Why does Lucas hide the fact that Palpatine is Sidious??

I can't understand why didn't George Lucas reveal to us (the audience) that Palpatine is Darth Sidious sooner, like in the Phantom Menace, or at least in Attack of the Clones?! If he did that, it would allow much more screen time for Sidious as oppose to the few seconds he had in Attack of the Clones.
First it thought there could be a some major plot twists in Episode III (like Palps and Sidious are two different people) and that's the reason why we never cleary know his identity, but then i saw the Palpatine toy figure that changes into Sidious so there can't be any doubt any more!

I think is regratable that such a interesting character is so sidelinded in the first two movies!!

Any comments?

(sorry for my english, i'm german)

He didn't have the need for revealing it yet.

I think he already did in TPM if you put it all together.

Lucas never made a secret out of it, it wasn't told on screen yet because it wasn't relevant yet but never a secret.

I always thought it was a 'twist' for the newer fans..but since they showed Palpatine with a saber in the trailer..I dunno..to give us something to debate about probably.

Wahrscheinlich war sich Lucas selber noch nicht sicher, in welche Richtung die Geschichte geht. Die Drehbücher hat er ja nach und nach geschrieben. Er wollte sich wohl noch Möglichkeiten offen halten...
So ein Enthüllungsknaller wie in Episode V fehlt den Prequels natürlich noch.

It was never a secret, if you put things together you could easily figure out who he was and I think Lucas knew/understood that the fans could figure it out so he never had the need to come out on screen and say it.

Originally posted by Commander
Wahrscheinlich war sich Lucas selber noch nicht sicher, in welche Richtung die Geschichte geht. Die Drehbücher hat er ja nach und nach geschrieben. Er wollte sich wohl noch Möglichkeiten offen halten...
So ein Enthüllungsknaller wie in Episode V fehlt den Prequels natürlich noch.

Hmm, speak English here please.
For the rest of u here who doesn't speak german: He says that Lucas wasn't sure how the story would turn out. He had written the (Drehbücher? I think that means the trilogy) bit by bit. He wanted more options.
And the last part I don't quite understand. Any germans here who can translate?

dont look at me, i got an F in german😛

UMMM they did reveal that palps is sidious in TPM right at the end, when yoda and mace say which was destroyed the master or the apprentice and then they focus on pals with the sinister music playing.

it was merely for fans who never saw the OT

I think it is for dramatic effect....viewers of the films find out at about the same time that the Jedi do. Fans might know they are the same, but the ENTIRE fictional SW universe (aside from a few Sith) DO NOT realise this until it is too late.

well as far back as the TPM DVD commentary, Lucas referred to the hologram in Episode V as "Darth Sidious"

Sorry, serious attempt:
Probably Lucas was not sure in which direction the story should goe. He wrote the scripts bit by bit. He wanted to allow for all possibilities.
I miss an exposure in the prequels like Luke and Vader in Episode V.

I doubt that. GL intended Palps to be Sidious/emperor from the start of the prequels....a major part of the trilogy is his plan coming together. Plus a big clue is the fact that it's the same actor from ROTJ.

of course he intended palps to be Sidious/Emperor, did you watch TPM?
they revealed that palps is sidious in TPM right at the end, when yoda and mace say which was destroyed the master or the apprentice and then they focus on palps with the sinister music playing.

Originally posted by Morridini
Hmm, speak English here please.
For the rest of u here who doesn't speak german: He says that Lucas wasn't sure how the story would turn out. He had written the (Drehbücher? I think that means the trilogy) bit by bit. He wanted more options.
And the last part I don't quite understand. Any germans here who can translate?

Yeah, sure... The first part was right. The last sentence means that it's missing a big surprise in the prequels as there was in Episode V.

But I think the big surprise "from a certain point of view" will be the fact that Palpatine is Darth Sidious. Sure, we know it, but when you see the story beginning at I, II, III, then it is a big surprise. When you look the films in this order then will it be no surprise that Vader is Luke's father. 😉

Edit: Oops... Just read that Commander has already answered to his last sentence. 😄

Bye
Lotus

When does he hid it?Everyone knows so if he is hiding it he is not doing a good job at it.JM

Again, it is a terrible secret within the SW universe itself. The Jedi, and the population of the Republic (who generally LOVE Palpatine) are completely unaware of his dual nature, and if it's not a surprise to (most of) us, it sure as hell is to them!! I don't think that Dooku is even aware of this...but will avoid starting a thread on the subject.
Maybe.

Like I've said before, you have to look at this the way someone will in ten or twenty years: In order, with no recollection of the later chapters.

With no memory of the original trilogy, making the connection isn't as simple as 2 + 2.