Back in April, the first trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker teased the long-awaited return of Emperor Palpatine, and the forums have been flooding with theories and debates ever since. As it stands, we still have more than half a year to wait before we can see for ourselves just how and why the classic villain has made his comeback, but in the meantime, a new piece from Screen Rant has a few interesting ideas on what old Sheev’s plan might be.
Before we get to the main point of the theory, let’s start with a couple of things we know for sure. First of all, in the official Darth Vader comic book series, written by Charles Soule, we find out that a dead Sith named Lord Momin was capable of living on through his helmet. Secondly, we know that Kylo Ren is currently in possession of Darth Vader’s mask, which he treats as a sacred object to be treated with reverence. Put two and two together, and it may sound like Anakin Skywalker’s dark side still lingers in his helmet, but in the new Screen Rant piece, we get the alternative suggestion that Palpatine is secretly speaking to Kylo through Vader’s headgear.
The idea certainly ties in well with all the recent rumors and theories that the Emperor has actually been pulling the strings for the entire Sequel Trilogy. And as for the character’s endgame, the theory goes on to suggest that Palpatine’s plan is to manipulate Adam Driver’s character into building some sort of superweapon. Indeed, we can all agree that world-destroying weapons are kind of Sheev’s thing, and if he truly is the main villain behind the First Order, then we can probably assume that Starkiller Base was also made under his supervision.
Though this remains little more than speculation for the time being, the theory seems plausible enough, even if fans may not be entirely thrilled at the idea of yet another superweapon-centric climax. Either way, we’ll find out just what sinister scheme the Emperor has cooked up when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th.
