"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme encapsulates the mixed reactions to Emperor Palpatine's controversial return in The Rise of Skywalker. Many fans were disappointed by his revival, especially given his apparent demise at the end of Return of the Jedi. Yet, what does Ian McDiarmid, the actor who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, think about the backlash?

In a recent interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith which saw significant success at the box office, McDiarmid addressed the criticism. He dismissed the controversy, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable." He elaborated on his character's foresight, saying, "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had plan B. Even though he was very, very badly damaged, he would be able to be put it together in some form." McDiarmid also shared his enjoyment of the filming process, particularly the "astral wheelchair" and the new, more grotesque makeup.

Regarding the specific backlash to Palpatine'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." He emphasized Palpatine's resilience and planning, noting, "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 of Palpatine's return. When Kylo Ren encounters him early in the film, Palpatine appears as a reanimated version of himself. This suggests he did not survive his fall at the end of Return of the Jedi, yet had a contingency plan in place. Palpatine's explanation to Kylo Ren echoes 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 is implied as the means of his comeback.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 23 ImagesIt seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will fully embrace Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker. Many would prefer to overlook it entirely. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars films will address this narrative choice. In November, it was reported that Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey Skywalker, will appear in several upcoming Star Wars films, highlighting her as the franchise's "most valuable cinematic asset."

Ridley is confirmed to return in the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to The Rise of Skywalker, which will follow Rey as she works to rebuild the Jedi Order about 15 years after the events of the film.