The Unidentified Outer Rim cyberneticist with the Sith artifact.
Many centuries before the Clone Wars, the cane had been stolen by a cyberneticist who worked out of an industrial Outer Rim Territories wasteland planet. This scientist, realizing that a Mandalorian clan loyal to Ung Kusp had been hired to recover the cane, offered to outfit Jaing and Durge, who were enemies of Kusp's clan, with armor incorporating advanced weaponry and reflex systems if they protected him. Shortly after the operations were complete, a Mandalorian strike team broke into the scientist's building and attacked Jaing, Durge, and the scientist's assistant Nubyl in the form of a defense cyborg. The trio beat back the attackers until one of them threw a thermal detonator. Jaing was fatally wounded, Durge was knocked unconscious, and Nubyl malfunctioned.
The Mandalorians recovered the cane, but before they could leave, Durge awoke and, furious about Jaing's mortal wounding, defeated the Mandalorian raiders. The scientist took back the cane and advised Durge to exterminate the other Mandalorians in retribution, promising that he would revive Jaing. Durge set off to hunt Kusp's clan.
By 1 BBY, the cane had fallen into the hands of Galactic Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine often used the cane in order to appear to be weak instead of actually needing it, although the Dark Side corruption as well as old age had taken such a toll on his body that his movement actually was impaired when not actively drawing on the Force. When he inspected the second Death Star in the days preceding the Battle of Endor, Palpatine carried the cane with him, and brought it into his throne room.
Palpatine, six years after his resurrection on Byss, utilized a similar cane when encountering a recently captured Skywalker on Byss.
The Emperor's cane first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. According to the reference book From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives, the original prop measured 20×94×3 centimeters.
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Coloring Book (1984)
- From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives
- The Essential Guide to Characters
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 22
- The Essential Atlas
- Star Wars: Beware the Sith