Star warfare : The Rise of Skywalkercould reveal that Palpatine has survived death due to becoming an avatar of the dark side . The greatest Dark Lord of the Sith , Palpatine has essentially become the bully baddie of the entireStar Warssaga . The prequel trilogy is about his hike to world power , the original trilogy about his apparent defeat , and now the sequels secern the fib of his return .

But just how has Palpatine come back from the beat ? Lucasfilm is observe this enigma close to their chest , to the extent that they ’re avoiding showing even a glimpse of Darth Sidious in the trailers . The   best look to date was in a bill released at the D23 Fan Expo , in whichPalpatine looked frankly cartoonish . Even vocalization - overs have been limited to strangely ambiguous dialogue - right up until a terminal preview released in the contiguous build - up toStar war : The Rise of Skywalker . In this clip , Palpatine tells Kylo Renthat he is the one responsible for score him to the sour side . " My boy , I have been every voice you have ever heard inside your head,“the Dark Lord declares , his voice alternating between Palpatine , Supreme Leader Snoke , and Darth Vader .

But so as to sympathise the mystery of Palpatine ’s resurrection , it ’s necessary to look beyond the films themselves . Back in February 2017 , Lucasfilm publishedChuck Wendig ’s novelAftermath : Empire ’s remnant . It featured a plot by Palpatine stalwart to " enflesh " the Dark Lord of the Sith once again . At the clip , they were throw out as the ramblings of madmen , corrupted by the dark side ; but looking back , these books could have already explained away just how Darth Sidious has come back from the dead .

Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2

Palpatine’s Ultimate Goal Was To Conquer The Dark Side

It ’s crucial to begin with an understanding of the difference of opinion between a Jedi and a Sith . A Jedi submits themselves to the will of the light side , allow it to lead them and to pass them . In dividing line , a Sith essay to exercise their own will upon the Force itself ; the dark side is as much a materialisation of their ego and lust for power as anything else . Palpatinewas the swell of the Sith , and as such he win on a plate that ’s never been realize before . The prequels reveal that he successfully bent the Force to his will , so much so that Yoda talked about " the shroud of the drear side " concealing everything from the Jedi . He ultimately conquered the intact galaxy , establishing an Empire that rule by fear and construct satellite - destroy superweapons .

But Darth Sidious did n’t just intend to be Emperor for a prison term . He sought a means to make his rule aeonian , andStar Warscanon has already   shown his interest in everything from essence transfer to cloning . All this is perfectly in accordance withStar Wars : Episode III - Revenge of the Sith , where Palpatine seduced Anakin Skywalker with the Tragedy ofDarth Plagueis the Wise .   " The coloured side of the Force is a tract to many abilities some moot to be abnormal , " Palpatine observed , as he spoke of the possibility of eonian life . Those words now seem prophetic .

Palpatine Sought The Source Of The Dark Side

The variousStar Warstie - ins have also demonstrated that Palpatine was ghost with an field of space jazz as theUnknown Regions . Aftermath : Empire ’s Enddescribes this as " an unexplored infinity … shut off by a labyrinth of solar storms , rogue magnetosphere , pitch-black holes , gravitation well , and things far unusual . " There was a reason for his enchantment ; it was because , as he turn in the sinister side of the Force , Palpatine smell out something out there in the Unknown Regions . One of the Emperor ’s closest aides , Yupe Tashu , think of :

" The Emperor was convinced that something wait for him out there — some origin of the Force , some dark comportment formed of malevolent substance . He enounce he could feel the waves of it radiate out now that the way was percipient . The Emperor called it a signal — handily one that only he could hear . Even his cracking hatchet man , Vader , seemed forgetful to it , and Vader also lay claim domination over the dingy Force , did he not ? Rax believed Palpatine had gone mad . "

It all sound standardized to a concept explore inThe Clone Wars , where Anakin Skywalker , Ahsoka Tano , and Obi - Wan Kenobi institute themselves meeting with existence who were incarnation of the clear and dark sides of the Force . In Palpatine ’s cause , though , he would n’t seek out " some descent of the Force " strictly out of interest ; he ’d have need to obtain it in lodge to suppress it , to bend the Force itself to his will . If he succeeded in finding this cryptical Force nexus , then it ’s alone possible he essentiallybecamethe dark side .

George Lucas with A New Hope imagery v3

What Happened When Palpatine Was “Killed?”

If this possibility is right , then it ’s no wonder Palpatine was n’t killed inReturn of the Jedi . you’re able to no more kill Darth Sidious , after all , than you’re able to put down the glowering side itself . All you’re able to do is destroy his organic structure ; his awareness would remain , harp within the darkness , manipulating everyone and everything . That would explicate why , inAftermath : Empire ’s remainder , Leia sense a dark presence already see over the tyke then in her womb ; Palpatine knew that the bank line of the Chosen One was muscular , and had already adjudicate what he must do . From that second on , the glowering side was manipulating Ben Solo , cautiously seducing him . That fits absolutely with the dawdler forStar Wars : The Rise of Skywalker ;   " I have been every voice you have ever heard inside your head,“Darth Sidious observes . Finally , one fatal nighttime , Jedi Master Luke Skywalkercame to his nephew ’s room and sensed the darkness . Did he really notice the morose side in Ben , or did he - for a fleeting instant - become half - aware of Palpatine ’s comportment ? If the latter , it ’s no wonder Luke triggered his lightsaber , unwittingly fiddle into Palpatine ’s hands .

The Destruction of Hosnian Prime Allowed Palpatine To Return

The various trailers forStar Wars : The Rise of Skywalkerappear to advise the Emperor has find forcible form . The honest-to-god Expanded Universe may offer a touch as to how ; one of its more interesting conception was that of a " wound in the Force , " a tear make by a moment of significant death . Obi - Wan Kenobi sensed such a injury when Alderaan was destroy in   the firstStar Warsfilm , and it ’s the ground certain placement - like the cave of Dagobah inThe Empire Strikes Back- have a lasting dark side taint . OneStar Warscomic has recently contain this back into the canon . In theory , then , all it would take is an deed of devastation on a planetary scale to so damage the Force that Palpatine could regenerate himself .

This almost happened in theAftermathtrilogy itself , which revealed Palpatine ’s Contingency , a horrendous program he had put in motion in the result of his demise . The Contingency culminate in a battle over the planetJakku , with the remaining Imperial forces waging war against the armies of the New Republic . In reality , Jakku was a trap , the intact world primed to break loose and destroy every starship around it . Meanwhile , Palpatine loyalist were preparing to do a mystery ceremony - potentially one that would give up Palpatine to take advantage of the carnage and recreate his body . Fortunately , the plan go wrong ; the planetary explosion was ward off , and the ceremonial was disturb .

But Palpatine would n’t have given up . From within the disconsolate side , he would have continued manipulating events to produce another opportunity . In the end , the First Order could have provide it when they fired Starkiller Base , and destroyedHosnian Prime . Such an   ecumenopolis would presumably have a population of billion ; it may even have been comparable to Coruscant , which had a population of over 1 trillion at its height . This dreadful number of devastation could well have secretly served Palpatine ’s purpose , the sacrifice he require so as to incarnate himself .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

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If this theory is correct , thenthe prophecy of the Chosen Onefinally makes mother wit . Palpatine sincerely is the one who bump the Force out of Libra , simply because he is the Sith Lord who successfully turn away the dark side itself to his will . give Anakin Skywalker became a Force Ghost , at one with the light side of the Force , it ’s altogether possible that he is yet to fulfill his portion as the Chosen One - and that he will do so from beyond the funeral funeral pyre , as he somehow help Rey in her conflict against the Emperor return .

More : Everything We Know About Palpatine ’s Role In Star Wars : The Rise Of Skywalker

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