For some reason people misunderstand this character. He did not begin as a righteous senator, he was merely acting the part so that he could create an image that he could use to his benefit to gain real power. This misinterpretation of his intentions
goes to show just what a great manipulator of people he is.
In reality, he is easily one of, if not THE greatest villain ever created. This
sith lord knows what
true power is. Along with being able to wield a lightsaber and using the awesome force storm ability(shooting lightning from his hands), he gained power through the use of politics and manipulation. He did not only improve his abilities, he also chose to gain powerful allies to use as he pleased. With this idea in mind he gained the support of the
Galactic Senate and gained the (fairly) loyal service of another of the greatest villains(Darth Vader). Through these actions he created a barrier around him that was nearly impenetrable and he was able to single handedly rule the galaxy, wipe out nearly all of the jedi, and basically just impose his will upon the entire galaxy.
Normal villains such as Venom(Spider-man),
the Terminator(
The Terminator),
Magneto(X-men), the Joker(Batman) and even Darth Vader are all
a terror to those who fight for truth and justice, but none of them could outlaw truth and justice nor could they deceive the universe into thinking that they are fighting for truth and justice.