Meaning
What does Ironic Palpatine mean?
Ironic Palpatine refers to a quote turned into meme from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, said by Chancellor Palpatine.
Online, the meme is used primarily as a reaction image or reaction GIF.
Origin
What's the origin of Ironic Palpatine?
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith premiered in the United States on May 12th, 2005.
In one of the scenes, Chancellor Palpatine is telling Anakin Skywalker (portrayed by Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen respectively) about the The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.
At the end of the monologue, he reveals that despite the life saving powers granted to Plagueis by the Force, he could not prevent his own death.
It is here, Palpatine utters the line Ironic.
Spread & Usage
How did Ironic Palpatine spread?
“Ironic Palpatine” became a meme only eleven years after the film’s premiere, when in 2016, it first appeared on GIFs and within a short span of time, on Reddit’s r/PrequelMemes sub.
The meme became popular online, spreading to other sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter as well as YouTube.

External resources
- Fandom – Star Wars Memes Wiki