Ian McDiarmid Backs Emperor's Return in Star Wars Sequel

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This iconic Star Wars meme has become the ultimate jab at the Emperor's controversial resurrection in The Rise of Skywalker. Fans widely criticized Palpatine's cloned comeback following his dramatic demise in the beloved Return of the Jedi. But what did Ian McDiarmid, the actor who's portrayed Palpatine for four decades, think about the fan reaction?

During a Variety interview celebrating Revenge of the Sith's theatrical re-release (which has proven massively successful), McDiarmid brushed off criticism, stating he found Palpatine's return "entirely reasonable."

"Palpatine absolutely would have a backup plan," the actor explained. "Even severely damaged, he'd find a way to reassemble himself. Discovering I'd get a spectral wheelchair was fantastic - four crew members actually pushed me around the set. Daisy Ridley seemed most concerned about that!" McDiarmid chuckled about developing an even more monstrous makeup look for his decaying Sith Lord.

Addressing the fan backlash directly, McDiarmid remained unfazed: "There's always controversy. I avoid reading online criticism unless someone mentions it. While I anticipated some debate about bringing him back, our logic made perfect sense - this paranoid tactician would absolutely prepare contingency plans." The actor relished portraying an even more powerful version of Palpatine before his definitive destruction.

The Rise of Skywalker offers vague explanations for Palpatine's resurrection. When Kylo Ren encounters him, the Emperor appears as a reanimated corpse, suggesting he didn't physically survive his Return of the Jedi demise.

Yet death couldn't stop the scheming Sith Lord. As McDiarmid noted, Palpatine orchestrated elaborate failsafes. The film cryptically explains his survival through ancient Dark Side techniques, highlighted when Palpatine quotes his famous Revenge of the Sith line: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider... unnatural." Essentially: ancient Sith magic did the trick.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 23 Images

Mainstream Star Wars fandom seems unlikely to embrace Palpatine's return, with many preferring to ignore The Rise of Skywalker's events. It remains unclear whether future films will acknowledge this storyline. Recent reports indicate Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker will return as the franchise's "most valuable cinematic asset" across multiple films.

Ridley has officially signed on for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's sequel, set approximately 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, which will follow Rey's journey to rebuild the Jedi Order.