Considering he's a main character in the Star Wars saga, it's pretty bizarre that Emperor Palpatine has gone over three decades with naught but a surname to his, err, name. But a new Star Wars novel coming out plans to reveal his forename for the very first time - and it's really dumb.
A panel for the recent release of Star Wars: A New Dawn at NYCC revealed the name would début in Tarkin, a new book due out next month by James Luceno. However, it seems a user over at Wookieepedia has nabbed an early review copy of the novel and found out Palpatine's name - allegedly found on page 93 of the novel, according to the source.
So drumroll please, Emperor Palpatine's new name is...
...
...
Sheev!
Err, yeah. Ol' Sheev Palpatine. Look, just be thankful it wasn't Bernard, okay?
Take this with a pinch of salt, as of course Wookieepedia is a database that can be edited by anyone, so this could all be an elaborate joke someone made to capitalise on the news at NYCC - but at the same time, 'Sheev' kinda fits in line with Star Wars' ridiculous names for people. I mean, this is the universe that's given us Jagged Fel, Mon Mothma, Elan Sleazebaggano (oh I'm sorry, Elan Sel'Sabagno), Finis Valorum and Savage Opress. I mean hell, even that one dude who runs through Cloud City with an ice cream maker has a goddamn name (that's Willrow Hood to you, fact fans). Sheev seems practically normal considering some of the wacky names floating around in the galaxy far, far away.
While Wookieepedia is sticking to its source, we won't really know if The Emperor's name really is Sheev until Tarkin releases on November 4th - but odds are, it's likely to be true.
And very, very silly. Don't forget that bit, either.
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