What Happened To Sly Moore In Star Wars? The Fate Of Palpatine's Rumored Lover, Explained
There's a rich Star Wars tradition of introducing curious supporting characters in the movies and fleshing them out through various novels, comics, and video games. This has happened with more central figures like Boba Fett and Captain Phasma, and with characters who have even briefer onscreen appearances. Where would we be without Bossk, Max Rebo, or Crix Madine? Star Wars loves its Glup Shitto characters, and Sly Moore is one of the most fascinating.
In the films, Sly Moore — played by Australian actress Sandi Finlay — only appears a couple of times. She debuts in "Attack of the Clones" and returns in "Revenge of the Sith," appearing alongside Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine during his sessions in the Galactic Senate. Along with the blue, horned Mas Amedda, Moore is part of Palpatine's inner political circle. Digging into the more extraneous corners of Star Wars lore reveals that she's also a Force adept privy to the Chancellor's grand Sith plans. There's even an in-universe rumor that Sly Moore was secretly Palpatine's lover. Don't worry, we'll get there.
Books and comics in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe and the official canon shed light on Sly Moore, making her one of the franchise's most enigmatic background characters. Her story goes differently in each timeline, but both versions are filled with dark betrayals and complicated schemes to grab power.
Sly Moore in Star Wars canon
Sly Moore's canon story is relatively complex because of her prominent role in the "Darth Vader" comics. A native of the planet Umbara, seen onscreen in one of the most famous and acclaimed "Clone Wars" arcs, Moore is born with Force sensitivity and is quickly drawn to the dark side. According to various canonical sourcebooks, she's located and captured by Darth Maul while he's serving as Darth Sidious' apprentice. After proving herself capable and strong, Moore is brought into Palpatine's dark schemes. The Sith Lord makes her one of his advisors while he's still the senator representing Naboo. After he becomes the supreme chancellor in "The Phantom Menace," Moore operates as his senior administrative aide.
As one of the only people aware of Palpatine's secret identity, Moore serves him in various ways throughout the Clone Wars. After the rise of the Empire, she stays on in largely the same capacity, helping oversee political goals in the Senate and more shadowy schemes in the further reaches of space. In "Andor" Season 1, Mon Mothma references how Sly Moore has been a huge political adversary, cutting off Ghorman shipping lanes and thwarting her various attempts at humanitarian aid.
In several canon comics set during the Imperial era, Moore also becomes an enemy of Darth Vader, competing with and scheming against him to pursue greater power. Her arc has no concrete ending yet, so she has the potential to return. In the "Darth Vader" comics, she tries to convince Vader to turn against Palpatine after the events of "The Empire Strikes Back."
Sly Moore in Star Wars Legends
The early parts of Sly Moore's story in the Legends timeline are largely the same as in canon. She's born on Umbara, captured by Darth Maul, and groomed by Palpatine to be a Force-sensitive agent in his plans. The Sith Lord takes her into his service and makes her a key piece of his political machine as he gradually transforms the Republic into the Empire.
After the end of the Clone Wars, the timelines start to diverge for Sly Moore. She's less important to Darth Vader's story in the Expanded Universe, but she's more of a galactic figure. To be more specific, Moore becomes the subject of various rumors suggesting she's one of Palpatine's secret lovers. She earns the nickname "Queen of the Empire" and tortures Force-sensitive prisoners on the planet Byss — an experimental site where Sidious tries to create new dark Force operatives.
According to old sources, including a now-defunct lengthy StarWars.com article, Moore disappears from the galactic stage and returns to her home region of space later in the Imperial era. Rumors abound that she gave birth to a three-eyed mutant son of the Emperor. Other accounts claim she used Sith magic to impregnate herself. None of these official Lucasfilm sources ever clearly explain what happens, but with Sly Moore's story still ongoing in canon, there's a chance we could get more clarity this time.