Dagobert VIII is a character in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
"The penultimate Emperor to reign from Trantor, whose flight marked the final, symbolic end of the Galactic Empire's power and the beginning of its long twilight."
About Dagobert[]
Dagobert VIII was one of the last reigning Emperors of the Galactic Empire, ruling from the throne on Trantor during the mid-3rd century F.E. His reign is universally remembered for its catastrophic end, which solidified the Empire's status as a phantom of its former self.
His rule was already fragile, controlling a fraction of the Galaxy and under constant pressure from warlords, rebellious sectors, and the expanding Foundation. The defining event of his reign was the Great Sack of Trantor by the rebel Gilmer in 255 F.E. Unlike the Sacks of earlier millennia, this attack was devastating and successful. Faced with the fall of his capital, Dagobert VIII did not stand and fight. Instead, he and his court fled the planet, abandoning the Imperial Palace and the Library of Trantor to the ravages of the conquerors.
The Emperor escaped to the nearby world of Delicass, located approximately three parsecs from Trantor. There, he re-established his court and renamed the planet Neotrantor, signifying its new role as the "New Trantor." However, this act was one of profound symbolism rather than actual power. The Empire on Neotrantor became a pathetic remnant, a mere ghost of the original, ruling over a small cluster of worlds and possessing no real authority in the Galactic power structure. Dagobert VIII's flight effectively marked the end of the First Galactic Empire as a meaningful entity, reducing it to a local kingdom that clung to the echoes of its former title.
His rule was preceded by a period of significant instability, and his actions, particularly the mismanagement that led to Gilmer's rebellion, are portrayed as the final failure of a decaying dynasty. The psychological impact of his flight on the Galactic consciousness was immense, proving that the Empire was utterly powerless to protect even its own heart.
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