Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was criticised for leaving many questions unanswered, one of which surrounded the reason behind Emperor Palpatine’s return.
However, this very answer has now been provided in the film’s novel.
Advanced copies of the official Lucasfilm book were sole in Chicago’s C232 over the weekend, and one excited reader posted an extract on social media that reveals Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in Episode IX is a clone of the actual Palpatine from the original Star Wars trilogy.
Kylo Ren makes the discovery after arriving on Exegol.
“All the vials were empty of liquid save one, which was nearly depleted,” the book reads. “Kylo peered closer. He’d seen this apparatus before, too, when he’d studied the Clone Wars as a boy. The liquid flowing into the living nightmare before him was fighting a losing battle to sustain the Emperor’s putrid flesh.
It continues: “’What could you give me?’ Kylo asked. Emperor Palpatine lived, after a fashion, and Kylo could feel in his very bones that this clone body sheltered the Emperor’s actual spirit. It was an imperfect vessel, though, unable to contain his immense power. It couldn’t last much longer.”
The book will be officially released on 17 March, the same day the film becomes available to stream digitally.
While the film has its many fans, there are numerous people who criticised director JJ Abrams’ failure to answer questions that are now being provided in tie-in materials.
