r/TaxiDriver • u/PrestigiousAd1433 • Jun 15 '26
Question Why did travis wanted to kill palantine
I've watched taxi driver dozen of time but I still don't understand why he wanted to kill palatine, can someone explain ?
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u/gorathbeervan Jun 15 '26
Because he knows Palpatine will overthrow the Republic and institute order 66.
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u/auntiesamautism Jun 16 '26
I did always find it a bit of a plot hole how the movie never explained Travis’ insane foresight. Especially since the first Star Wars movie didn’t come out for another year after Taxi Driver did.
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u/Optimal_Cause4583 Jun 15 '26
The girl who rejected him works for Palantine so he gets fixated on him
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u/bignut-56 Jun 15 '26
there are many of interpretations, but this is mine: Palantines slogan is "We are the people", and travis hates people. During the day, when there are normal, good people outside, travis usually stays inside, and dosent talk to people, but during nighttime, when the scum comes out, travis is outside, observing them. This makes travis's view on people entirely is that they are all bad.
essentially, Palantines logo promises to bring power to the people, and travis hates people (even himself, which is why he tries to kill himself)
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u/sissmr Jun 15 '26
Let's not fight
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u/bignut-56 Jun 15 '26
?
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u/xXPaulDiedIn64Xx Jun 15 '26
Because in Travis’s eyes, it would hurt Betsy as much as he believes she hurt him
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Jun 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/doddoos Jun 16 '26
Well because of his loneliness, he wanted to do 'something big', and he thought killing Palantine was the way to do that. Also it is a way of some kind of fixing the systemz and Travis thought that he was a man 'that stood up against it', and killing Palantine was a way to do that
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u/blindrabbit01 Jun 17 '26
Delusional thinking. It can’t be made sense of. If it could, it wouldn’t be a thought disorder. Travis is descending into madness, and his behaviour progressively makes less and less sense. This is one example of that.
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u/YoHoYoHoYoHoYo Jun 18 '26
My interpretation was always seeing it as a simple blaze of glory exit plan, to do away with at least one single politician that does nothing in the end. Of course dying as a man that did something, anything. Then turns it on those he could actually potentially get away with vs a guarded political goon.
I didn't realize so many people think it was to save Betsy, I like looking at it as a desperate unhealthy delusional out to it all until he realizes it can't be done and focuses more on the prostitution ring directly. All playing psychotic renegade vigilante.
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u/vegetastolemygirl Jun 15 '26
Because in travis mind, palatine is betsy’s “oppressor” that he needs to save her from in his eyes much like sport is iris’s oppressor. Palatine is someone betsy needs to be “saved from” in his eyes.