What if Darth Vader was the Emperor?

Many have theorized, what if Darth Vader had won on Mustafar? He would have reached his full potential, certainly dethroning Sidius and easily dominating the galaxy alongside his two sons. However, what if, even after defeating Obi-Wan, he somehow managed to engineer Palpatine's death? With the Empire already consolidated in his master's hands? What would his decisions be? How would he deal with the Rebellion? Would the Empire still fall with him in power? That's what we'll find out today!

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(What if Darth Vader was the Emperor?)

Chapter 1: The New Emperor

Darth Vader as Emperor. An even more brutal empire... or a chance for redemption? Let's find out what would happen if the Chosen One took the galactic throne.

Let's assume that about five years after the beginning of the Imperial regime, Vader managed to orchestrate a plan to eliminate the Emperor. He couldn't do it with his own hands, as he would be considered an Imperial enemy.

He would have to devise some plan, perhaps opening a loophole for the Rebel cells to kill Palpatine. Perhaps through an assassination attempt, perhaps even using strategies he'd used in the comics, such as creating a personal army of battle droids to betray his master.

And thus, he would assume the leadership of the Empire, with full power, and a completely different approach.

Sidius rules through terror, but also through smooth talk. He knew how to please sectors of the galactic power game, from the Hutt Clan to political and industrial leaders, to keep the Imperial machine close to those who might oppose them. Vader, on the other hand, especially in the beginning, was impulsive, and would possibly use force much more frequently, destroying entire planets, and forcing, through oppression, systems to surrender to the Empire.

At the same time, rebel cells would quickly unite under the leadership of Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, in response to the horrors committed by the Empire.

Thus, the Galactic Civil War, which reached its peak after the Battle of Yavin, would begin at least a decade earlier.

Vader would dissolve the Imperial Senate, just as Palpatine did, but much earlier. The Moffs would have absolute control over their territories, with Tarkin elevated to the highest ranks. Vader would not allow him to place himself on his own level, but as an Advisor, attempting to somehow unify the Empire under this unhinged leadership.

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Chapter 2: The New Imperial Army

Vader never cared for luxuries, and his castle and apartment on Coruscant were completely empty, while Palpatine and his entourage lived surrounded by everything they held dear.

The Chosen One would give up all of this, including the greatest Imperial megalomania, the Death Star. Vader always considered the war station a disrespect to the Force, so he would invest in other parts of the Imperial fleet, such as Destroyers and specialized Tie Fighters.

Grand Admiral Thrawn, sent to investigate the Unknown Regions on Palpatine's orders, would be brought in to lead the Imperial Fleet, and with his tactical prowess, he could maximize Vader's powerful army. With his unparalleled tactical knowledge, he could turn the fragments of the Imperial fleet into a huge problem for the New Republic in the Legends books and comics. Imagine what he could do to the Empire at the height of its powers?

At the same time, the Sith Lord would delve deeper into his knowledge of the Force, trying his best to bring Padmé back, obviously without success. Even so, his knowledge of the dark side would be much deeper than in the original saga, as Palpatine kept him busy with constant tasks, always far from true Sith wisdom. However, without the Emperor to keep him immersed in the darkness, Vader could begin to waver between the sides of the Force. In the Star Wars universe, it's clear that Vader had several internal conflicts, especially when confronted with his past, which led him to repentance, with Sidius rebuking him. Without him, how long would Anakin Skywalker remain trapped in the darkness?

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Chapter 3: The Outcome of the Civil War

The galactic conflict would reach even greater proportions than previously seen, with more planets joining the rebel cause thanks to Vader's excessive brutality. However, the Darkness within the Dark Side would still present sparks of hope. Vader was kept trapped on the dark side, largely due to Palpatine's influence, which kept him constantly immersed in hatred. In this case, free to make his own decisions, he would likely be even more reluctant about his choices. The nightmares he so often suffered in the comics would continue to recur, and he would likely become even more withdrawn, leaving the course of the war in the hands of Tarkin and Thrawn, slowly eroding his leadership.

With the war taking different directions, Obi-Wan and Yoda could reunite Luke and Leia and train them together to confront their father, who was desperate at the scale of the conflict.

Both would have a much more consistent evolution, becoming much more powerful than we originally saw.

Vader would sense his sons' presence and possibly seek them out to bring them to his side. In this scenario, I believe the father would confront his sons and be killed. Here, there would be no key moment for Vader to finally abandon the darkness, which would also allow for mercy on the part of his sons. Therefore, the Chosen One's downfall, in this reality, would come at the hands of his own sons.

The duel would be incredible, with Vader at the height of his powers against fully trained Luke and Leia. Just as in Return of the Jedi, their emotions would interfere, and it would be difficult for them to fight with all their might. Conflicted with the thought of hurting someone so close to them, this would leave Vader on the verge of emotional collapse. Unable to match strength against either of them, he would be disarmed and, perhaps, at his own request, killed, the only way to finally find redemption for his crimes. Thus, Vader's Empire would begin to crumble.

Led by the Jedi duo, the Rebel Alliance would pressure the Empire, now under the leadership of Thrawn or Tarkin, to take refuge in the Unknown Regions to regroup.

Ultimately, I believe that a Vader Empire would be much more brutal, militarily more intelligent, and effective, but due to a lack of dialogue, the Sith Lord's confusion, and a lack of cohesion, it would eventually collapse, perhaps even faster than Palpatine's Empire.

Ultimately, perhaps the Empire's greatest enemy would be Darth Vader himself...

What about you? Do you think Vader would build a better Empire than Palpatine? Be sure to comment and follow the next posts!