Would you follow Palpatine..

[Kuja]

Been watching EpIII on HBO again, and I was wondering, if you had a mentor like Palpatine who treated you like he did to Anakin before the transformation, grandfatherly, protective, etc.. would you have a hard time turning against him knowing what he is?

I'd give him one chance to explain himself to my satisfaction. If he failed I'd turn on him like a rabid wolf.

[Guardsman Bass]

Most likely, I would kill him. However, that depends a bit on the situation; if I were in Anakin's position, with a wife that may possibly die if I don't learn the secret to life from my dishonest mentor, then most likely I wouldn't kill him.

However, it does raise a question, though. Once Anakin found out that Palpatine was the Sith Lord, and had been deceiving him for years, why did he continue to believe anything that Palpatine had told him, including Plagueis's power of life? The above might lead me to kill him, even if I did have the wife; if he's been lying about his activities for years to everyone, including his prescious pupil, then most likely everything else he is saying is a trap, as well.

[Surlethe]

However, it does raise a question, though. Once Anakin found out that Palpatine was the Sith Lord, and had been deceiving him for years, why did he continue to believe anything that Palpatine had told him, including Plagueis's power of life? The above might lead me to kill him, even if I did have the wife; if he's been lying about his activities for years to everyone, including his prescious pupil, then most likely everything else he is saying is a trap, as well.

He wanted to believe Palpatine. He was completely irrational about Padme, and wanted to save her from his dreams above everything else. I thought the movie and book made that clear.

[Guardsman Bass]

However, it does raise a question, though. Once Anakin found out that Palpatine was the Sith Lord, and had been deceiving him for years, why did he continue to believe anything that Palpatine had told him, including Plagueis's power of life? The above might lead me to kill him, even if I did have the wife; if he's been lying about his activities for years to everyone, including his prescious pupil, then most likely everything else he is saying is a trap, as well.

He wanted to believe Palpatine. He was completely irrational about Padme, and wanted to save her from his dreams above everything else. I thought the movie and book made that clear.

Yeah, realized that about 2 minutes after I posted. He was definitely jumping at even the shadow of an opportunity.

[Star-Blighter]

Palpy had the benifit of having the most mush-headed force-user in existence wrapped around his finger. Anakin always wanted absolute power, even if he couldn't admit it to himself. He plainly hid this behind his claims of loyalty to the republic above all when any damned fool can see that a republic ruled by one has already been destroyed, just by different means. Anakin changes his tune alot after swearing allegiance to Palpy, his ranting about an "Empire" for him to rule with Padme makes it very clear that this guy has no self-control at all and never really cared about anything but his own whims.

If I were in his shoes, the moment of my descision would have been after Palpy was disarmed by Windu. Its really obvious that Windu seemed to want to arrest Palpy, only deciding to kill him after being attacked by force-lightning. Windu was on the defensive blocking palpy's attack with his saber, and palpy was only making it worse by trying to fry him until he faked exhaustion. Any idiot could have pieced that together, but palpy had already seduced Anakin with promises of great power and the protection of Padme from a vision that Anakin had forged himself.

I would have remained loyal to my order and realised that a naive grip on the letter of the law often betrays the spirit of it in the process. Didn't anyone tell "mush-head" that the Jedi and Sith were mortal enemies?!?

[Darth Servo]

Any idiot could have pieced that together, but palpy had already seduced Anakin with promises of great power and the protection of Padme from a vision that Anakin had forged himself.

What makes you think Anakin had "forged" those dreams of Padme dying himself? I was always under the impression that Palpy was feeding those images to Anakin to tempt him more with the Dark side.

[Star-Blighter]

What makes you think Anakin had "forged" those dreams of Padme dying himself? I was always under the impression that Palpy was feeding those images to Anakin to tempt him more with the Dark side.

I would guess its open to interpretation. I was thinking along the lines of precient visions that come true when one tries to change that view of the future. I felt that Anakin brought his worst nightmare about by attempting to prevent it. I may be reading too much Dune though...

You have to admit though that Anakin is pretty dense for a Jedi Knight.

[DesertFly]

To be completely honest, I would join Palpatine. In a heartbeat, without a second thought. That probably has less to do with any hatred of the Jedi or desire to save someone, and more to do with the fact that I teeter on the edge of amorality as it is. If I was offered the chance to help rule a galaxy, and had powers that most mortals didn't, any semblance of sanity that I once maintained would quickly crumble 'neath the lure of UNLIMITED POWER!!!! The only problem I would have is keeping the power from going to my head long enough that I could start building alliances and forging enough contacts and manipulating enough people that my eventual betrayal of Palps would have a chance of succeeding. That's something that would take a great deal of effort, planning, and patience, something I think I would have even less of as a crazy Dark Side-using, lightning-spitting, throat-choking Sith.