Finis Valorum

Finis Valorum was a human male politician from House Valorum who served as the penultimate Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. His chancellorship was hampered by corruption and bureaucracy in the Galactic Senate, which he was unable to bring under control.

Toward the end of his administration, Valorum attempted to resolve the Trade Federation's Invasion of Naboo, to little effect. As a result of government inaction, the Queen, Padmé Amidala, called for a Vote of No Confidence in his leadership. The Senate scheduled an election for a new Chancellor, and he was replaced by Senator Sheev Palpatine of Naboo; however, Palpatine was secretly Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and had orchestrated the Naboo Crisis to become Supreme Chancellor and, ultimately, transform the Republic into the Galactic Empire.

During the Clone Wars, over ten years after his political downfall, Valorum assisted the Jedi Order as they investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas who, during the chancellor’s administration, had been sent on a mission to resolve a dispute with the spice dealers known as the Pyke Syndicate. The Jedi learned Sifo-Dyas had been killed during the mission by the Syndicate at the behest of the Sith; the dark lords had desired control of the clone army he had secretly commissioned for the Republic. Much later, during the Imperial Era, the Empire remembered the former chancellor as a weak, ineffectual leader who had done little to improve galactic order, while in contrast, some Coruscanti continued to have fond memories of their former head of state.

Text and facts from the “Finis Valorum” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.