Sheev Palpatine was the main antagonist of the Star Wars universe and one of the most powerful sith to have ever lived. The series was defined through his pernicious and successful corruption of Anakin Skywalker preceding the rise of the First Galactic Empire.
Despite being an unspeakably powerful force for evil, it may come as a surprise that Sheev has almost as many weaknesses as he does strengths. By identifying them, we can better determine whether or not he was a worthy villain for the Jedi Council and rebels to face.
9 STRENGTH: Palpatine Is Surprisingly Agile, Given His Age
Despite being one of the series' oldest characters, Palpatine is alarmingly agile. This was most prevalently seen during his fight with Mace Windu in Revenge Of The Sith, where he flipped across the room and killed two hardened jedi instantly.
It would be demonstrated again in his conflict with Yoda, where the two danced between platforms in an effort to get the upper hand over one another. Palpatine's agility is a worthy example of the dark side's power.
8 WEAKNESS: Palpatine Is Inflexible & Relatively Shortsighted
One of Palpatine's greatest problems is that he cannot easily adapt to changes in the plan. This was proven during Luke Skywalker's stay aboard the Death Star, where he fully expected the young man to cut down his father.
Although Darth Vader had taken up the vows of the sith, Palpatine was still completely unprepared for betrayal, with his only "contingency plan" allowing him to resurface several decades later. His failure to account for variables was proven again during Mace Windu's storming of his office, where he was entirely at the mercy of Anakin's judgment.
7 STRENGTH: Palpatine Is A Master Strategist
Although Palpatine doesn't have other options for many of his plans, this is mostly due to the fact that his original designs are flawless. Ultimately, his gambit to manipulate Anakin paid off, especially since the Jedi were so complacent that they failed to notice why dismissing him was dangerous.
Everything in the Clone Wars went according to plan. Not only did Palpatine contrive a threat that justified his rise to power, but he also helped to build an army that eradicated nearly every member of the Jedi Order. The villain's accomplishments are particularly impressive when considering Yoda's honed senses.
6 WEAKNESS: Palpatine Is Too Overconfident For His Own Good
Palpatine's overconfidence has been his downfall in both climactic encounters with Luke and Rey. The former defeated him by exposing his misplaced trust in Darth Vader, while the latter took a much more unique approach.
By harnessing the power of the fallen Jedi, she parried his lightning and reflected it back against him. He was so stunned by her strength that he hadn't realized her plan until it was far too late to stop it. In the end, Palpatine was destroyed by his own pride.
5 STRENGTH: Palpatine's Manipulation Abilities Are Superb
Palpatine's ability to manipulate others has always been superb. This was most evidently seen through his corruption of Anakin Skywalker, but it was perhaps even more remarkable in his turning of Kylo Ren.
He managed to win the latter's heart despite the fact that Kylo knew of Palpatine's legacy and the chaos he unleashed across the galaxy. Even with that knowledge in mind, he eventually chose Snoke over Luke after nearly being murdered by him in his sleep.
4 WEAKNESS: Palpatine's Obvious Malevolence Makes Him Difficult To Trust
Despite being a skilled manipulator, it is nearly impossible for a rational person to trust Palpatine. In one of his conversations with Anakin, he hinted at having murdered his previous mentor in a bid for power and thereby conveyed his treacherous nature.
Once Palpatine's true form was revealed, he became even more openly evil since he attempted to preach the "virtues" of hatred and anger. This was likely why he failed to corrupt Luke and only managed to manipulate Kylo through a proxy.
3 STRENGTH: Palpatine's Force Mastery Is Formidable
Palpatine has a frightening amount of force sensitivity. This was best illustrated in The Rise Of Skywalker, where he used the sith of the past to enhance himself and single-handedly brutalize the entire rebel fleet, much to the mutual horror of Kylo Ren and Rey.
It was proven again in his battle with Yoda after Order 66 began, where he fought evenly with his Jedi arch-nemesis and even forced him to retreat. Though Palpatine may not prefer to enter combat directly, he possesses more than sufficient skills to do so when it becomes appropriate.
2 WEAKNESS: Palpatine's Ambition Exceeds His Ability
In almost every instance, Palpatine's incessant lust for power has been his downfall. The most obvious example can be observed through Darth Vader. At first, the villain had hoped that by corrupting Anakin and making him into a weapon, he'd be able to destroy the Jedi forever.
While his plan was partially successful, Vader himself would be his undoing in Return Of The Jedi. Similarly, he passed up an opportunity to avoid justice for his crimes by reassembling the First Order and returning to the galactic stage after the rebels had already defeated him. The latter mistake resulted in his presumed final death.
1 STRENGTH: Palpatine Is An Excellent Duelist & Swordsman
In addition to force sensitivity and agility, Palpatine is a shockingly effective swordsman. He managed to defeat Darth Maul and Savage Opress simultaneously, both of whom were suitable matches against formidable Jedi.
Additionally, he killed several of Mace Windu's finest warriors during the confrontation at the office and nearly got the upper hand before being subdued. Many still speculate that Palpatine deliberately threw his fight against Windu since he wanted to influence Anakin's decision between the light and dark sides of the force. Regardless, his ability to fight evenly with the Jedi attests to his competence with a saber.