Star Wars Accidentally Makes The Dark Side The Better Choice
In Star Wars, a major narrative element is that characters like Luke Skywalker must decide between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. This has traditionally been portrayed as the choice between good and evil, and with only a few exceptions, this franchise has always focused on why embracing the Light Side is the best choice. Here’s the problem with that idea, though: the fact that Emperor Palpatine is the only Force user consistently having fun in Star Wars makes the Dark Side look like a far more attractive choice.
Don’t Be The Aggressor
For my argument to make much sense, we’re going to need to review some crucial elements of franchise history. In the Original Trilogy of Star Wars films, we get most of our knowledge about the Dark Side from Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, but it largely boils down to vague statements about how this aspect of the Force is driven by “Anger, fear, aggression.”
By contrast, Jedi are supposed to be Zen warriors who only use their knowledge “for knowledge and defense, never for attack.”
One of the reasons that this Star Wars sequel was so vague about the Dark Side was because, as George Lucas told The Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan, he saw the Force as something that “everybody” can do, and the Jedi are so good at it because it’s like “yoga” or “karate:” those who put in the time to learn and practice are going to get the best results.
Yoda’s early advice about not choosing the Dark Side correspondingly sounds like something a karate student might hear from a mentor: don’t get angry, don’t get violent, and don’t be the guy who throws the first punch.
Not A Lot Of Fun In Jedi Town
That’s good life advice, maybe, but here’s the problem: we’re meant to root for those who choose the Light Side, but our biggest Jedi heroes seem to lead boring, joyless lives. Obi-Wan becomes a cranky hermit, Yoda becomes a cranky hermit, and Luke Skywalker becomes a cranky hermit.
Even at the height of their power, the Jedi seem to spend all their time either meditating or having “this could have been an email”-style meetings, all while chiding younger Force users against having any fun that doesn’t involve endless training.
Palpatine Parties Like It’s 1999 BBY
By comparison, the ultimate Big Bad of Star Wars, Emperor Palpatine, is often the only guy in these movies having any fun: for example, in Return of the Jedi, he’s just grinning and cackling aboard the second Death Star while taunting Luke.
In Revenge of the Sith, he has some downright contagious laughter while having a goofy CGI fight with Yoda. And even in The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine is just having the most fun while taunting Rey, effortlessly becoming the only real reason to watch that bantha poodoo film.
Sith Just Want To Have Fun
The fact that Palpatine is always having the time of his life means that these Star Wars films accidentally portray the Dark Side as the better choice. Like, we constantly see that the Jedi themselves embrace anger (like Obi-Wan dueling with Darth Maul), fear (Luke worrying about his friends in Cloud City), and aggression (like Mace Windu fighting Darth Sidious).
If everybody’s just doing the same thing but with different labels, wouldn’t you rather be on the side that looks like they’re having a good time?
Palpatine Is Living His Best Life
Obviously, Star Wars has other Dark Side users that are pretty grim, but Palpatine is the face of the Sith and he seems like he’s always having a great time. On any given day, I’d rather be cracking up like ol’ Sheev than be like the stony, stuck-up Jedi–the ones too busy following ancient rules to do so much as crack a smile.
Long story short: Star Wars just kept bringing Palpatine back, and by doing so, they forever made the Dark Side look like the better choice, and forever will it dominate this franchise’s destiny.
