Even during the Clone Wars Palpatine used the media to blame the conflict on “just another war of the Jedi fighting each other.” 

That propaganda was designed to make both the Emperor and society out to be the victims of the Jedi as this video of an imperial officer who has a chance run in with Luke Skywalker shows below. 

As far as the Galaxy and the imperial remnant was concerned a Jedi pilot blew up the first Death Star and then walked into the second Death Star, kicked Vader’s and the Palpatine’s butt’s and then blow up the second one. Understanding how powerful they were and the Empire was, while many appreciated Luke’s efforts to bring the Empire down, it served to advance that fear so much more. 

Imperial Commander Moff Gideon, after seeing that Luke Skywalker had boarded his ship, was so terrified that tried to take his own life.