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.

For example, something that bothers a lot of new fans is: why the hell didn't the Jedi catch Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) sooner? He was always right next to them! Couldn't they have used the Force ...

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.