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

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This iconic line from The Rise of Skywalker has become a meme that encapsulates the divisive nature of Emperor Palpatine's return. Many fans were vocal about their disappointment with his clone-fueled revival following his supposed demise in Return of the Jedi. However, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, has a different perspective on the backlash.

In a recent interview with Variety, coinciding with the successful re-release of Revenge of the Sith in theaters, McDiarmid dismissed the criticism. He emphasized that both his and Palpatine's reasoning for the character's return was "entirely reasonable." He explained, "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had a plan B. Even though he was very, very badly damaged, he would be able to 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 Palpatine's return, 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 vague explanation of Palpatine's comeback. When Kylo Ren discovers him early in the film, Palpatine appears as a reanimated version of his former self, suggesting he did not survive his fall in Return of the Jedi. McDiarmid noted that Palpatine had a contingency plan, and during his monologue to Kylo Ren, Palpatine utters the memorable line from Revenge of the Sith: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural." This hints at ancient Sith magic being the key to his return.

Despite the explanation, it seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker, with many preferring to ignore it altogether. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars films will address this plot point. Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to return in multiple upcoming projects, including a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. This film will explore Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, positioning her as a central figure in the franchise's future.

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