10 Smartest Villain Plans In Movies
6. Palpatine's Order 66 - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith
As a Galactic Senator, Sheev Palpatine cultivated the persona of a politician with his people's best interest at heart. Little did anyone know he was secretly reviving the Sith under the persona of Darth Sidious. As he claimed more and more political power, he performed atrocities behind the shadows including putting hits on Queen Amidala, having Qui-Gon killed, and commissioning the construction of a moon-sized battle station.
The reason why Palpatine's plan worked so well was because he knew when to act and more importantly, when not to. When he was promoted to Supreme Chancellor, he didn't expose his true intentions. Even after he assembled a clone army, he didn't attack anyone publicly.
Only after he turned Anakin to the Dark Side did he execute Order 66, forcing the clone troopers to instinctively hunt and wipe out all the Jedi. By the time Obi-Wan and Yoda learned Palpatine was the mastermind behind the Sith's return, it was too late. He had too much power, politically and physically. The Jedi were gone. It may have taken Palpatine years to initiate his plan fully but it allowed him to rule the galaxy for decades.