Surprising though it may be, even months after it was revealed and weeks after the movie was released, Lucasfilm had never provided an official still of Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That’s no longer the case, though.
With the film safely past another Disney billion at the box office, it’s as safe a time as any for some licensed Palpatine publicity. And you can now check out the image, along with a selection of other Skywalker photos that the studio recently dropped online, in the gallery below:
A quick browse through my article catalogue (quite the bibliography I’ve built up) finds this to be the sixth Star Wars Palpa-piece I’ve done in the last 2 months. I only mention it so that if you think I’m struggling to find anything new to say about the guy, you know the reason why.
Those previous stories included quotes from J.J. Abrams, Colin Trevorrow and even Ian McDiarmid himself. Is there anyone left to talk to about his return? Any hidden twist-interpretations that completely transform my view of the film? No? As always, you’re welcome to provide answers to all of these questions in the comments. After all, if you can’t write stories for yourself, you might as well get other people to do it. Just ask Lucasfilm.
Suppose it beats writing my hundredth treatise on the latest Mandalorian-inspired Baby Yoda toy to hit stores. I’m not ungrateful, but there’s always a darker side. In fact, if there’s anything Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker taught us, and it didn’t teach us very much, it taught us that thanks be to Disney for their latest edifying blockbuster for the masses. The world is in safe hands.
