I really enjoy Star Wars fan fiction because it explores endless possibilities that we never get to see on screen. Stories like Darth Vader stopping Luke from striking down Palpatine in Return of the Jedi to save him from being possessed, or Vader visiting Padmé’s grave in a short film, add layers to the saga in ways official media doesn’t. And here’s another one I just came across—a fan-made video imagining Palpatine’s reaction to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death.
Here’s how the scene plays out.
The Short Film That Explores Palpatine’s Reaction to Obi-Wan’s Death
In the short film, we see an alternate scenario unfold after Obi-Wan’s defeat on the Death Star. In this fan-made story, Vader contacts Palpatine to report what happened.
Darth Vader informs his master, “Obi-Wan Kenobi has fallen by my blade.” Palpatine acknowledges the victory, but something in Vader’s tone catches his attention. “A satisfying victory, Lord Vader, yet I sense hesitation in your voice.”
Vader quickly denies it. “Not hesitation, my master—confusion. When I struck him down, his body vanished.”
Palpatine presses for more details. “Vanished? Explain yourself.”
Vader describes the strange occurrence. “There was no corpse, no remains—only his empty robes left behind. It was as if he became one with the Force.”
Hearing this, Palpatine grows visibly concerned. It’s not just Obi-Wan’s death that troubles him—it’s the implication of what happened. If Kenobi had unlocked a power beyond death, then other Jedi could do the same. The idea unsettles him.
Palpatine responds, “Obi-Wan Kenobi was no ordinary Jedi. But for him to vanish in such a way… this is not the work of any Jedi teachings I know.”
Realizing the potential threat, he commands Vader to investigate. If the Jedi have discovered a way to transcend death, they must be stopped before others follow Kenobi’s path.
And this is where the short film ends. But through this scene, we get to see another perspective—one that highlights Palpatine’s fear of the unknown and the possibility that the Jedi could wield a power beyond his control.
However, in the Original Star Wars Script, Palpatine Had No Fear of Jedi Force Ghosts
Since a fan recently shared their take on how Palpatine might have reacted to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death, I want to bring up another moment we never got to see on screen—but it was actually in the original script before being left out of the final movie.
In the original Return of the Jedi script, during the scene where Palpatine unleashes Force lightning on Luke—just as we saw in the film—there was an extra twist. Obi-Wan and Yoda were supposed to appear as Force Ghosts to intervene and protect Luke.
Phil Szostak, Lucasfilm’s creative art manager, shared this forgotten detail on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to the script, when Palpatine begins electrocuting Luke, he instinctively raises his hands to shield himself. But just before the lightning strikes, an invisible force blocks it—revealing Obi-Wan and Yoda standing in their spectral forms, shielding Luke from harm.
Palpatine, however, isn’t the least bit afraid. Instead, he mocks them, saying, “Your friends from the netherworld cannot protect you for long, young Skywalker.”
From Palpatine’s words, it’s clear that he isn’t actually bothered by the Jedi achieving this level of power. He believes that even as Force ghosts, they’re ultimately powerless and incapable of stopping him.