The
Galactic Empire, often referred to simply as
the Empire, is a fictional dictatorship featured in the
Star Wars franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film
Star Wars and also appears in its two sequels:
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and
Return of the Jedi (1983) and is the main antagonist of the original trilogy. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), where it replaces the
Galactic Republic at the end of the
Clone Wars orchestrated by
Palpatine, who was then the Republic's Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine is also secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious who intends to purge the
Jedi and restore the
Sith to power in the galaxy. Palpatine's Sith identity is only known by a small few throughout his life. Palpatine claims that the Jedi attempted to assassinate him and overthrow the
Galactic Senate and declares the Jedi to have committed treason. Palpatine declares that the civil war with the separatists in combination with the Jedi coup d'état require the reorganization of the Republic into a state that can provide stability, and a safe and secure society, a
Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor. The Senate that he has manipulated overwhelmingly applauds Palpatine's decision.