An ancient conflict in the Star Wars Legends continuity proved invaluable to Palpatine’s plot to turn the galaxy against the Jedi. While many within the Galactic Republic saw the Jedi as heroic guardians of justice, anti-Jedi sentiment was still prevalent, even at the height of the old Jedi Order’s history. In addition to carefully orchestrating an authoritarian coup and the destruction of the Jedi Order, Palpatine also turned public opinion against the Jedi Knights, manipulating generations-old prejudices against them.

Over 5,000 years before the first Sith Lords, the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order were divided by a brutal series of wars that lasted over a thousand years. This dark era – known as the Pius Dea Era – saw a cult of humanocentric zealots install a dynasty of fanatics in the Republic’s political system and military, launching bloody crusades against non-humans throughout the galaxy. The Jedi Order recused itself from the Republic due to their significant ethical disagreements with the Pius Dea, but they would eventually find themselves involved in their conflicts yet again.

The Jedi HAD Overthrown The Republic Once Before

At the behest of the Caamasi (a species who suffered from the crusades of the Pius Dea), the Jedi returned from their 800-year hiatus from galactic affairs to overthrow the Pius Dea-controlled Republic. The Jedi and Caamasi formed a splinter faction within the Republic called the Renunciates, who opposed the Pius Dea. In the ensuing civil war, the Pius Dea-faithful Supreme Chancellor was deposed and replaced by the Jedi Grandmaster Biel Ductavis, who put an end to the Pius Dea Crusades and helped the Republic gradually return to its previous form.

The Jedi Order itself had a splinter faction known as the Order of the Terrible Glare, who corrupted Jedi teachings by following the xenophobic ways of the Pius Dea.

This would not be the last time the Jedi held political positions within the Republic. During the Republic Dark Age, not only did Jedi serve as Lords and Kings of planets, but there were also Jedi senators and Supreme Chancellors for a time. Jedi would voluntarily relinquish these titles and positions following the supposed destruction of the Sith in the Ruusan campaign, though their past positions of power would come back to haunt them when the Sith exacted their revenge a millennium later.

Palpatine Could Use This Secret To Undermine The Jedi

Palpatine not only rekindled the sinister fire of humanocentrism within his Galactic Empire, but he also took advantage of the Republic populace’s mistrust of the Jedi, given their established history of holding positions of power within the Republic during times of crisis. Palpatine manipulated the Republic citizenry to believe that the Clone Wars were a ruse by the Jedi to wrest control over the galaxy when it was actually a Sith conspiracy. Palpatine weaponized the Jedi Order’s history, using it to assist his coup in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.