The Star Wars franchise has entered a new era in the last few years. The conclusion of the sequel trilogy meant that the Skywalker Saga was wrapped up, and the broader story of the galaxy’s most famous family (and their biggest enemy, Emperor Palpatine) was concluded, at least for now.
In the years since, the iconic franchise has branched out into other areas, telling stories that compliment the Skywalker Saga more than anything else. A prime example of this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, which features plenty of characters from the overarching saga, but is itself a contained story (and one that focuses on Kenobi rather than Anakin).
With that approach, fans still get some Skywalker Saga characters, like the aforementioned Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Luke is another example of this, as he appeared in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. However, one character that hasn’t made an appearance in this new era is Emperor Palpatine himself.
The villain, played by actor Ian McDiarmid, was controversially revived for The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. However, at SpaceCon 2026, McDiarmid recently put forth his own theory that Palpatine survived the events of the film, and that he isn’t really dead. While another Palpatine revival would be a way for the franchise to raise the stakes and scale of the story once again, bringing the Sith Lord back would also dampen the stories of Return of the Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, and likely frustrate audiences as well.
Palpatine’s Arc Is Complete
Much of Palpatine’s arc takes place off-screen. His earliest live action canon appearance is in The Phantom Menace, where he’s a senator for the planet of Naboo. However, at this point, several huge events have already taken place in the Sith Lord’s life. One is the fact that, as he’s estimated to be in his 50s in The Phantom Menace, he has been practicing the dark side of the Force for decades at this point.
He trained under Darth Plageuis and, as he explains in Revenge of the Sith, eventually killed his Master in order to become the dominant Sith Lord. Palpatine also put some of his plans in place for his takeover of the galaxy, and all of this happened years before the events of The Phantom Menace. In typical George Lucas fashion, the prequel trilogy kicks off with the characters, and Palpatine in particular, already in the middle of their journey.
His arc then becomes one of revenge and power, taking over the galaxy and ruling with an iron fist as the leader of the Galactic Empire. Palpatine’s arc appeared to be over, and for many years was over, with his death in Return of the Jedi. The Emperor met his end when Darth Vader picked him up and threw him down an endless shaft, causing a huge lightning-infused explosion on the already collapsing Death Star II.
The Rise of Skywalker is where Palpatine’s arc gets controversial. The villain is, somewhat abruptly, revived in the film’s opening crawl, with the iconic line “the dead speak!.” In the film, not many details were given regarding the logistics of his return, but added canon materials confirm he was the product of cloning and, predictably, Palpatine’s desire to cheat death.
He was unable to do so, however, and his granddaughter Rey defeated him on the planet Exegol. With that battle, Palpatine’s arc was well and truly wrapped up — a promising youngster lured to the dark side of the Force, who then kills his Master and spends years plotting an intricate galactic takeover, is successful, is eventually killed by his apprentice, but then does just enough to keep himself alive (in some form).
That arc has a clear beginning, middle, and end, but if Ian McDiarmid’s theory is correct, then that would mean that his character would once again be opened up. Doing so runs the risk of diluting the impact that Palpatine had before, and also might lower the stakes for future Star Wars stories. After all, if Palpatine can return from the dead twice, then that may make audiences feel as if death is an impermanent thing in a galaxy far, far away.
His Return In The Rise Of Skywalker Made Sense (Even If It Was Under-Explained)
As stated, Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker proved to be extremely controversial. Fans criticized the general idea of the villain coming back into the story in a significant capacity, and they also highlighted the lack of detail or specifics regarding his return. However, although it was unexpected (especially after the events of The Last Jedi), Palpatine’s revival still made sense overall.
For one, Palpatine had already returned in other media. Plenty of Star Wars Legends stories featured Palpatine’s revival after the events of Return of the Jedi, and some even had the same general concepts regarding cloning. Despite not being officially canon, these stories still set somewhat of a precedent that Palpatine could potentially return, and helped to lay the groundwork for his comeback in The Rise of Skywalker.
Additionally, Palpatine’s return helped tie the sequel trilogy back to the rest of the saga, particularly the prequels. In doing so, the Skywalker Saga felt more cohesive and complete as a result, even if the film missed out on some important exposition regarding the specifics of his return. It may be under explained, but the general idea of Palpatine’s revival makes sense.
Star Wars Needs New Villains
There’s nothing inherently wrong with Palpatine as a villain; in fact, some say he’s one of the greatest movie antagonists ever. Therefore, the refute to Ian McDiarmid’s theory isn’t a rejection of Palpatine, but is instead a natural place for the franchise to be in the post-sequel trilogy era.
At this moment in time, Star Wars needs new stories and new characters, and that includes brand-new villains as well. The Mandalorian and Grogu was, in some ways, an example of this, as the latest Star Wars film was the first not to feature a character from the original trilogy. The story was dominated by newer characters, and ones that feel fresher and more modern overall.
The franchise needs more of this if it’s going to survive. In fact, some of the most successful characters in the Disney era of Star Wars have been new villains created, such as Kylo Ren or The Stranger. Both showed a unique aspect of the dark side never seen before, which made their respective stories feel extremely Star Wars-y, but also bold and original as well.
- TV Show(s)
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The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Cast
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Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- Movie(s)
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
