fact that he was over 100 in the OT.

I would have to say that he is well over a hundred but in a matter of speaking.
The clone technology allows one to imbue his or her essence(a.k.a. mind /soul) into another, younger form. Therefore he could well be close to Yoda's age for all we know. I have read series into the future of the movies and the clones still are around, and know everything that palpatine knew and somethings he didnt
But if I had to guess personally, I would say close to 200.

The obvious problem is that if Palpatine was as old as Yoda he would have essentially been Darth Bane's apprentice, which wouldn't make a lot of sense, because it'd conflict with the whole idea of Darth Bane's new doctrine being to wait for the time when a super powerful Dark Lord of the Sith arose. If Palpatine had been around for so long then it wouldn't have taken so long for the Republic to fall.

There are also Yoda's actual words that state that the Sith had changed, and that the Jedi Order was still trying to fight the last war, which was why it lost- because Yoda was too old and hadn't allowed the Jedi to move on and adapt with the times. That rather directly implies that the reason Palpatine won was because he was younger and not stuck in the past.

That's the irony of the Sith. They talk about eternal life and figuring out how to live forever... but all of them have their lives cut short because they get killed off by their apprentices.

He was cloned wasn't he?

I believe we've established that already.

Just makin sure everyone agreed don't go postal man, that would be bad

Lol. Wow, havn't heard that expression in a while....

I hear it all the time my grandfather works at a post office.......

Beware of angry post men!

Especially ones who were in the marine corps at some point in time. *runs from rampaging grandfather who is holding a M-60 swirling it around shooting everything*

This tends to say he was 88 in RoTJ
http://starwars.wikicities.com/wiki/Palpatine

Wiki isn't a totally reliable source... anyone can sign up and add to it. In theory I could go there now and add an article claiming Palpatine was 3463.64 years old at ROTJ and it wouldn't mean much. Unless they actually quote a direct source its usually best to take what Wikipedia says with a pinch of salt.

Take the lightsaber forms. It claims there are forms VIII, IX and X. That's utterly incorrect. Yes there are forms other than one to seven, but the others aren't numbered for a reason. The person who wrote the article though chose to be helpful and add numbers that aren't really (which has actually caused confusion with people who take everything written on Wiki to be absolute truth).

At least it wasn't taken from supershadow.com

I think one also has to consider that the technology in the SW movies is very much advanced. Given that in today's modern world, medical technology has pushed the life expectancy of developed countries into the 80s. Taking that into account, it isn't unlikely for Palpatine (or any other human in SW) to live well into their hundreds.

Indeed.

They actually recon that if we lived in space we could, in theory, live to around 400. From what I've read on the subject the primary cause of natural death and aging has apparently got something to do with gravity. In space the aging effect is seriously reduced so... if you're looking for the Fountain Of Youth you just need to go buy yourself a space shuttle.

Naturally there's always a catch. Presently if you were to live in space your bones would wear away. This happens to astronauts who live on space stations already- without gravity your muscles and bones get no use so your body gets screwed up. So... you'd live a really long time, but you'd be frail and weak.

Ignoring the side effects, in a universe with few illnesses or diseases, no cancer, no STDs, no AIDs, no HIV etc its not hard to imagine that people could live a long time. The average life expectancy in Star Wars is still made out to only be around 80 or so but theres nothing stopping Palpatine being up to 200. I believe the oldest living person was recorded at something like 140... and thats on Earth... with poor medical conditions (even if they died yesterday 140 years ago is a looooooong time technology wise). With the resources he had available, and even a fragment of Force healing abilities, 200 years wouldn't be hard.

i read somewhere that sidious was planning his rise to power for over 300 years, so he's definately older then a hundred. he's older than a 100 at the time of TPM.

i think he isn't older then yoda because if he was he'd known darth bane, and that is unlikely. my guess is that he's about 500 years old.

500 sounds reasonable, though he doesn't look anywhere around that age in TPM, but then again he is a Sith Lord.

He was cloned wasn't he?



and he only got the ability to clone himself after he became Emperor (according to DarkHorse Comic "Dark Empire"). he only needed to then, because he didn't uuse the dark side as much bbefore that out of fear to be discovered by the jedi.

so he cloned humself

I know this is an old topic but...

Well, I think he was older then 100 years. from what I understood from the Ep III comics, that Jedi Master who ordered to make that clone army some decades ago was his apprentice. And remember that story he told luke about Darth Pelagius (sp?), who knew how to live for ever, tought that his apprentice, got killed by him while sleeping? Well, I have a strong feeling, that Sidous was that apprentice. he he might have been very, very, very, very old.

I don't believe That Sifo Dias was Palpatine's apprentice, The Jedi would have had a record of Palpatine's training. It is far more likely that Doku, impersonated Dias while he was at the academy and ordered the clones (for the republic). Also Isn't it said that Luke later fought one of the Emperor's clones later on? Around the time Han and Leia's kids were running around playing Jedi?

Palps is about 66.789 years old. I know. He doesnt have a helmet.

Sifo-Dyas was a Jedi whom was *corrupted* by Palps in the time between episodes I and II... a dead drop for the creation of the Clone Army. When his purpose was done, Sifo was put on Ice, and his close friend and ally, a Jedi by the name of Count Dooku, was brought into Palpatine's fold.

When Palpatine engineered the crippling of General Greivous, the general was rebuilt with a transfusion of blood from the frozen Jedi, and gifted with his saber, the first of Greivous' famed 'collection'.

Just to clarify, it has established that the Emperor had at least one clone, who lead the attack on Coruscant, after which Kir Kanos killed the Imperial Interim Ruling Council. As for Papatine's age, he became Supreme Chancellor in 32 bby (before battle of Yavin). The desruction of the second DS was 4 aby (after battle of Yavin). I say that he appeared to be in his late 40's when he was elected. Now some people say that Palpatine refused to have his face reconstructed. I remember reading that Palpatine kept his visage weak to feign weakness

Confirmed: Palps had two Clones. The first made Sedriss leader of the Dark Side Elite, the second, ordered him to capture Luke.

Alright. Let's look at this....


First off, there were several known Sith Lords between Darth Bane and Darth Sidious:
Darth Bane
Darth Zannah
~~~???~~~
Darth Millenial
~~~???~~~
Darth Plagueis
Darth Sidious
(Darth Maul)
(Darth Tyrannus)
(Darth Vader)



It is widely believed that Darth Plagueis used his knowledge of the Force to create Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker was born in 41 BBY. If Plagueis was still alive, this would mean Palpatine would still be his apprentice, thus making him not too old at all I would believe.
Furthermore, it is said that Palpatine took Maul as his apprentice while still apprenticed to Plagueis, and Maul was not very old at all when he died in TPM.

Now, on Naboo, public service begins and is mandatory at the age of 12, going to the age of 20. Palpatine was elected senator of Naboo in 52 BBY after Vidar Kim was killed. Now, the Star Wars Republic: Bloodlines series places Palpatine at the age of thirty at this point in time, meaning that, as wiki says, he was born in 82 BBY.

Furthermore, according to the Dark Empire Comic Sourcebook, Pallopides, the grand-neice of Palpatine, was born in 4 BBY, placing Palpatine at (according to the wiki DOB) 78 years old, which is an acceptable age for a great-uncle, especially in the long-lived lives of Star Wars denizens.



So, just my input, saying that I believe the wiki site is correct.

My source is the SW New Essential guide to Characters, updated to Ep 2 and NJO. He was a senator for 20 years, He could not have been less than 20 when he joined theSenate, anouther 20 for luke puts him anound 60.

AHA! I have FOUND something!
Buahahahahaha.



http://swg.stratics.com/content/lore/timeline.php

82 years before A New Hope

    * Palpatine is born



No, ago, not an OFFICIALLY official site, but still, more accurate than most.



Furthermore, on the issue of his CLONES, Wookiepedia (again, not the most official, but the person they quote IS in charge of Star Wars Continuity) states:
In the Dark Empire series, Palpatine tells Luke that the Battle of Endor was not his first death, and that he had started transferring his spirit into clone bodies years prior to that, when his original body had degenerated as a result of heavy use of the dark side. However, Lucasfilm official Leland Chee has recently stated that Palpatine was lying to Luke about having died previously, and that Palpatine's demise on the second Death Star was definitely the first time he died, although not the last.

Chee also stated that, while Palpatine's clone bodies do degenerate as a result of the strong presence of dark side energy within them, his original body did not degenerate in the same way, and he only had to start switching bodies periodically as a result of having to use clone bodies following the destruction of his original body at Endor.





So, Palpatine did NOT clone himself prior to his death at Endor. And, according to SWG Stratics, he was 82 years old when the first Death Star was destroyed at Yavin, which is quite believeable and would fit in with all the stories and political history and everything.

let me tell you one thing he is to dam old alright i mean come the guy had to die eventually i mean he older than dirt for christs sake.

How dare you disrespect my Master...