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

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This line from The Rise of Skywalker has become a legendary meme, often used to poke fun at the controversial return of Emperor Palpatine. Many fans expressed disappointment over his revival through cloning, especially after his apparent demise in the beloved Return of the Jedi. But what does Ian McDiarmid, the actor who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, think about the fan backlash?

In a recent interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith to theaters, McDiarmid addressed the criticism with a nonchalant attitude. "Mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable," he remarked. He further elaborated on the plausibility of Palpatine's return, stating, "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had a 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."

When specifically addressing the backlash against Palpatine's return, McDiarmid commented, "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 provides a somewhat ambiguous explanation of Palpatine's grand return. Early in the film, Kylo Ren encounters what appears to be a reanimated version of the Emperor. This suggests that Palpatine did not survive his fall at the end of Return of the Jedi but was brought back through other means. McDiarmid supports this notion, noting that Palpatine had a contingency plan in place. The film hints at ancient Sith magic, with Palpatine quoting his memorable line from Revenge of the Sith to Kylo Ren: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural."

Despite the film's explanation, many fans remain unconvinced and would prefer to ignore Palpatine's return altogether. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars projects will handle this aspect of the saga. Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to return in multiple upcoming films, including a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. This film 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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