UPDATE : April Fools ! Palpatine was n’t ( officially ) a clone in Return of the Jedi . But is it potential that he could ’ve been ?

Star Warsconfirms Emperor Palpatine was a clone inReturn of the Jedi . The classic baddie made a surprise return inThe Rise of Skywalker , becoming the ribbon that bind all three trilogy of the Skywalker saga together . The twist ( which was saved as a surprise reveal for the firstRise of Skywalkerteaser trailer ) made the Emperor the overarching antagonist of the entire narrative , which was an exciting proposal for fans . Unfortunately , Palpatine ’s role inThe raise of Skywalkerended up being one of the most polarizing elements of the entire film , as his reappearance fare across as random and sudden - rather than being an constituent form - up to a climactic showdown .

The movie was light on vital inside information about Palpatine ’s return , includinghow precisely he survived the events ofReturn of the JediLucasfilm has used tie - in publication materials , like theRise of Skywalkervisual lexicon and novelization , to satiate in these gap . Among the great revelations areRise of Skywalker’sPalpatine being a knockoff bodythe Emperor transferred his consciousness to as he was fall down the second Death Star ’s dick . Fan chemical reaction to these reveals have been just as assorted as the film , so it ’ll be interesting to see what the response to this late bit of information is .

Din Djarin and Ahsoka-1

Related : Star Wars Debunks Rise of Skywalker ’s Plagueis / Palpatine possibility

In the of late released bookThe Art of Star war : The raise of Skywalker , none other than film director J.J. Abrams reassert Palpatine was a clone inReturn of the Jedi . He stated he get a line this whiletalking with George Lucas prior to drop a line theRise of Skywalkerscript . Check out his quote in the space below :

" In my conversations with George Lucas , he mentioned how the Emperor was a clone in Return of the Jedi . And I thought it would be a beautiful way to connect all three trilogy and bring it full circle . In each trilogy , they go up against a new Palpatine knockoff . "

George Lucas with A New Hope imagery v3

It ’s unknown why Lucas did n’t make this exculpated until now ( although , this is the same soul who sat onA New Hope’s"Maclunkey " editfor years ) , but it ’s spring to be frustrating for viewers . It ’s another exemplification of theStar Warsfranchise ’s continued reliance on non - movie materials to flesh out central aspects that essentially alter the films . TheStar Warsbooks ( including the non - narrative ones ) and comics are arguably at their good when they ’re but flesh out little aspects in the movies , giving interested readers extra context that may enhance their rewatches of the celluloid . They should n’t be required reading to have a full understanding of the movies ; that could be alienate for oecumenical audiences who just require to stick to the films ' story . Knowing Palpatine was a clone inReturn of the Jedifundamentally alters how one await at that movie and is something that should have been uncover long ago .

It ’ll be interesting to see if thisReturn of the Jeditwist is explore further in futureStar Warsmaterials . The art book is slim on working out , leaving many questions viewers might have unanswered . For now , fans are left to their own gimmick to nibble everything together , including why Palpatine needed to be in a clone body during the original trilogy . mass know the Emperor was obsessed with unlock the cay to immortality , so perhaps this was all just part of a cps for him and he transferred his awareness to a young vessel once every ten or so . As Lucas would say , it ’s like verse , it rhyme .

More : climb of Skywalker : Palpatine Clone Is prominent matter Star Wars drive From the EU

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

reference : The Art of Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker

Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi and Snoke Clone in Rise of Skywalker

Darth Vader turns on The Emperor in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi.

Movies

Star Wars