Originally posted by Turr_PhennirWhat if Anakin had been killed between TPM and RotS? What if Maul had been captured and interrogated? What if the Neimodians coughed up information on the Sith? What if Amidala hadn't called for a vote? What if he still lost the vote? What if Amidala had been killed trying to escape? What if the Jedi really rejected Anakin? What if they actually accepted him as the Chosen One and had him stay for proper training with Qui-Gon right away?
I don't have the energy to debate all this now, but as for this:Feel free to point out his scheme's many weaknesses and I'll address them all tomorrow sometime, since I doubt the similar debate with Neph will continue.
What if Amidala had been assassinated before Anakin could develop his even larger life-altering obsession? What if Padme had never developed a relationship with Anakin? What if Obi-Wan never tracked down Jango and discovered the Clones? What if the Jedi launched a full-scale investigation instead of just Obi-Wan? What if Jar Jar failed to take the bait? What if the Senate didn't approve? What if the separatists kicked the Republic's ass? What if Yoda killed Dooku? What if he captured Dooku? What if Dooku betrayed Sidious and tried to rule the Sith himself?
EDIT: Thank you, Neph. What if Shmi had never gotten killed by Sand People? What if Anakin never found out?
What if Grievous executed Palpatine on the spot? What if Anakin had perked his ears up when Palpatine started talking about Sith Lords, executing important and defenseless political prisoners for the sake of revenge, and demanding that Anakin's trusted friend and mentor be left behind for no reason at all? What if Dooku spilled the beans about Sidious right then and there? What if Anakin didn't kill Dooku? What if the Council didn't ask Anakin to spy on Palpatine? What if the Council sent Anakin with Obi-Wan to Utapau? What if Anakin perked his ears up when Palpatine started talking about dead Sith Lords and their powers and why the Jedi suck? What if Anakin reported these weird tendencies of the Chancellor's to the Council? What if Yoda hadn't been away from Coruscant when Anakin ousted Palaptine as Sith? What if Mace took like 100 Jedi and a entire police force and the media with them to confront Palpatine? What if they didn't do that, but Mace still brought Anakin along to arrest Palpatine? What if the Jedi conducted a midi-chlorian test? What if Anakin didn't oust him as Sith at that time? What if Anakin showed up too late or too early to the duel? What if Mace just leaned in and stabbed Palpatine? What if Mace actually arrested Palpatine like Anakin wanted? What if Anakin didn't agree to go slaughter all the Jedi? What if Obi-Wan actually killed Vader?
What were Palaptine's contingency plans for all these scenarios?
EDIT: For got to say: don't use the EU or personal speculation answering these. The point is to use what the movie showed and told us. I only brought up everything that could have happened from within the films, so only use the answers and material the films gave us. Surely those answers are there. Somewhere...
Originally posted by Turr_Phennir
.......Sweet Jesus. A lot of these are simply what if scenarios, though. Manipulation and schemes are contingent on the actions of others and I'm pretty sure that is without exception.
Originally posted by Zampanó
But that's not an excuse.
No, it's simply a fact. Palpatine's gambit is hardly alone in this regard: Every single act of manipulation, deception, or political maneuvering in the Star Wars universe or fiction or even the real world itself is contingent on specific decisions and actions made by other people.
Originally posted by Zampanó
All of these are things that contributed, whether decisively or not, to Anakin's fall. Many of them (like Padme) were completely outside of Palpatine's control. What if he hadn't been dealt such a perfect hand?
As we saw from the many setbacks endured by the Sith throughout the films: the presence of Jedi investigators during the blockade of Naboo, Trade Federation's defeat, Maul's death, Padme's survival of the assassination attempt, Grievous's defeat at Obi-Wan's hands, Palpatine's defeat at Windu's hands, Yoda's survival, Anakin's defeat at Obi-Wan's hands... Palpatine is a master of adaptation.
Or what if Padme wasn't in God Mode when she did this:
http://youtu.be/keBe6zKPDAI?t=6m26s 6:25 mark
Originally posted by Stealth Moose
Unless he paid them!DUN DUN DUNNNN!