Emperor's throne room (Imperial Palace)

One year after coming to power, Emperor Palpatine summoned Darth Vader before him. As his apprentice knelt before him, the Emperor informed Vader that the time had come for the Empire to evolve and show the galaxy that his voice was the sole one in governing. When Vader asked how this was going to be done, the Emperor stated that the planet of Mon Cala would serve as an example. When Vader stated that he was no longer a general, the Emperor informed his apprentice that he had another task for him to handle. Vader and his team were to investigate if a Jedi was aiding the Mon Cala King and destroy them if it was so, while another would oversee the military part of the operation.

Emperor Palpatine, seated on his throne and flanked by two Imperial Guards, was contacted by Governor Ahr via hologram who he asked why he was troubling him. Ahr informed the Emperor how Darth Vader's actions had cost him the supply of coaxium he had been tasked with retrieving from insurgents on the planet Namzor. From his throne, the Emperor asked his apprentice if he had been aware of the governor's orders to which Vader did not reply. Looking down at the holo-pad before his throne, the Emperor chided Vader, reminding him that he was his apprentice and that while none outranked him he was not a bureaucrat like the governor was. Ahr replied he was honored which caused the Emperor to smile at the governor's hologram.

Turning his attention back to Vader, Palpatine had the Dark Lord kneel before him reminding him that by obeying the governor's orders he was carrying out his will. The reprimanded caused Vader to recall the hatred he had toward his past masters as well as to Sidious much to the Emperor's delight. Still seated on his throne, the Emperor gestured to Ahr and informed Vader that he would carry out to the letter all of the governor's orders until he had learned his lesson. After Vader asked when that would be, Palpatine replied with a smile he would know before telling the governor to carry on and ending the transmission.

Following the rogue Inquisitor chase, Darth Vader knelt before Emperor Palpatine, who was sitting on his throne, to explain his reason for killing two members of the Inquisitorius. Three Imperial Royal Guards were present in the throne room. While the Emperor agreed that Vader's reasoning was fair, he demanded to know what his apprentice's evidence was. Vader explained how the Inquisitor Thirteenth Sister had allowed the wife of Eeth Koth and his child to escape before abducting the child once she had been seen. Vader went on to state that she had ensnared Tualon Yaluna and was building a collation against them as his reason for killing the both of them. The Emperor's reply to this was gesturing to the window behind the throne and point out the path of destruction Vader had created in his pursuit.

Rising from his throne, the Emperor pointed an accusing finger at Vader, reprimanding him for his actions because they had led to the death of Senator Maklooq who was important to his plans. He was concerned that Vader's actions could cause whispers to circulate that he was incapable of maintain order on other worlds if he could not keep order on the capital. Still kneeling, Vader replied that the Inquisitorius had been given to him to which the Emperor stated they were his but no longer would be stationed on Coruscant. Emperor Palpatine stated that he would move the Inquisitorius off-world to a new base so that there would not be a repeat of what had occurred. He then turned to face the window behind the throne, commenting that it would not happen again on his world. After a moment passed, the Emperor ordered his apprentice to rise so they could discuss other matters.

Turning to face his apprentice, Emperor Palpatine relayed his pleasure at learning of the death of Koth then asked how the former council member was hiding. As Vader rose, he answered that Koth was hiding as a priest which received a laugh from the Emperor. Descending from his throne, the Sith Lord mocked at Koth's foolish attempts to hide, stating how the Jedi deserved their extinction. Complimenting Vader's hunting of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine revealed he had an reward for his apprentice as the two Sith Lords left the guardsmen behind and made their way of the throne room. As they walked towards the entrance, the Emperor was amused at Koth's hubris and let out a chuckle.

Vader contacted his master via hologram in the throne room after he had returned from his journey through the Force portal on the planet Mustafar. The Emperor sat on this throne and was flanked by two royal guards as Vader's hologram appeared before the throne. Palpatine voiced his pleasure at finally hearing from Vader, commenting that he was almost on the verge of seeking out a new apprentice to which the Sith Lord affirmed that he was still alive. Commenting on his apprentice's damaged appearance; Palpatine suggested that Vader's quest on Mustafar had resulted in him learning something of value. He went on to describe how the galaxy was built upon lies which meant that nothing was more difficult than finding just one true thing. After asking Vader if he learned what he had needed on Mustafar, Vader terminated the holo-connection with the throne room. To himself Vader answered the question with "yes."

From the throne room, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda contacted via hologram Admiral Piett aboard the Executor. After confirming that Millennium Falcon had escaped from Bespin into hyperspace, the Grand Vizier informed the Piett that Emperor Palpatine wished for Lord Vader to contact him. As the Emperor sat on his throne with Amedda at his side waited until the Vizier prompted the Admiral again after hearing Piett call out Vader's name. Piett proceeded to inform them that Vader was currently unavailable having just seen the Sith Lord's shuttle jump into hyperspace. Hearing this, Palpatine amusingly commented on his apprentice's sudden absence and started to laugh as Amedda and the hologram of Piett watched on in silence.

At another point, the Emperor summoned Darth Vader to the throne room. Vader knelt before his master, who sat on his throne flanked by two Imperial Guards. Vader reported on the status of the Rebel fleet after the events on Hoth. After being told the fleet has splintered, the Emperor stated that the time was right hunt down and destroy each rebel ship. After Vader asked if he was being charged with the task, Palpatine lamented how either Grand Moff Tarkin or Grand Admiral Thrawn would have been ideal for the assignment.

With both gone and there not another candidate, the Emperor told Vader would need to suspend his search for his son, Luke Skywalker, and hunt the Rebels down. Vader, however, retorted and informed his master that there was indeed another candidate for the task: Commander Ellian Zahra, the former protégé of Tarkin. Palpatine agreed to Vader's suggestion.

After the battle on Polis Massa, Darth Vader returned to Courscant and met with the Emperor in the throne room. Palpatine sat on his throne flanked by two Imperial Guards. Vader stood below the throne as his master asked if he finished his business. Kneeling on the floor, Vader stated he had. However, his master questioned his apprentice's words. Rising from his throne, the Emperor approached Vader as he pondered on the path of the Dark side and how it led to strength for the Sith. The Emperor stated that Vader however had allowed himself to wallow in grief and would need to start all over again at the beginning with fear as he summoned Force lightning.

The Emperor's resulting attack was powerful enough to send lighting shooting out of the ceiling of the throne room and high into the sky which could be seen by individuals outside the palace. Vader was able block his master's attack with his lightsaber and hold his position on the dais' stairs and asked why he was being attacked. Continuing his assault from the foot of the dais, Palpatine called Mas Amedda forward who procced to inform Vader that the Emperor knew of his personal quest. As the Emperor ceased his lighting assault, Vader slumped on the stairs before Palpatine had Amedda order his guards to attack his apprentice. The Sith Lord was able to hold his own against the two guardsmen until the Emperor deprived him of his lightsaber.

Vader found himself pushed to the floor by the guards' resumed attack until he managed to take one of the guard's force pike and counter-attack. Amedda came forward and drew a blaster at Vader who preceded to Force choke the three and levitate them off the ground much to Palpatine's glee. Vader's grip on Amedda and the guards was lost when the Dark Lord found himself being Force choked by his master and lifted off the floor. Palpatine suspended Vader in the air as he lectured his apprentice on the Sith principle of strength through fear. As he hung in midair, the Emperor proceeded to shatter Vader's prosthetic limbs with the exception of his left arm and heavily damaged his suit while ordering him to forget all but his Emperor before dropping him to the floor. Standing over his broken apprentice, the Sith Master informed Vader the need to find himself again or he would die.

The Emperor's throne room first appeared in the multimedia project Shadows of the Empire novel published in 1996 and was later depicted in the comic book adaption of the novel. It was located in the tallest tower of the Imperial Palace which had once been the Presidential Palace of the Galactic Republic. The Emperor's throne room made its first canonical appearance in Timothy Zahn's novel Thrawn.