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

"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme has become iconic, often used to poke fun at the controversial return of Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. Many fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the character's clone-fueled revival following his supposed demise in the beloved Return of the Jedi. But how did Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, respond to the backlash?

In a recent interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith which has seen significant box office success, McDiarmid addressed the criticism. He shrugged off the backlash, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable."

"It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had a plan B," McDiarmid explained. "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."

Regarding 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 grand comeback. When Kylo Ren encounters him early in the film, Palpatine appears as a reanimated version of his former self, suggesting he did not survive his fall in *Return of the Jedi*. Yet, his death did not stop him. As McDiarmid mentioned, Palpatine had a contingency plan. During his monologue to Kylo Ren, Palpatine references his famous line from *Revenge of the Sith*: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural." Thus, ancient Sith magic seems to be the key to his return.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 23 ImagesIt appears unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker, with many preferring to ignore it altogether. It will be intriguing to see if future Star Wars films follow suit. In November, it was reported that Daisy Ridley's character, Rey Skywalker, is set to appear in "several" upcoming Star Wars films, as she's been identified as the galaxy far, far away's "most valuable cinematic asset."

Ridley is confirmed to reprise her role in the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to The Rise of Skywalker. This film will explore Rey's journey as she seeks to rebuild the Jedi Order approximately 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.