Clive Revill's voice helped to build the legacy of one of cinema's most terrifying villains in The Empire Strikes Back.

But there was one influence Lucas wasn’t remotely subtle about and that’s how much Palpatine’s rise to Emperor in the prequels was a direct analogy to Hitler’s ascendency in 1930s Germany.

So I looked back and, sure enough, back in May 2024 I preordered an Emperor Palpatine Star Wars Black Series figure. Ugh. Why did I do that? Did I even still want it? It’s been almost a year.