Captain Panaka Joined Anakin Skywalker In The Empire

Highlights

Panaka broke hearts by joining the Empire in Star Wars. His loyalty remained till the end.
His disillusionment with the Republic led him to believe in the Empire’s promise of security.
Panaka’s story offers a glimpse into the gray areas of Star Wars, exploring complex allegiances.

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.

Star Wars: 8 Most Tragic Characters, Ranked

The Star Wars franchise is built on conflict, featuring many deaths and heartbreaking moments, meaning some characters lead lives filled with tragedy.

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.

Quarsh Panaka as a Captain on Naboo and Moff for the Empire in Star Wars

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 Republic system was and how disastrous that was for Naboo. A corrupt Republic allowed the Trade Federation to flout galactic law and effectively conquer Naboo overnight. He saw first-hand that complacent pacifism did nothing to stop existential threats to his people, how Naboo needed more than a few policemen and a few starfighters to protect themselves. The failure of the Republic to then achieve justice for Naboo, that those responsible like Nute Gunray weren’t put behind bars, would’ve further jaded him. As well as it’s inability to take action and prevent the Clone Wars from occurring, a war that made the Naboo incident look like a squabble between two neighbours.”

Ultimately, Panaka never lost his priorities in this regard. At one point during his tenure as Moff, he met with Rebel hero and eventual General Leia Organa, even having the guile to suspect that she was the long-lost daughter of his former employer, Padmé Amidala. Unfortunately, he never got to explore those suspicions, as he was killed shortly after in a bombing attack carried out by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera. He remained loyal to the end, both to the Empire and his ideals.

Panaka’s story is interesting, as it offers a look at the gray area not often explored in Star Wars. Sure, the Empire is an evil and oppressive fascist regime. That much is clear. So, the admittedly scrappy Rebel Alliance is all but required against such power. But many stories often neglect to explore why some people will see the rigid order of the Empire as a good thing, ignoring all its faults for security’s sake. It’s a phenomenon seen in the real world as seemingly good people support blatant evil for their own reasons. So, more tales like Panaka’s would likely hit home for many viewers.

The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space, including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other mediums like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.