Senate in A New Hope after discovering that several members of the Senate are members of the Rebellion. Aside from Palpatine, the real power in the Empire is in the hands of planetary governors, sector governors (the "moffs") and Grand Moffs overseeing collections of sectors such as the once known as the Outer Rim, and after as the Oversector Outer. After Palpatine dissolves the Senate, the regional governors are formally granted control over their territories.

In A New Hope, Tarkin explains the Empire's philosophy as "rule through fear of force rather than force itself." The instrument of this power is the military, which includes the Imperial Stormtroopers, a massive fleet of starships, and at its zenith the Death Star, a moon-sized superweapon capable of destroying planets. Plans for theDeath Star first appear (in universe chronology) in Attack of the Clones; construction begins at the end of Revenge of the Sith.

The Imperial Army is the main ground force of the Galactic Empire. It operates massive ground combat vehicles and maintains garrisons across the galaxy. It also cooperates with other branches of the Empire in a variety of operations. The Imperial Army consists of a considerable number of legions, enough to project power throughout the galaxy. Some of the legions are stationed on the capital planet Coruscant as part of the Emperor's security, while others are scattered in the Imperial Navy and planetary garrisons across the galaxy. Imperial Army officers and crew typically wear the Imperial standard grey uniforms when not clad in armor. Contrary to popular belief,