So, The Rise of Skywalker dropped Palpatine back into the story, and honestly, it left me with one big question: if he can come back, why does he still look so… ancient and decrepit?
I mean, the guy’s a master of the Dark Side, capable of cheating death itself. Wouldn’t he, of all people, go for a younger, stronger body?
There’s gotta be something more going on here, right? Let’s break down why Palpatine didn’t come back looking fresh and fearsome, and what that says about his return.
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The Book Adds a Few Clues That the Movie Didn’t Bother With
First off, we’ve gotta remember that the Dark Side isn’t exactly a skincare routine.
The Sith, especially Palpatine, aren’t just dipping into a little anger here and there, they’re diving into full-on hatred, fear, and rage.
Channeling that kind of power just wrecks the body.
It’s like using a super radioactive energy that eats away at anything it touches, and Palpatine, being one of the most powerful Sith ever, takes the biggest hit.
In the novelization, we also learn that Palpatine managed to survive through some knowledge he picked up from his former master, Darth Plagueis.
Using Plagueis’s “secret to immortality,” Palpatine found a way to cling to life even after his death in Return of the Jedi.
But even with this dark knowledge, there were limits.
Every time he tried to transfer his spirit into a new clone body, his essence was too intense and corruptive, burning through each form he inhabited.
That’s why he’s hooked up to those massive machines, looking barely held together.
So, while a younger, fresher look would’ve been ideal, there was no getting around the fact that the Dark Side left him constantly decaying.
The movie doesn’t spell this out quite as much, which is why a lot of people ended up confused about his deteriorated state.
Without those extra details from the book, it’s easy to think he’s just, well, old.
But nope – he’s barely hanging on, his body falling apart from the weight of his own power, meaning that any form he took would inevitably rot.
The EU Actually Tried a Younger Palpatine
If you’re familiar with the Expanded Universe (the old Star Wars books and comics), you know they took a different approach.
In the Dark Empire comics, Palpatine did come back in a younger body. He looked strong, fresh, and, yeah, a lot less creepy – at least for a little while.
But just like in The Rise of Skywalker, his body couldn’t handle all that Dark Side energy forever, and he eventually started to degrade.
It’s interesting, right? They had a blueprint for a younger Palpatine in the EU, but The Rise of Skywalker chose to bring him back in that old, crumbling form.
Some fans thought this was a missed chance. A younger Palpatine would’ve been intense, maybe even harder for Rey to face off against.
But for whatever reason, the film stuck with a version of him that’s pretty much hanging on by a thread.
Keeping the Look to Keep Us Scared
There’s also the choice of bringing back Palpatine with that familiar, aged, “evil emperor” look.
You know that gnarly face, those deep wrinkles, and that creepy, sunken look he’s had since Return of the Jedi?
That face is classic Star Wars. For a lot of us, seeing Palpatine means seeing that Palpatine – the one who looks like he’s been through some seriously dark stuff.
Imagine a fresh-faced Palpatine. I mean, sure, he’d probably look good for a villain, but would it hit the same way? Probably not.
Bringing him back looking old and scary makes it clear that this is the same villain we’ve been dealing with for years.
So, while they could’ve made him look younger, that decayed look brought back all those creepy memories, and it made him instantly recognizable as the guy we all love to hate.
Did the Sequels Have a Plan? Eh… Not Really
Here’s the thing: Palpatine’s comeback wasn’t part of some grand plan from the beginning. This was a late addition to the story, and it shows.
From what I can tell, The Rise of Skywalker was looking for a way to bring everything full circle, and, well, why not bring back the original Big Bad?
Ian McDiarmid was around, he’s the face of Palpatine, and putting him back in the role seemed like an easy connection to the earlier movies.
But because it was all a bit last-minute, there’s not a lot of depth to how it’s handled.
His appearance – along with the whole “somehow, Palpatine returned” line – doesn’t come with much explanation.
It’s like they thought, “Alright, let’s just throw him in there and hope people go along with it.” Not exactly a coherent plan, but hey, we got the Emperor back, right?
Would a Younger Palpatine Have Been Better?
At the end of the day, it’s kind of fun to wonder what a younger, more physically intact Palpatine might’ve looked like in The Rise of Skywalker.
Imagine a version of him with all the youth and charisma he had as a politician, but mixed with the twisted power he wields as a Sith.
That might’ve been a more dynamic final villain – someone who isn’t just hanging on by a thread but is at the peak of his physical form.
But by sticking with the decayed, familiar version, The Rise of Skywalker leaned into what we already knew about Palpatine.
It’s almost like they didn’t want to change too much, to make sure we all recognized him instantly. A fresher look might have been a bit risky, and maybe they wanted to avoid that.