"Ian McDiarmid Defends Palpatine's Return in 'The Rise of Skywalker'"

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme, stemming from Emperor Palpatine's controversial return in The Rise of Skywalker, has become a symbol of fan dissatisfaction. Despite the outcry over his clone-fueled revival following his apparent demise in Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over 40 years, remains unfazed by the backlash.

In a recent interview with Variety, celebrating the successful re-release of Revenge of the Sith in theaters, McDiarmid dismissed the criticism, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable." He elaborated on the plausibility of Palpatine having a backup plan, saying, "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." McDiarmid also enjoyed the unique filming experience, describing his "astral wheelchair" and the fun he had with the crew. He added, "Daisy was more worried about that than anything else," referring to Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the series. The new makeup for Palpatine was another highlight for McDiarmid, who described it as "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 somewhat vague explanation of Palpatine's return, showing him as a reanimated version of himself when Kylo Ren encounters him. McDiarmid's comments align with the film's narrative, suggesting that Palpatine had a contingency plan in place. The Emperor's explanation to Kylo Ren in the film, quoting his iconic 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," hints at ancient Sith magic as the means of his return.

Despite the explanation, many fans remain unconvinced and would prefer to ignore Palpatine's return. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars projects will address this contentious plot point. Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to appear in multiple upcoming films, with Ridley confirmed to star in 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.

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