Ian McDiarmid Defends Emperor's Return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This line has become a meme that encapsulates the mixed feelings many Star Wars fans have about Emperor Palpatine's controversial return in The Rise of Skywalker. The character's revival, facilitated by cloning, following his apparent demise at the end of the beloved Return of the Jedi, drew significant criticism from the fanbase. However, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, has a different perspective on the backlash.

During an interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith which saw a remarkable box office performance, McDiarmid dismissed the negative reactions. He argued, “mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable.” He further elaborated, "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had plan B. Even though he was very, very badly damaged, he would be able to be put it together in some form. When I realized I had a sort of astral wheelchair, that was even better. I just had these four guys who whisked me around the studio; I can’t tell you how much fun that was. Daisy was more worried about that than anything else. And then, of course, we had to devise another makeup look, which was even more grotesque than the previous one."

Addressing the specific backlash to the Emperor's return directly, McDiarmid remarked, "Well, there’s always something, isn’t there? I don’t read that stuff and I’m not online. So it’ll only reach me if someone mentions it. I thought there might be a bit of a fuss about bringing him back. But as I said, mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable. This man who was horribly maimed thought maybe one day it might happen to him, and we’ve got to have a plan B. I loved the whole idea that he should come back and be even more powerful than he was before. Though this time, he had to be utterly destroyed. So I think he’s dead."

The Rise of Skywalker offers a somewhat nebulous explanation for Palpatine's grand return. When Kylo Ren encounters him early in the film, the Emperor appears as a reanimated version of himself, indicating he did not survive his fall in Return of the Jedi. However, as McDiarmid pointed out, Palpatine had a contingency plan in place. The film suggests that through "ancient Sith magic," as hinted by Palpatine's own words from Revenge of the Sith—"The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural"—he managed to orchestrate his comeback.

Despite the explanation, it seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker. Many would prefer to overlook it entirely. The future of Star Wars storytelling remains to be seen, particularly with upcoming projects. Daisy Ridley, who played Rey, is set to reprise her role in "several" upcoming Star Wars films, having been described as the franchise's "most valuable cinematic asset." She will return in a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which will explore Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order approximately 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.

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