If the Galactic Empire is So Terrible Why Do People Join?

If the Galactic Empire was such an evil entity, than why did billions if not trillions of people living in the star wars galaxy support the emperor's rule? We take a look at the other side of the story and put ourselves in the shoes of pro-imperialist.

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[westrim]

People always forget that Luke's first choice for a ticket off of Tatooine was the Imperial Academy, and Han Solo had been a student there. That's 2/3 of the main trio, ready and willing to be Imperials until other events knocked them off that course.

[nasis]

I served in the military. lots of people I served with signed up for a steady paycheck or the other benefits. Many came from impoverished areas or had a rough upbringing. I can see many doing the same by joining the Empire. They're not evil, just looking for financial stability.

[VNM-Venom]

Cause not everyone in the Empire was evil. We got people who likely just wanted to get off their backwater planets along with people who were there for the Clone Wars and don’t want to see the galaxy engulfed in such chaos again. There’s a variety of situations that can’t be dismissed simply because the Empire as a whole was pretty evil.

[breakingboundaries]

“The pace of oppression outpaces our ability to understand it, And that is the real trick of the Imperial thought machine. It’s easier to hide behind 40 atrocities than a single incident.”

-Nemik, Andor

[Misfits]

I've always thought that the evil of the empire was hidden from the wider galaxy. Yes, many people could see they were oppressive but basically no one new about Palp being a space wizard and all that jazz

[TheWarmachine]

"The Empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos." - The Client from The Mandalorian Season 1

[andrewakrause]

Have you seen the Galactic Empire's tuition reimbursement plan? Or how about the fact that they pay you and provide your meals and housing? I mean, a 17 year old kid from some podunk moisture farming community can join up, and after he gets out of the academy, he'll be making enough imperial credits to afford the payment on an XP-38 Landspeeder. Maybe he makes NCO, and can get a V-40!

[TheHolyGopnikCrusader]

Don’t forget Janek “Tank” Sunber in Legends, one of Luke’s childhood friends. The whole arc with him and Luke is amazing and really humanizes the Empire and shows why people join and stay

[strambino]

The empire offers financial stability to those who join. Storm troopers Gotta make a living too. Palpatine made sure that the military was the most reliable employer on most worlds, especially outside of the core region.

[chowder]

The utility of having internal opposition to contend with is massively underestimated by most people. Authoritarian regimes often fall into decadence and complacency at the top because rulers end up surrounded by yes men who never even provide enough doubt for the dictator to think harder about his ideas. Thank you for pointing this out.

[Mundos]

I’ve been thinking about this ever since Jedi survivor released. In the game we often come across guys just chilling, having normal conversations. 90% of the time when I’m slaughtering stormtroopers I’m thinking “these are just people, there not all bad just doing their job.”

[chrisperez]

I think an important thing to note is that a lot of imperial citizens and former slaves probably joined the imperial military because they were living in poverty, and working for the empire in anyway would provide them economic and social mobility. This is quite similar to the US recruiting strategy for new recruits in impoverished areas and their high schools

[onliwankannoli]

So in an alternate reality where Luke applies to the academy, I’m guessing just as soon as an application comes in with the name “Skywalker, ” it immediately is forwarded to the Emperor. Palpatine would surely keep this from Vader, taking Luke into his tutelage, making sure he changes his last name. In my telling of the story, Vader finds out about this new apprentice and tries to turn him against the Emperor, unsuccessfully, but plants a seed of doubt in Luke’s mind. In the finale I imagine sort of a Mexican standoff between the three of them (with kind of a John Williams/Ennio Morricone fusion soundtrack).

You’ll have to wait until my negotiations with the publishers are settled to hear the thrilling conclusion of this story.

(One thing that always bothered me was why Luke kept the name “Skywalker.” Dead giveaway there. Owen & Beru could have given him their last name, but I guess Luke Lars doesn’t quite sound as heroic as Luke Skywalker.)

[robertjensen]

villains who twirl their mustaches are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camouflaged.

[ultragodzillafan]

Am I the only one who would like to see Alan do a playthrough of Empire At War? I think it'd be interesting to see how what a version of the Imperial military run by Alan would be like, such as how he'd spend their resources, what types of fleets he'd favor, and how he'd organize infantry/tank combat.

[shadowslayer]

We NEED a show based on the point of view from a storm trooper that shows the good the empire did and how they managed to reign in control of the various criminal organizations, pirates, and warlords.

[rob]

When my kid was in 7th grade I got him a video game that had two factions and allowed you to choose either side. I said you chose to be fight for the good guys or the bad guys. He said technically he wouldn’t choose to fight for you bad guys so I asked him why. He said no one thinks they are the bad guys and if they did they would switch sides. He opened my eyes that day.

[Kubinda]

I agree that Palpatine was in the top from when he was senator and chancellor. When he became emperor there was no one to counter/balance what he wanted and he went completely nuts.

[Infinityxero]

I kinda want to see a mini series where the soldiers of The Empire are the glue that holds a town or city together.
One day The Rebels attack and wipe out the soldiers and tell everyone they're "free" not knowing that The Empire was the one keeping the bandits and undesirables out of town, they were the ones providing security and jobs. Now that town is angry at The Rebels and left to fend for itself to rebuild and survive.

[shaydowsith]

In the SWTOR old republic, the Stories for Empire characters are better written, the clothing is more varied and so I tend to play more imperial side than republic side. That said, my RL values are more in tune with the Rebellion. (for instance one thing the Empire has which is over the top evil is slavery)