Poe Dameron’s line, “Somehow Palpatine returned,” from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has become a popular meme, but it’s still remarkable that Palpatine survived his apparent fall in Return of the Jedi. He reappeared in the final Star Wars film as the one pulling the strings throughout the sequel trilogy, though he was clearly weakened. While The Rise of Skywalker didn’t explain why Palpatine was so vulnerable, the answer has now been revealed, and it involves Darth Vader.
In the six years since The Rise of Skywalker was released in theaters, fans have learned from hints in the movie and information shared in the novelization and some other Star Wars books, that Palpatine transferred his consciousness to a new body when Darth Vader tossed him into that chasm in the second Death Star. However, the new body failed to be a suitable replacement, and he spent the next three decades overseeing cloning experiments to try and create a better one. But on top of that, the new book Star Wars: Master of Evil (via SFFGazette) has indicated that Vader’s absence also negatively affected Palpatine, per this excerpt:
The dark side offers a genuine power, but it’s meant to be kept hidden. Its knowledge is for personal gain, to be collected and protected, not shared. This is its natural order. A master gains strength by drawing on the anger and fear of their student, using those negative emotions to increase their own power and control. Ultimately, it’s the student who empowers the master, not the other way around.
If you’re not familiar with Star Wars: Master of Evil, it’s a book by Adam Christopher (author of Shadow of the Sith) that follows Darth Vader immediately after Revenge of the Sith. The story centers on Vader trying to decipher a mysterious vision he experienced while creating his red lightsaber. This takes place more than 50 years before The Rise of Skywalker, so a recent quote from the book definitely isn’t hinting at what happens to Palpatine after the original Star Wars trilogy.
Ian McDiarmid, known for playing Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars, recently discussed the negative reaction to The Rise of Skywalker. However, what really interests me is how he felt his character’s return actually exceeded his own expectations.
With the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith approaching, Ian McDiarmid has been discussing what he found most rewarding about making the film.
This new information implies that Palpatine wasn’t able to grow his power because Darth Vader wasn’t present when he transferred his consciousness into a new body. The Sith’s long-standing Rule of Two, which allowed them to remain hidden from the Jedi for a thousand years, was broken when Vader turned against Palpatine to save Luke. This left Palpatine weakened and forced him to use Snoke as a stand-in to lead The First Order. Previously, when Darth Sidious’s apprentices like Maul and Dooku died, he always had replacements ready, allowing him to maintain a strong connection to the dark side.
It’s ironic that Palpatine’s plan to create a new, perfect body ultimately led to his defeat. One of the clones he made became Rey’s father, and Palpatine originally wanted to take over Rey’s body. When he realized the strong connection between Rey and Ben Solo, he tried to steal their life energy to make himself stronger. Luckily, Rey was able to defeat him by reflecting his Force lightning back at him, and hopefully, he’s gone for good this time.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can find a copy of Star Wars: Master of Evil at any bookstore. Or, you can watch Star Wars films and series on Disney+. Plus, Star Wars is coming back to the big screen next May with The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is scheduled for release in 2026.
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2025-11-14 05:38