Galactic Empire (Star Wars)

The Galactic Empire, also known simply as the Empire, is a fictional autocracy featured in the Star Wars franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars and appears in its two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). It is the main antagonistic faction of the original trilogy. An oppressive, autocratic regime with a complicated bureaucracy, the Galactic Empire seeks to ensure singular rule and social control over every planet and civilization within the galaxy.

At its peak, the Galactic Empire sprawls over much of the known Star Wars galaxy, which consists of millions of star systems and billions more fringe colonies, shipyards, fortress worlds, and outer territories. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), where it replaces the Galactic Republic at the end of the Clone Wars orchestrated by the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine. Palpatine is also secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who masterminded the war in order to destroy the Jedi and restore the Sith to power.

Palpatine falsely accuses the Jedi of causing the Clone Wars, a secessionist war, to weaken the Republic and gain power. The Sith Lord manipulates the Galactic Senate into using clone troopers created during the conflict to purge the Jedi. After engineering these threats himself, Palpatine reorganises the Republic into a state that could "ensure the security and continuing stability, and [provide] a safe and secure society" – the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. The Senate overwhelmingly supports this decision and lauds his apparent resolve, bravery, and selflessness.

With Emperor Palpatine keeping mostly to the shadows, his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader maintains a more public presence and leads the Imperial forces, thus acting as a personification of the Galactic Empire's power. By the time of Episode IV – A New Hope, the faction has transformed into a fully autocratic regime, where it makes war with the insurgent Rebel Alliance. The completion of the Death Star, a planet-destroying battle station, allows Emperor Palpatine to instigate a self-coup, dissolving the Imperial Senate and transferring power to officers such as Grand Moff Tarkin. The Galactic Empire is depicted in Star Wars media as a brutal dictatorship, one based on "anthropocentrism, nationalisation, state terrorism, xenophobia, power projection, threat of lethal force, and, above all else, constant fear".

The Galactic Empire collapses following the events of Return of the Jedi, but the First Order is formed by Imperial remnants in the sequel trilogy, set 30 years later.