The Galactic Empire, also known simply as the Empire, is a fictional autocracy featured in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars, it is the main antagonistic faction of the original trilogy, which also includes The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The Galactic Empire is portrayed as an anthropocentric, imperialist, and bureaucratic dictatorship which seeks absolute rule and social control over every planet and civilization within the Star Wars ga...
