George Lucas ' canceled idiot box show , Star Wars : Underworld , may not have come to fruition , but it did make an interesting canyon change toEmperor Palpatine . For several tenner , the Emperor was only known by his last name , while his first was a complete mystery . This alter in 2014 whenStar Wars : Tarkinby James Luceno bring out that Palpatine ’s first name is " Sheev . "

During aninterview on the Full of Sith Podcast , Luceno explicate that Lucas created this name forUnderworld . Sharing his first name was Palpatine ’s direction of fetch allies into his inner lap , hence why most masses do n’t fuck about " Sheev . " This change had a sundry reception among fans , but it is n’t the only wayUnderworldwould have grow Palpatine .

Star Wars: Underworld Planned To Flesh Out Palpatine A Lot More

Even giving him a tragic love story

Underworldwould have fleshed out severalStar Wars​​​​​​characters , both old and new , but it seemsPalpatine would have had a surprisingly emotional story . In theStar Wars​​​​​​movies , Palpatine is strictly an evil eccentric , the shape of the dark side who manipulates everyone else . However , in a2016 interview with GamesBeat , God of Warcreative theater director Cory Barlog revealed that parts of the biz ’s story were inspired by the handwriting he had interpret forUnderworld :

It was the most brain - blowing thing I ’d ever experienced . I care about the Emperor . They made the Emperor a sympathetic figure who was wrong by this * * * * ing heartless charwoman . She ’s this hardcore mobster , and she just totally demolish him as a mortal . I almost weep while reading this . This is the Emperor , the lightning out of the finger’s breadth Emperor . That ’s something magical . The writers who worked on that , bozo fromThe Shieldand24 , these were excellent writer . ”

While Barlog does n’t stipulate if this would have fall out to Palpatine inUnderworldor if the show was fleshing out his backstory , it ’s still a fascinating management to take the most evil homo in the galaxy . It ’s an interesting parallel to Anakin Skywalker falling to the glowering side to save his wife , yield a greater connectedness between the two Sith . Ultimately , the show ’s execution would determine if this estimation worked , but it would have been a remarkable development .

Palpatine surrounded by a red heart with Naboo in the background

It’s Incredible To See Even A Canceled Star Wars TV Show Has A Legacy

A glimpse into what Star Wars could have been

Underworldwas a extremely ambitious series with so much potential drop for greatness , so it ’s nice to see it has even a pocket-sized legacy . Perhaps some of the show ’s unused construct , including the significance ofEmperor Palpatine ’s name and his failed love aliveness , can make their way into futureStar Warsstories . Expanding on one of the saga ’s great villains and revisiting what made him into the man he is can always make for a undecomposed fib .

Palpatine very about had a tragic backstory involving a cleaning woman who broke his heart , and it would have all changed his fictional character in Star Wars .

This is n’t the only legacyUnderworldhas had , asDisney would eventually produce the first live - actionStar Warsshow withThe Mandalorian . Lucasfilm incorporate young technology that made crafting a cinematic show on a budget easier , as Lucas always want , and some ofThe Mandalorian ’s Coruscant episode showUnderworld ’s potential . With all the scripts sitting in Lucasfilm ’s archive , who have it off what influenceStar Wars : Underworldwill stay on to have ?

Star Wars' Best TV Show Just Doubled Down On A Massive Canon Change

Richard Kind Poker Face Season 2 Interview header

George Lucas during an interview with an image of Palpatine from Attack of the Clones in the background.

Custom Image by Nathaniel Roark

Star Wars Underworld George Lucas Palpatine

Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars Return of the Jedi

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

George Lucas