Palpatine is easily the most deceptive and secretive person in all of Star Wars. He managed to play both sides of the Clone Wars without anyone noticing and was undetectable as a Sith right under the Jedi's noses. He even kept his entire upbringing a complete secret, although some details have seeped through, revealing the boy Palpatine was long before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The most open Palpatine has ever been about his past is when he tells Anakin the "Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise," which suggests Palpatine killed his old Sith master in his sleep. But other than that, despite being the ultimate villain for three Star Wars trilogies, he kept the story of childhood and Sith training as secret as possible. Nevertheless, his past life as a politician on Naboo meant not everything could be kept hidden from the public.

RELATED: How Long the Death Star Took to Build

Information About Palpatine's Upbringing on Naboo Is Sparse

Senator Palpatine at a Senate meeting standing in a repulsorpod

Born as Sheev Palpatine on the planet Naboo, his family was of noble status within Naboo society. Living in the city of Theed, the Palpatine family bloodline stretched back centuries, claiming to be one of the oldest and most prestigious houses around. Although, exactly who Palpatine's parents were has been kept a secret, and it's likely they passed away before the Skywalker saga even began. The fact that they've never been mentioned by Palpatine or anyone else in Star Wars is telling, showing he likely felt disdain toward them (as was typical with the Dark Side).

It didn't take long for Palpatine to fall into the role of a politician, making connections with a host of influential politicians and even the queen herself. In the Queen's Hope novel, detailing Padmé's life during the Clone Wars, it's noted that Palpatine acquired a great amount of power and knowledge during his youth and was even skilled in manipulation as a young boy.

RELATED: Why Benicio Del Toro Quit Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Palpatine's Fall to the Dark Side Is Even More Mysterious

Darth Plagueis instructing darth Sidious in star wars

In Star Wars, it's still not known when Palpatine met Darth Plagueis and began his Sith training, as it's Palpatine's most closely-kept secret. Still, it's known that his temptation to the Dark Side was out of a need for power and a desire to prolong his life. Together with his master, he researched the secrets of immortality and the key to manipulating the Force through midi-chlorians.

Another trait that set Palpatine apart from other Sith was his fascination with art. Even as a young man, he traveled the galaxy in search of rare artifacts -- many of which were ancient Sith relics. It was this collection that helped him discover the keys to prolonging life and eventually led him to the Sith planet of Exegol in The Rise of Skywalker. And all while he was going about this business, he firmly planted himself within Naboo's politics and meticulously planned for decades leading up to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Star Wars' Skywalker saga is just as much about Palpatine's story as it is about the Skywalker family. But despite this, there's a clear reluctance to show Palpatine's life growing up; this is perhaps for the best, as it adds yet another layer of mystery and secrecy around the villain. Still, from the small bits of information that are available, it certainly makes young Palpatine sound like an evil, manipulative child from the very get-go.