Star Wars: Anakin Skywalker Isn't The Only Prequel Trilogy Hero Who Joined The Empire
The ultimate fates of many Star Wars characters tend to get lost in the shuffle as more exciting stories rise to the surface. Sure, Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side drives much of the franchise's main engine, but what about those other characters whose similar loyalties were whispered rather than shouted?
Despite what many more recent canon tales would suggest, some Star Wars characters ended up forsaking the good guys and never turning back. The franchise has seen its share of villains turning good and heroes briefly falling into the darkness before clawing their way back. But scarcely is a beloved figure depicted as willingly joining with the enemy and simply staying there. One such instance occurred when a particular character in The Clone Wars series became a villain, breaking the hearts of fans. But there's another who many likely stopped thinking about after his single-film appearance.
That character was Captain Quarsh Panaka, prominently featured as Queen Amidala's bodyguard in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. Many fans were shocked when user Gimpcar on the Star Wars Cantina subreddit revealed that Panaka willingly joined the Empire at the end of the Clone Wars. Again, it wouldn't be the only time such a thing has happened in this delightfully chaotic franchise. But this one had a bit of a tragic tinge to it.
Panaka had become disillusioned by the Republic by the war's end, having lost much during its tenure. This included the death of his niece in a failed assassination attempt on the current queen of Naboo and Panaka's loss of confidence in the Republic's effectiveness in keeping its people safe. Ultimately, he joined the Empire and became a Moff. But as pointed out by one user in the comments, unlike others carrying the rank like Gideon and Tarkin, Panaka's new loyalties were driven not by career ambition or hunger for power but by genuine belief that the security promised by the Empire would improve the galaxy.
«Panaka saw how toothless the
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