A brand-newStar Warsbook suggests that, even within theStar Warsgalaxy,Palpatine/Darth Sidious’shockingreturn inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerisn’t entirely accepted. The sequel trilogy,The Rise of Skywalkerin particular, remains highly controversial in the franchise, and many still consider it to be one ofStar Wars’worst movies. There were severalproblems with theStar Warssequels, but Palpatine’s bewildering resurrection, explained in the movie solely by Poe Dameron saying,“Somehow, Palpatine returned,“is largely the biggest offense in most viewers' eyes. Now, that resurrection might be getting a major retcon.
InStar Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy, written by S.T. Bende, a scientist named Ardis San Tekka refers to the defeat of the"clone Emperor.“Even more notable,in the book, which is meant to be written by an in-universe source, this"clone Emperor"is never referred to as Palpatine. This wording indicates that, at least from the perspective of this scientist, the version of Palpatine seen inThe Rise of Skywalkerwasn’t truly Palpatine at all but was instead just a clone. This completely rewrites Palpatine’s ‘resurrection’ and suggests the true Palpatine never really returned.
Purchase Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy on Amazon.
What The “Clone Emperor” Means For Star Wars
This Change Could Have Massive Implications For The Franchise
This potential retcon could mean changes both in-universe and in the franchise. Most obviously,this would address the continued criticism of this plot twist inThe Rise of Skywalker, particularly because clones are already well-established inStar Wars’movies and TV shows. It wouldn’t be difficult for audiences to accept this version of events.
This may also suggest that news about Rey’s confrontation with Palpatine has spread in interesting ways. It could simply be a matter of the story changing as it travels throughout the galaxy. It might also be the case that this is the version of events being told to minimize the threat the Sith continued to pose in the galaxy long after they were believed to be destroyed.This would have particularly interesting implications for the future of the Jedi, which will undoubtedly be addressed in Rey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: New Jedi Order.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Cast, Story, Timeline & Everything We Know
Rey’s Star Wars return is happening in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Here’s what is known about the story, cast, and release of Daisy Ridley’s film.
Our Take On “Somehow, Palpatine Returned”
This Is A Truly Intriguing Possibility
The possibility that the version of Palpatine seen inThe Rise of Skywalkeris just a clone, completely rewriting the idea that he was resurrected, is a fascinating one. Realistically,Star Warshas struggled to make this return make sense, even in the 5 years since the movie was released. It seemed as thoughStar Wars: The Bad Batchwas going to finally reveal the full details of this return, buttheBad Batchseason 3 finaleleft many questions still hanging in the balance.
On the one hand, this would make Palpatine’s return a bit easier to swallow. However, this would also make the final battle inThe Rise of Skywalkerfeel much less significant, which would be a shame, as that would impactThe Rise of Skywalker’simportance for the worse. It will certainly be interesting to see whetherStar Warswill confirm thatPalpatine/Darth Sidiousdidn’t truly return after all and what the fallout from such a revelation could be.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Cast
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Skywalker saga with Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron leading the Resistance against the First Order. As the final battle unfolds, they draw upon the wisdom and strength of previous generations to confront their adversaries. Released in 2019, the film concludes the sequel trilogy.
