"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This legendary Star Wars meme perfectly encapsulates fans' frustration with the Emperor's controversial resurrection in The Rise of Skywalker. Many viewers rejected Palpatine's cloned revival following his dramatic demise in Return of the Jedi. But what did Ian McDiarmid, the actor who's portrayed Palpatine for four decades, think about the backlash?
During a Variety interview celebrating Revenge of the Sith's theatrical re-release (which has performed remarkably well), McDiarmid casually dismissed criticism, stating "both Palpatine and I saw this as completely logical."
"It seemed perfectly plausible Palpatine would have contingencies," he explained. "Despite being severely wounded, he'd find a way to reconstitute himself. Discovering I'd get a floating throne was even better - I had four assistants wheeling me around set, which was tremendous fun. Daisy Ridley seemed most concerned about that. Then we created an even more monstrous makeup than before."
Addressing fan complaints specifically, McDiarmid noted: "There's always criticism, isn't there? I avoid online discourse unless someone mentions it directly. While I anticipated some controversy, Palpatine's reasoning made perfect sense to me. A brilliant strategist like him would absolutely prepare for catastrophic failure. I loved portraying his enhanced post-resurrection power - though this time annihilation was permanent."
The Rise of Skywalker provides vague explanations for Palpatine's resurrection. When Kylo Ren encounters him early in the film, the Emperor appears as a reanimated corpse, suggesting he didn't survive Return of the Jedi's climax.
Yet this proved merely a temporary setback. As McDiarmid noted, Palpatine had prepared for this scenario. The film hints at his methodology when he echoes his famous Revenge of the Sith line while revealing his scheme to Kylo Ren: "The Dark Side of the Force grants abilities some consider... unnatural."
The takeaway? Ancient Sith sorcery fueled his return.
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While the Star Wars fandom may never embrace Palpatine's controversial return, it remains to be seen whether future installments will acknowledge it. Recent reports indicate Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker will reportedly appear in multiple upcoming films as Lucasfilm's premiere cinematic asset.
Ridley's confirmed return includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's direct sequel to The Rise of Skywalker, which will follow Rey approximately 15 years later as she attempts to restore the Jedi Order.
