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

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme encapsulates the widespread fan frustration over Emperor Palpatine's controversial revival in The Rise of Skywalker. Despite the backlash following his "death" in the cherished Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, remains unfazed by the criticism.

In a recent interview with Variety, celebrating the theatrical re-release of Revenge of the Sith—which has seen significant box office success—McDiarmid dismissed the negative reactions, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable." He elaborated on the plausibility of Palpatine's return, 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. 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 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 Rise of Skywalker offers a somewhat vague explanation for Palpatine's comeback. Early in the film, Kylo Ren discovers 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 had a contingency plan in place. As McDiarmid noted, Palpatine's return hinges on ancient Sith magic, as hinted by Palpatine's quote to Kylo Ren: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural."

Despite the explanation, many in the Star Wars fanbase remain unconvinced and would prefer to overlook Palpatine's return entirely. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars films will address this plot point. Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to return in multiple upcoming projects, including a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. This film will follow Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order approximately 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.

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With Rey being described as the galaxy's "most valuable cinematic asset," it will be intriguing to see how her story unfolds and whether it acknowledges or distances itself from Palpatine's controversial return.