Before “he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died,” there was “somehow, Palpatine returned.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker didn’t bother to explain exactly how Ol’ Sheev returned after he was thrown down a reactor shaft in Return of the Jedi, at least not in any satisfying way (among other issues with the movie). But Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid, who is genuinely terrific as the Emperor throughout multiple Star Wars movies, isn’t concerned by the unexplained resurrection.
“A lot of people said it was ridiculous,” he told Empire. “Of course, he was dead at the end of Return of the Jedi! And frankly, I think George thought he’d killed me too. But J.J. [Abrams] thought it would be a good idea – I wasn’t going to argue with him.” McDiarmid continued, “I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B – probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well. And he was an expert in cloning, so…” He was less of an expert at something else.
Don’t take the existence of Daisy Ridley’s Rey – revealed to be Palpatine’s granddaughter in The Rise of Skywalker – as proof that the Emperor liked to… well… do it. “Please don’t pursue that line too vigorously,” says McDiarmid. “But yes, he does [have sex]. It’s a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex in any shape or form. But then, of course, perhaps he didn’t… Maybe it’s all to do with midi-chlorians – and don’t ask me what those are.”
Somehow, Palpatine f*cked. Unless he didn’t.
(Via Empire)
