Star Wars III Question (possible spoilers)

[romantico]

What made Palpatine's face wrinkle? I mean, it couldn't be the lighting because he uses it on Yoda & in "Return of the Jedi" against Luke. Count Dooku didn't wrinkle In 'Attack of the Clones" when he used lighting against Obi Wan & Anakin. So, what was it about Mace Windu that made Palpatine weak & old?

[dhinojosa]

1. The lightsaber reflected the lightning and he and lightsaber were close.

That's my entry.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

2. I've read somewhere

that since Windu was deflecting the electricity with his lightsaber, that the added energy of the saber distorted Palpatine's face. The sabers are made of Jedi Crystals which are supposed to be very powerful.

[everythingsxen]

3. It was because...

as he used the lightning, Mace was reflecting it back at him.

Also, it is possible that is how he "really was" and the power he used fighting Mace burned out his ability to maintain the disguise; alternately he dropped the disguise for Anakin and the Senates benefit.. he really looked that way but kept up the illusion to get into power.

Just my 2 Republic Credits.

[Enraged_Ape]

9. I agree with this explanation

I think this is what Palpatine looked like the whole time, but he was just hiding it through mind control. The damage from the reflected Force Lightning made it impossible for him to do that any longer.

The Dark Side has a tendency to make your inner evil visible to the outside world. Witness Darth Vader in his unmasking in Episode 6 (Return of the Jedi). He has much of the same distorted, pale face and the sunken eyes.

[Mike Daniels]

13. This sounds the most plausible

I noticed that when Mace said something along the lines of "that's up to the Senate to decide" that Palpatine spoke in the Emperor's voice (pre-battle) when he replied "I am the Senate".

[politicaholic]

4. The true geeky answer...

In the movie he describes the Sith Lord that can bring people to life. As it turns out he IS that Sith Lord and is extremely old. Once he used the power to defend against Mace's attack his power was drained from containing his true identity.

[aden_nak]

5. What's the source on that?

It was my understanding that Darth Plagus was his teacher, and that he was the one that killed him after gaining his knowledge. Not that he couldn't still be very old, I've just never heard that background story before.

[ET Awful]

6. I'm guessing that the "old" look was his true appearance

In all of the holographs you saw of him in Episodes 1 and 2, he looked very different than his appearance in public, at least to my eye.

I think he expended so much of his power fighting Windu that he no longer had power to maintain his disguise. I've always pictured the Emperor to be the antithesis of Yoda in age as well as power. I think his aged appearance reflected that.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Because it was being reflected back into him by Mace's lightsaber

So one could say - ooh, this is awful - He was Maced!!

[ET Awful]

8. If that was the case, wouldn't someone being struck by that lightning age

as well? For example Yoda and Luke were both attacked with the lightning at various times in the saga, they did not age as a result.

[Enraged_Ape]

11. Ah, but Yoda and Luke were powerful enough to resist

Plus, I think that the Emperor was toying with Luke in Ep. 6. He was just trying to make him suffer for a while before finishing him off. Remember, he says, "And now, Skywalker, you will die," just before Darth Vader takes matters into his own hands.

ON EDIT: I also agree with so many of the other posters here. This was always the real form of Palpatine. It was fight with Windu that revealed his true nature.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Who knows?

Maybe the effect of dark side lightning is different on sith lords? Or different when reflected back to the one causing it? Or more damaging when focused and reflected back from a lightsaber? Who knows?

I also like the theories offered above that the energy drain caused Palpatine to begin reverting back to what he really looked like. I don't know if that's the case, but it's possible.

Or it could simply be that he was expending so much energy trying to defeat Windu that he started to shrivel up - not reverting to his true his self, but his body being altered due to the energy drain.

It's also said in the novels (the non-canonical ones) that the Dark Side, through use, always distorts and eats away at the flesh of the one using it. So, my last theory could be correct - if Palpatine were using Dark Side energy at an incredible rate, the affect on his skin could be accelerated.

But I don't know. We also know from the novels that Palpatine was using the Force to coordinate all troop movements around the Empire, which would mean tens of millions, if not billions, of stormtroopers and officers that were all sharing in a bit of The Force through Palpatine's efforts. Which is an incredible expenditure of energy, I would think - far more than making lightning at Windu.

:shrug:

[Dukkha]

10. according to Ian Mcdiarmid

It is his true form released during his battle with Windu. He is so powerful the the dark force powers withered his body over time. This is in an interview in Star Wars Insider magazine. the ROTS souvenir program states Palpatine was the apprentice of Darth Pagueis. It also explains this deleted scene:

On the isolated asteroid of Polis Massa, Yoda begins to meditate. As he laments his inability to stop Lord Sidious, he hears the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn. It is then that Qui-Gon tells Yoda that through training that it is indeed possible to become one with the living Force. Jinn goes on to explain that the story of Darth Plagueis is true. The ability to defy death can be achieved, but only for oneself, and it was never accomplished by Plagueis. Furthermore, the state can only be acquired through compassion not greed, hence a Sith Lord will never be able to achieve this form of higher consciousness. Upon hearing this, Yoda graciously agrees to become Qui-Gon's apprentice.