Ian McDiarmid Defends Palpatine'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 reaction to Emperor Palpatine's return in the film. Many fans were vocal about their dissatisfaction with the plot twist that saw Palpatine, presumed dead after Return of the Jedi, come back through cloning. But what did Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, think about the backlash?

In an interview with Variety, celebrating the theatrical re-release of Revenge of the Sith, which has seen significant box office success, McDiarmid addressed the criticism with a shrug. He defended the narrative choice, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable." 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 be put back 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."

Regarding the specific backlash to the Emperor'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 plot of The Rise of Skywalker provides a vague explanation for Palpatine's comeback. When Kylo Ren encounters him early in the film, Palpatine appears as a reanimated version of himself, suggesting he did not survive his fall in Return of the Jedi. However, as McDiarmid pointed out, Palpatine had a contingency plan. The film hints at ancient Sith magic, with Palpatine quoting his 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."

Despite the explanation, it seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker. Many would prefer to ignore it altogether. The future of the Star Wars franchise remains intriguing, with upcoming projects on the horizon. Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to appear in "several" upcoming films, having been identified as the franchise's "most valuable cinematic asset."

Ridley is confirmed to return in a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which 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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