Meaning
What does It’s Treason Then mean?
It’s treason then refers to a memorable quote from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Online, it is used as a reaction image macro and reaction GIF, to express feelings of betrayal and to reflect on disloyalty.
Origin
What's the origin of It’s Treason Then?
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith premiered in the United States on May 12th, 2005.
In one of the scenes, Chancellor Palpatine (portrayed by Ian McDiarmid) is confronted by Jedi in order to arrest him, to which he responds with the line “It’s treason then”.
Spread & Usage
How did It’s Treason Then spread?
“It’s treason then” became a popular meme in the 2010’s, appearing on posts ranging from Reddit to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and 9GAG to Imgur and Tumblr.
Its popularity was boosted significantly in 2016, when the r/PrequelMemes subreddit was launched.

External resources
- Fandom – Star Wars Memes Wiki