A brand-new Star Wars book suggests that, even within the Star Wars galaxy, Palpatine/Darth Sidious’ shocking return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker isn’t entirely accepted. The sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker in particular, remains highly controversial in the franchise, and many still consider it to be one of Star Wars’ worst movies. There were several problems with the Star Wars sequels, 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.
In Star 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 in The Rise of Skywalker wasn’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 in The Rise of Skywalker, particularly because clones are already well-established in Star 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 upcoming Star Wars movie, rumored to be titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order.
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Our Take On “Somehow, Palpatine Returned”
This Is A Truly Intriguing Possibility
The possibility that the version of Palpatine seen in The Rise of Skywalker is just a clone, completely rewriting the idea that he was resurrected, is a fascinating one. Realistically, Star Wars has struggled to make this return make sense, even in the 5 years since the movie was released. It seemed as though Star Wars: The Bad Batch was going to finally reveal the full details of this return, but the Bad Batch season 3 finale left 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 in The Rise of Skywalker feel much less significant, which would be a shame, as that would impact The Rise of Skywalker’s importance for the worse. It will certainly be interesting to see whether Star Wars will confirm that Palpatine/Darth Sidious didn’t truly return after all and what the fallout from such a revelation could be.
Source: Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy
This is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and serves as the culmination of the Skywalker saga. The film sees Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) team up to put an end to the First Order after Palpatine mysteriously returns. Jurassic World helmsman Colin Trevorrow was originally named director back in 2015 when the film first entered development, but he parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences over the script. In September 2017, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams signed on to finish what he started.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Cast
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Carrie Fisher
, Oscar Isaac
, Anthony Daniels
, Joonas Suotamo
, Mark Hamill
, Adam Driver
, Ian McDiarmid
, Kelly Marie Tran
, Billie Lourd
, Keri Russell
, Richard E. Grant
, Daisy Ridley
, Lupita Nyong’o
, Dominic Monaghan
, John Boyega
, Domhnall Gleeson
, Billy Dee Williams
, Naomi Ackie - Runtime
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142 minutes
- Budget
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$275 million
