"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme has become iconic, often used to lampoon the controversial reappearance of Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. The character's return, facilitated by cloning, was met with significant backlash from fans who felt it undermined the definitive conclusion of his story in Return of the Jedi. However, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, had a different perspective on the fan reaction.

In an interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith which saw impressive box office returns, McDiarmid addressed the criticism. He casually dismissed the backlash, asserting that "mine and Palpatine's logic was entirely reasonable." He elaborated on the plausibility of Palpatine's contingency plan, 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." McDiarmid also enjoyed the unique aspects of filming, such as being moved around in an "astral wheelchair," and the opportunity to don a new, even more grotesque makeup look.

Regarding the specific backlash to Palpatine'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 provides a somewhat vague explanation for Palpatine's resurrection, showing him as a reanimated version of his former self when Kylo Ren encounters him. This suggests that Palpatine did not survive his fall at the end of Return of the Jedi but used ancient Sith magic, as hinted by his line, "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural."

Despite the explanation, many fans remain unconvinced and prefer to ignore Palpatine's return. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars films will address this narrative thread. Meanwhile, 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 explore Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, indicating a continued focus on the new generation of Star Wars characters.

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