There’s one character in Star Wars‘ Skywalker Saga that has proved to have lasting appeal with fans for his over-the-top but memorable presence in the films: Ian McDiarmid’s Darth Sidious, the puppet master arguably responsible for manipulating Anakin Skywalker to join the dark side of the Force.

In case you’re not already familiar, the Skywalker Saga encompasses all three trilogies of the mainline Star Wars films, from A New Hope through 2019’s Rise of Skywalker. Although McDiarmid may not have appeared in all nine of those films, the character is still a presence in each one, even if it is off-screen.

 
Not only that, but McDiarmid’s performance as the conniving Emperor Palpatine in the prequel trilogy was a highlight for critics in those films, despite the reception of those movies falling flat critically, overall.