Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker writer Chris Terrio discussed why he and J. J. Abrams felt it was necessary to bring back Emperor Palpatine.
The final chapter of the Skywalker saga brought back the sinister Emperor Palpatine despite the character’s apparent demise in Return of the Jedi. Of course, not everyone was thrilled to see Palpatine return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with many complaining that the Emperor’s return rendered Darth Vader’s sacrifice in Return of the Jedi pointless.
During an interview with IndieWire, The Rise of Skywalker writer Chris Terrio addressed Palpatine’s return and explained why it would have been weird to not include the Emperor in the last chapter of the Skywalkger saga. According to Terrio, the creative team was moved by the idea of the balance Anakin Skywalker brought being restored by a descendant of his greatest enemy, Palpatine:
“As J.J. said, that it would almost be weird for Palpatine not to be in some way in this movie. Because when we discover Rey, she’s literally living in the wreck of the old war, the previous war, that literally the landscape of Jakku is scarred with evidence of the war that came before. I think what we wanted to say in this is that, that war never really ended. Yes, there was the victory of the greatest generation, the revolutionary generation, and that was a real victory and balance was achieved for a time, but every generation has to fight for the balance again. We were moved by the idea that the person who should have to fight to regain the balance that Anakin Skywalker gained was the descendant of his greatest enemy who corrupted Anakin Skywalker in the first place.”
What do you think of the decision to bring back Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know in the comments!
Here is the official synopsis for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker:
Lucasfilm and director J. J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.
Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia Organa through the use of previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 19, 2019.
Source: IndieWire
