Here’s the thing about Emperor Palpatine: somehow, he always returns. First, Ian McDiarmid donned old-age makeup to play the role of Star Wars’ arch-villain in 1983’s Return Of The Jedi. Then, he returned 16 years later to play Palpatine again in the prequel trilogy – this time as the politician who would become the Emperor. And in 2019’s The Rise Of Skywalker, he came back one last time (well, for now) as the rotting, reincarnated ruler, ready to emerge from the shadows and execute his plan once and for all. Palpatine’s resurrection in Episode IX was a controversial point for some fans – not just since Luke and Vader vanquished the Emperor together at the end of the original trilogy, but because the galaxy’s age-old enemy hadn’t featured in the other sequel trilogy films.
But to McDiarmid himself, it makes sense. Speaking to Empire in a major new interview – celebrating 25 years of the Star Wars prequels – he shared his thoughts on Palpatine’s mysterious comeback. “A lot of people said it was ridiculous,” he says. “Of course, he was dead at the end of Return Of The Jedi! And frankly, I think George thought he’d killed me too. But J.J. thought it would be a good idea – I wasn’t going to argue with him.” Still, if there’s anyone who might be able to pull off a return from beyond the grave, it might just be Palpatine. “I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B – probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well,” McDiarmid reasons. “And he was an expert in cloning, so…”
By pulling the strings across all three Star Wars trilogies, he points out, Palpatine now stands as the ultimate cinematic villain. “The thing that I’m most pleased about, and you know, this only came to a head when they asked me to come back for The Rise Of Skywalker, is that every single evil act in all of the Star Wars franchise is either directly or indirectly down to that character,” says McDiarmid. “That is total evil, and that’s strangely satisfying as an arc. I do feel fortunate to have been able to do it – and other villains of cinema now have to compete with that.”
Just, don’t take the existence of Daisy Ridley’s Rey – revealed to be Palpatine’s granddaughter in The Rise Of Skywalker – as proof that the Emperor liked to… well… do it. “Please don’t pursue that line too vigorously,” says McDiarmid. “But yes, he does [have sex]. It’s a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex in any shape or form. But then, of course, perhaps he didn’t.” (Canonically, Rey’s father Dathan was a failed ‘strand-cast’ clone of the Emperor, rather than a genetic offspring.) “Maybe it’s all to do with midi-chlorians – and don’t ask me what those are,” McDiarmid continues. “Never trust your granddaughter. That’s the T-shirt Palpatine got made. Shortly after his death.” The Palpatine family reunion is sure to be an awkward one.
Read Empire’s full Ian McDiarmid interview in the Star Wars prequels 25th anniversary issue. Also inside the magazine, we speak to Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Blessed, and more about starring in the films; we revisit iconic sequences with producer Rick McCallum, stunt co-ordinator Nick Gillard, and concept designer Iain McCaig, breaking down the Podrace, the Geonosis arena battle, and the Mustafar duel; we get a closer look at rarely-seen concept art from across the trilogy; we speak to designer Ellen Lee Moon on the story behind her legendary Phantom Menace poster, and much, much more. Find the issue in all good and evil newsagents – from the core worlds to the outer rim – from Thursday 15 February.