Star Wars’decision to bringEmperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiousback from the dead inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerproved to be very controversial, especially because it was barely explained. TheStar Warssequel trilogy is still one of the most highly criticized ofStar Wars’movies and TV shows, andThe Rise of Skywalkerin particular is largely considered one ofStar Wars’worst movies. In part, this is because the Palpatine plot twist felt like a last-ditch effort to tie together the movies after they changed hands multiple times.
One of theproblems with theStar Warssequelswas the feeling of a tug-of-war this changing of hands caused, and it seems the franchise decided that the answer to such a confusing narrative arc was simply to bring back the most prominent version in all ofStar Wars: Emperor Palpatine. Unfortunately,The Rise of Skywalkerdid not manage to do this in a convincing way whatsoever, and it led to extreme backlash. In the years since,Star Warshas tried to make Palpatine’s return more believable—but how successful have those efforts really been?
The Rise Of Skywalker Minimally Explained Palpatine’s Resurrection
Star Wars' Only Explanation Was “Somehow, Palpatine Returned”
Although it was undoubtedly clear to the creative minds behindThe Rise of Skywalkerthat bringing back Palpatine would be a hard sell,the movie did very little to provide an explanation for his miraculous resurrection. It was clear that he had a very corpse-like appearance and was hooked up to a life-sustaining device, but beyond that, it wasn’t clear how he’d survived. In the movie itself, the only real explanation was Poe’s now-infamous line,“Somehow, Palpatine returned.”
In the movie itself, the only real explanation was Poe’s now-infamous line,“Somehow, Palpatine returned.”
Admittedly, this felt like a bit of a slap in the face for viewers. The phrasing of that line alone suggestedStar Warsknew this plotline didn’t really make sense, and the movie didn’t seem all that concerned with whether audiences believed itor not. AlthoughThe Rise of Skywalkeravoided any real explanation,Star Wars’TV shows have taken strides to explain this controversial choice in recent years.
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The Mandalorian Introduced “Project Necromancer”
Palpatine’s Resurrection Plans Were Introduced On-Screen In The Mandalorian
TheStar Warsfan-favorite showThe Mandalorianwas the first to truly provide further explanation for this resurrection.The Mandalorianseason 3’s retcon of Palpatine’s returnespecially offered audiences at least some explanation by name-droppingProject Necromancer. InThe Mandalorianseason 3, episode 7, the Imperial Shadow Council, which included Moff Gideon, was introduced.
Brendol Hux, father of the sequel trilogy’s Armitage Hux, was also a member of this council, and it was he who was working on Project Necromancer. Although the exact details still were not clear, it was confirmed thatthis project was linked to Doctor Pershing’s cloning efforts, already hinting at a connection to Palpatine’s return. What truly drove home this connection, though, was the additional information provided inStar Wars: The Bad Batch.
The Bad Batchin general provided additional insights into Palpatine’s reign and his plans to safeguard his future, even in the event of his death. However,The Bad Batchseason 3 was especially focused on explaining Palpatine’s cloning plans. Before this season, the Empire kidnapped Nala Se, the Kaminoan scientist who played a major role in the clones created for the Republic before and throughout the Clone Wars era.
Omega, the unaltered female clone of Jango Fett, was also taken by the Empire just before this season. In season 3, Omega’s time held captive by the Empire revealed that there were efforts underway to make Force-sensitive clones. To achieve this goal, the Empire was testing on both clone troopers and Force-sensitive children they had abducted.
The Empire was testing on both clone troopers and Force-sensitive children they had abducted.
It seemed thatThe Bad Batchwas therefore perfectly primed to finally explain Palpatine’s return and make this glaring plot hole fromThe Rise of Skywalkerat least a little better. Bewilderingly,The Bad Batchseason 3 endinginstead undid nearly all of that work. In the show’s final episode,the cloning facility on Mount Tantiss was blown up, presumably blowing up most if not all the research and progress in the facility along with it. This opened the door to once again ask: how exactly did Palpatine return inThe Rise of Skywalker?
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The Exact Details Of Palpatine’s Resurrection Are Still Unclear
In light ofThe Bad Batch’sending, Palpatine’s return has come into question yet again. Based on everything revealed inThe Rise of Skywalker,The Mandalorian, andThe Bad Batch, it’s clear that cloning and experimentation played a major role in this resurrection, but the precise mechanism by which Palpatine achieved this return still hasn’t been revealed.This uncertainty makes the answer to whetherStar Warshas convinced audiences that this return ‘worked’ much more complicated.
Ultimately, even ifThe Bad Batchhad confirmed exactly how Palpatine returned, it would likely remain an unpopular decision.It therefore comes down to one’s definition of being convinced. Yes,Star Warscould at this point indicate the step-by-step plan Palpatine executed to come back, but it may not do all that much to ameliorate the disappointment and frustration many felt and still feel followingThe Rise of Skywalker’smajor reveal.
Even ifThe Bad Batchhad confirmed exactly how Palpatine returned, it would likely remain an unpopular decision.
There is also the question of whetherStar Warswill continue to explore this storyline. It remains a sore point in the franchise, even as various shows have contributed to an explanation, and it may be time forStar Warsto simply move on, knowing that many viewers remain displeased. Based onStar Wars’upcoming movies, it’s possible that could be the case. Yes, Rey’s story is set to continue inStar Wars, but it’s unclear if her Palpatine connection will remain relevant. Outside of that, the franchise is likely ready to (finally) focus on other characters.
IfStar Warsis done exploring this storyline, it would not have been a very successful effort to convince audiences that this resurrection made sense. In truth, this was such a disappointing turn in the sequels that it would have taken a very carefully planned explanation to pull it off. Not only didThe Rise of Skywalkerfail to do that, but also,Star Warshasn’t managed to come up with a legitimate explanation in the five years since. Ultimately,Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious’return inStar Warsremains a major letdown—and it hasn’t really been resolved yet.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Cast
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, released in December 2019, follows the surviving Resistance as they confront the First Order. The film continues the journey of Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they harness the power of past generations to engage in a climactic battle against the forces of tyranny.
The Mandalorian
Released on July 27, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an action-adventure animated series set after the events of The Clone Wars, following Clone Force 99 (a.k.a. the Bad Batch.) Finding themselves immune to the brainwashing effects of Order 66, the Bad Batch become mercenaries for hire while outrunning the empire, now seeing them as fugitives of the law.
