Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug

This article is non-canon within the canon continuity.

This article covers a subject from a LEGO product that has not appeared in a canon or Star Wars Legends source, and thus is considered non-canon.

"'Galaxy's Best Emperor.' Huh. This is actually pretty thoughtful. Why was I so mean about it? In fact, why am I always so mean?"

―Emperor Palpatine^[2]

Galaxy's Best Emperor Mugs were a type of gift that existed during the reign of the Galactic Empire. The mug was available in white or red colors, featured the words "Galaxy's Best Emperor"—praising the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine—along with an image of the Emperor. Palpatine, however, was dissatisfied with the item, finding the praise meaningless as he was the galaxy's only Emperor.

Description

"'Galaxy's Best Emperor.' 'Best'? Vader, I'm the galaxy's only emperor. So saying I'm 'the best' isn't saying much, now, is it?"

―Emperor Palpatine, to Darth Vader^[3]

Palpatine inspects a red Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug.

Galaxy's Best Emperor Mugs were handheld-sized, cylindrical mugs that featured a handle. They were adorned with the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine's likeness and inscribed with the words "Galaxy's Best Emperor" written in^[1] the Aurebesh alphabet,^[4] praising the Palpatine's rule of the Galactic Empire. One variant of the mug was red with its text across Palpatine's upper body in his^[3] zeyd-cloth robes,^[4] while the white variant displayed a headshot of the Emperor with its "Galaxy's Best Emperor" text positioned surrounding it.^[2]

History

A white bantha swap and Empire Day

"Lord Vader, your mug is now mine!"

―Emperor Palpatine, to Darth Vader^[1]

Sometime between 0 ABY and 4 ABY,^[5] Palpatine hosted a party for Imperials aboard the second Death Star battle station on the night before Life Day,^[1] a major annual holiday.^[6] In his throne room, the Emperor offered presents for his subordinates but demanded a white bantha swap—to steal each other's gift—to teach them competition in the Sith way. Joining the subsequent brawl himself, Palpatine laid claim to his Sith apprentice Darth Vader's gift, a white Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug.^[1]

R2-D2 snatched the mug from the Sith Lords during a white bantha swap in Life Day.

As the Sith Lords competed for the item, R2-D2—a rebel astromech droid that had infiltrated the Death Star—found the act intolerable and snatched the mug. The droid successfully evaded the Imperials that pursued him on the Emperor's orders and reached his T-65B X-wing starfighter to escape the space station, but not before launching the sought-after mug down the station's exhaust port. Vader later retrieved the mug and returned it to his Master, which left the Emperor furious as he realized the mug was broken.^[1]

Around 3–4 ABY,^[7] presented Palpatine with a red Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug for Empire Day,^[3] a holiday to celebrate the foundation of the Empire^[8] and reflect on the greatness of its Emperor. Palpatine, however, was discontent with his apprentice's gift—believing calling him the best Emperor was idle as he was the only one—handing the mug to his Royal Guard instead and assigning Vader a mission offworld. The Sith Master displeasure continued when the same guard attempted to give the mug back to him, causing the Emperor to smash the gift. As Palpatine walked away, the Royal Guard quietly swept the broken pieces of the mug under the Emperor's desk with their foot after making sure no one was watching. Moments later, Palpatine was gifted with another Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug by an Imperial officer, which prompted him to blandly question if the item was on sale.^[3]

A Life Day miracle

"I had to hit every gift shop on Batuu to find you that."

―Darth Vader^[2]

Changing his mind about the mug, the Emperor denounced the dark side of the Force.

Later, Vader visited gift shops on^[2] the Outer Rim planet^[6] Batuu and acquired a white Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug for Palpatine as a Life Day gift^[2] in 4 ABY.^[9] He later presented the gift to his Master in the latter's throne room aboard the second Death Star, unaware that the Sith Lords were being watched by Jedi Master Rey Skywalker and the astromech droid BB-8 from a distance, who had traveled from the future with the use of a key capable of opening Force gateways through time and space. Unimpressed by the mug once again, the Emperor hurled the mug aside, causing the item to bounce off the droid and alerting the Sith Lords to the watchers' presence. Curious about the open portal left behind by Skywalker and BB-8, the Sith Master threw the mug through the gateway, prompting Vader to complain and assert his efforts on finding the gift on Batuu. Palpatine then tasked his apprentice with finding the source of that power and threw him into the portal as well, which led Vader to a Jedi Temple on Kordoku. The Dark Lord eventually completed his task by bringing the key back to his Emperor, retrieving the Galaxy's Best Emperor Mug that was left lying on the temple's floor during the process.^[2]