In 4 ABY, one of the six individuals accompanying Galactic Emperor Palpatine to the second Death Star was a Imperial Advisor. This male Human was distinguishable by his purple robe.
During the Galactic Civil War, a pale-skinned male Human served the Galactic Empire in the capacity of an Imperial Advisor. He was among the select few Imperial dignitaries who had the honor of private discussions with Galactic Emperor Palpatine.
From the thousands of advisors managing the Emperor's bureaucracy, only a few hundred demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Emperor and his New Order. These individuals were appointed to the Imperial Ruling Council, also known as the Emperor's Inner Circle, which operated from the galactic capital world of Coruscant. Their responsibilities included managing the Empire and executing the Emperor's directives. Palpatine fostered competition among his Advisors by assigning them oversight of both their own star systems and those of their rivals. This strategy ensured their loyalty while preventing internal cooperation and alliances. Further fueling suspicion, he only favored a select few at any given time.
Advisors of high rank often displayed their status through elaborate robes, and this Human male was no exception, donning both a headdress and a purple robe. In 4 ABY, this purple-robed Advisor was among the six Inner Circle members who joined Palpatine on the second Death Star battle station within the Endor system. Upon their arrival aboard the station via the Emperor's private shuttle, the group, escorted by Palpatine's Royal Guard, entered a hangar and were greeted by a welcoming party of Imperial officers and stormtroopers. Darth Vader, the Emperor's Sith apprentice, personally welcomed Palpatine. As the two proceeded from the shuttle, the six advisors silently followed. Shortly thereafter, the station was destroyed during an attack by the Rebel Alliance's starfleet, resulting in the deaths of all six Advisors, along with Vader and the Emperor.
The 2013 Topps Star Wars Galactic Files Series 2 trading card set, released in 2013, validated a long-held fan belief that there were six, not five, Imperial Advisors accompanying Emperor Palpatine on the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. While a promotional photo featuring the other five advisors had been used in various official Star Wars materials, the sixth advisor, distinguished by a unique black shawl worn over his shoulders, is clearly visible on the far left of another common image, which depicts the group disembarking from the Emperor's shuttle, despite his absence from the promotional photo. Continuity polaroids from the film featuring the sixth advisor, along with fellow advisors Sim Aloo, a tall-hatted fellow, and a black-robed one, are available at starwarsarchives.com.
Nilo Rodis-Jamero, the film's assistant art director, drew inspiration from Catholic bishops when designing the robes and elaborate headgear worn by all of the Advisors. Concept art by artist Ralph McQuarrie features several advisors in the arrival scene.
The arrival scene was also detailed in James Kahn's novelization of Return of the Jedi, where the group is referred to as "the Emperor's courtiers." While the sixth advisor has never been individually named in any source, information regarding his role on the Ruling Council and the Inner Circle has been revealed through sources providing general information about all six movie advisors.