Nearly 40 years ago, Star concluded its first trilogy. A story about a Rebellion fighting for freedom against a tyrannical empire. A battle between good and evil with a focus on family. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker proved that the Jedi Order wasn’t extinct. He was living proof. He fought his father and helped prove to Palpatine that his father was once a Jedi.
Vader watched his son suffer from Palpatine’s hideous powers and realized he had a choice. As Anakin Skywalker, he abandoned his loyalty to the Empire and the Sith. He threw Palpatine down into the shaft and, in the process, sacrificed his life so his son could live.
The Skywalker Saga finished Anakin’s story with an unexpected redemption, and Luke gets to see a younger version of his father as a Force Ghost, which Hayden Christensen later played. While fans have mixed feeling about this change, Lucasfilm explains that Anakin’s last time being a Jedi was during the events of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), which is why he shows up as his younger self in Return of the Jedi.
For Palpatine, it appeared that the Sith lord perished, but somehow, he returned. In Star Wars Legends, Palpatine returned, but as a clone, where he fought Luke Skywalker and was vanquished once again. In Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Palpatine reveals that he survived as a clone and is now back in power and waiting in the shadows.
At Star Wars Celebration, Ian McDiarmid wasn’t ready to reprise his role for the Sequel Trilogy as he didn’t expect somehow to have a significant role in the upcoming movie. He shares his surprise with fans at one of the panels during the weekend:
At the 40th anniversary panel for Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid says he was “surprised” by the reveal that Palpatine survived the events of Episode VI
At the 40th anniversary panel for Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid says he was “surprised” by the reveal that Palpatine survived the events of Episode VI pic.twitter.com/r00ZxTQj9G
— Star Wars Holocron @ SWCE (@sw_holocron) April 8, 2023
Palpatine was a huge part of the Skywalker Saga, but many fans weren’t happy with how the villain suddenly returned. Lucasfilm has spent years justifying his return by explaining and building connections with cloning and how the Empire had resources for his return even before the events of Return of the Jedi.
While this retcon was due to JJ Abrams wanting Palpatine to return, Star Wars has wasted no time to make the villain’s role in the Sequel Trilogy make sense, but for most, it was too late. McDiarmid is great as Palpatine, but Rise of Skywalker doesn’t end the Skywalker Saga how fans wanted as Rey (Daisy Ridley) takes on the mantle and leaves beloved characters like Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren and Finn (John Boyega) out of the spotlight.
Rey will get her own movie very soon as the movie will explore Rey building her Jedi Order in a galaxy with no current war. It will be 15 years after the events of Rise of Skywalker, and fans are on the fence about how they feel. Palpatine’s story continues to be explored as more Star Wars projects bring the iconic villain into the spotlight. The Bad Batch is an excellent example, as the Emperor made a thrilling cameo earlier in the year as he erased clone troopers from the Galactic Empire.
Do you think Palpatine needed to return from the dead for the Sequel Trilogy? Let Inside the Magic know what you think!
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Credit: Lucasfilm
