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

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme has become iconic, often used to poke fun at the controversial return of Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. Many fans expressed disappointment with the character's revival through cloning after his apparent demise in the beloved Return of the Jedi. Yet, what does Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, think about the fan backlash?

In a recent interview with Variety celebrating the theatrical re-release of Revenge of the Sith, which has enjoyed significant box office success, McDiarmid casually dismissed the criticism. "Mine and Palpatine's logic was entirely reasonable," he stated. He elaborated, "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 backlash 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 vague explanation of Palpatine's comeback. Early in the film, Kylo Ren discovers a reanimated version of Palpatine, suggesting he did not survive his fall at the end of *Return of the Jedi*. However, his death did not hinder his plans. As McDiarmid pointed out, Palpatine had a contingency plan. In *Rise of Skywalker*, Palpatine explains to Kylo Ren, "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural," hinting at ancient Sith magic as the key to his return.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 23 ImagesIt seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker, preferring to ignore it altogether. It will be interesting to see if future Star Wars films follow suit. In November, it was reported that Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, will appear in "several" upcoming Star Wars films, as she has been deemed the galaxy's "most valuable cinematic asset."

Ridley is set to reprise her role in the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to The Rise of Skywalker, which will follow Rey as she endeavors to rebuild the Jedi Order approximately 15 years after the events of the film.