Earlier this year, the first trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker teased the return of Emperor Palpatine, while providing virtually zero context to his comeback. This lack of info has freed up the fans to offer whatever theories their imaginations can conceive, and so far, we’ve heard some interesting ideas on how and why the classic villain is back in the fold.
Just take this recent piece of speculation from ScreenRant, which connects the Emperor’s return to the beginning of the entire Skywalker Saga. You may have heard about an excerpt from the recent Darth Vader comic, which hints at the possibility that Palpatine nurtured Anakin in the womb, and might even be the closest thing the boy had to a biological father. But if Palpatine really did play a role in creating Anakin, what was his plan? Well, according to the new theory, old Sheev may’ve been hoping to eventually possess his apprentice and live on in his body, effectively making him immortal.
Of course, since Darth Vader is no more, we can assume that Palpatine’s plan didn’t quite work out as hoped, which leads us to another potentially important reveal from the Darth Vader comic. In the current Star Wars canon, a dead Sith named Lord Momin was capable of living on through his helmet, and even communicated with Vader. Jump to the Sequel Trilogy, and you’ll find Kylo Ren speaking to Vader’s own helmet like it’s offering him guidance.
Could it be that Palpatine’s essence still lives in Anakin’s headgear, and may ultimately try to possess Kylo? It sounds plausible enough, but all will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th.
