Where most Sith before him failed, Emperor Palpatine succeeded in taking over the galaxy through lies, manipulation and power. Darth Sidious holds few close relationships in the Star Wars universe, not counting his alliances within the Empire. But if he ventured beyond the Star Wars universe or if characters from other television shows ventured in, who would Palpatine form bonds with?
Of course, a suspension of disbelief is required – not for Palpatine's powers or any of the fantastical elements in Star Wars – but that a man as cunning, ruthless and manipulative as Palpatine would ever have "friends" (especially in his line of work).
10 Wilson Fisk And His Vast Criminal Empire
Wilson Fisk and Palpatine approach their goals in many similar ways. As a wealthy businessman, Fisk claims to build a better Hell's Kitchen, despite the fact he was also the one who destroyed it in the first place with crime, poverty, and property damage.
Palpatine constructed a similar ruse. He acted as the Supreme Chancellor and seemingly worked in the Republic's best interest, all while orchestrating a galactic war from both sides. Both used fake façades to win over the masses and the respect of others, all while being the secret cause of the major problems the masses face in the first place.
9 "Hello... Newman." "Hello... Palpatine."
Many apprentices have served under Darth Sidious, all through his rise to power and his reign over the Empire. Those he selects in apprenticeship share similar qualities, be it their lust for power and revenge or their fascination with the dark side of the Force.
Jerry Seinfeld once described his rival, Newman, as "pure evil." Newman took any opportunity to humiliate Jerry or make his life more difficult. Viewers could argue that Newman is driven by hatred and revenge – qualities Palpatine would look for in an apprentice. Newman may even volunteer to serve Sidious (if it meant the downfall of Jerry).
8 Cersei Lannister, Ruler Of The Seven Kingdoms
Cersei rose to power in the Seven Kingdoms by lying, manipulating, and betraying whoever she could to achieve that power. Palpatine's power was gained through similar means and the two share many interests and tactics. If they were to join forces, they would surely betray one another. In that regard, Cersei would make a good Sith.
Cersei and Palpatine also share similar weaknesses. These include their arrogance and overconfidence in themselves and their plans, and their underestimation of their enemies – both of which ultimately lead to their downfall.
7 The Night King's Unending Army Is Reminiscent Of The Clones
Palpatine controlled the Trade Federation, and by extension, their infinite Droid army. He then manipulated the Jedi and the Republic into utilizing an infinite Clone army. The Night King's seemingly infinite army of White Walkers in Game of Thrones would surely appeal to the Emperor.
As the supreme leader of the Army of the Dead, the Night King would prove a powerful ally to Palpatine, especially considering his army would grow with each new victim it claimed. The Army of the Dead would also be a more cost-effective way to wipe out worlds compared to the construction of a new Death Star every 30 years or so.
6 Lord Zedd Doesn't Play Games
Rita Repulsa acted as the Power Ranger's main antagonist at the beginning of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but her villainous presence was often undercut by her bumbling entourage and comedic defeats. The series grew a shade darker after the introduction of Lord Zedd.
On sheer appearance alone, Zedd was menacing and commanding. He carried a threatening presence and was strongly committed to defeating the Power Rangers. Zedd and Palpatine share similar lusts for power and visions of their enemies being beaten. Zedd can already shoot lightning from his hands, so his candidacy for Sith has more weight behind it.
5 Megatron, Supreme Leader Of The Decepticons
The technology Megatron and the Decepticons hold would fit perfectly in the technologically-marvelous world of Star Wars. With Megatron on Palpatine's side, the Droid army and even General Grievous himself could receive massive upgrades to their arsenal.
The two could also share the secrets of their trade. Megatron could trade the nature of the Transformers while Sidious could divulge the secrets of ancient Sith technology that could be applied to the Transformers. With their shared technologies and goals of galactic conquest aligned, the two could become an unstoppable force.
4 Cobra Commander And His Terrorist Organization
While Palpatine has unlimited military resources through the Empire, a good mercenary, bounty hunter or assassin is hard to come by. Luckily, Cobra Commander has them in abundance in his Cobra organization. Like those who follow the Sith, Cobra Commander recruits people with similar goals by promising them what they want. In return, he demands eternal loyalty to his cause.
Cobra Commander is ruthless and controlling in his quest for more power, but he doesn't hide this. His blatant devilish deeds would appeal to Palpatine, who'd be happy to find someone as evil as himself.
3 Señor Chang And His Ambitions For Power
Community's Ben Chang, who was once the Spanish teacher at Greendale College, lost his position due to some lying and manipulation in regard to his previous work experience. Later, he enacted several diabolical plans to gain control over the entire school. He turned it into a dictatorship, held the previous Dean captive, and encouraged rebellions to form.
Many of Chang's tendencies and ambitions are similar to Palpatine's, although on a much smaller scale. Consequently, Chang would see Palpatine as a potential idol – able to achieve success through his lies and growth of power.
2 Kilgrave, The Master of Manipulation
Palpatine's manipulative mind is on full display throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy – most notably when orchestrating plans with Dooku or swaying Anakin to the dark side. No matter how tactical his mind might be, his Force strength was never powerful enough to fully corrupt those with strong minds.
On the contrary, Kilgrave possesses complete mind control. Anyone is susceptible to his whims as long as they hear his commands. The Jessica Jones villain of season one proved how powerful and frightening someone with mind control could be. Consequently, it's a power that would attract Palpatine to him.
1 Much In Common With The Evil Hordak
Viewers might assume that in the He-Man universe, Skeletor was the vilest, evilest person in Eternia. However, Skeletor had a master named Hordak. Hordak commanded the Evil Horde before he was imprisoned by his former student. Hordak is extremely powerful and eventually frees himself from his dimensional prison, seeking vengeance on Skeletor and the Masters of the Universe.
Hordak being betrayed by an old student sounds familiar to Palpatine being betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Also, Horde and Palpatine share many goals and ambitions with histories that somewhat mirror each other. The Jedi and the Masters of the Universe would have quite a challenge ahead of them if these two became friends.