Speaking to Empire Magazine in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Ian McDiarmid has defended the return of Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, “I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B – probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well.”
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 the full interview with McDiarmid in Empire Magazine’s April issue on sale on Thursday, February 15th. The issue also features interviews with Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Blessed, and more. Become an Empire member to access the digital edition in full on launch day, or pre-order a print copy online now here.
Image: Empire
