Horrific Star Wars Theory Rewrites Return Of The Jedi's Ending, Explaining Why The Empire Kept Fighting After Palpatine's Death

While Palpatine was dead, there were rumblings that the Emperor was still alive and that he was just underground while regaining his strength. While this is a great explanation as to why the war continued after the Rebels dealt the largest and most brutal blow, there were other reasons to keep fighting. There’s another explanation for why so many Imperials continued fighting, and it's absolutely chilling.

Return Of The Jedi's Ending Hints At A Very Grim Fate For Stormtroopers

At the end of Return of the Jedi, while the heroes are celebrating the end of the Emperor and the presumed end of the Empire, there are no Imperials in sight. It's not surprising that the enemy wasn’t invited to their celebration, but this lack of stormtroopers is actually rather concerning. Throughout the celebration, audiences can see Ewoks using stormtrooper helmets as drums or helmets just scattered around the Ewok’s home. There’s no mention or indication of what happened to the stormtroopers who had been in those uniforms.

There is a longstanding theory that despite the Ewoks' adorable façade, they are extremely ruthless and cruel, with some theorizing the Ewoks ate stormtroopers after the Battle of Endor. While there’s not much to back up the theory, the lack of a prison for stormtroopers at the end of Return of the Jedi seems to indicate this is a possibility. If stormtroopers' lives were at risk in such a dark and gruesome way, it wouldn’t be a surprise that they’d rather continue fighting a losing war - because they'd believe the Rebel Alliance would treat their enemies in grisly fashion.

The Empire Definitely Believed This (Even If It Wasn't True)

In Chris Kempshall’s Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, it’s revealed that rumors like the one about Ewoks cannibalizing stormtroopers after their defeat circulated the ranks of the Empire. Whether or not stormtroopers believed these stories is one thing, but if they were faced with losing and being eaten versus dying in battle, it’s clear what they’d likely choose. Even just the threat of being eaten would’ve been enough to keep stormtroopers in line and fighting for the Empire.

While these rumors are mostly likely a fabrication by the Empire, it wouldn’t be the first time they used propaganda to instill fear. If the stormtroopers feared being taken captive, cooked, and then eaten, it would’ve provided motivation to keep fighting for the Empire, even if the point was largely moot after the death of Palpatine. Either way, the stormtroopers were in a lose-lose situation and no matter what they chose, they’d likely be killed. In this way, if they chose to continue fighting for a failing Empire, they’d at least go out in battle and die a more honorable death.

It's No Wonder The Empire Fought On

With the threat of cannibalistic Ewoks lurking, it’s not surprising that the Empire was able to manipulate its army into fighting on after the death of Emperor Palpatine. The reality for stormtroopers likely wasn’t good if they were captured after lost battles, but it certainly wouldn’t result in being eaten by the enemy. It’s a silly notion, but with stormtroopers largely not knowing about the native populations on so many planets, it’s not surprising they’d believe tall tales meant to keep them in line.

While the theory that the Ewoks ate stormtroopers is hilarious and certainly puts the little teddy bear-esque creatures in a different light, it’s simply not something George Lucas would’ve included in Return of the Jedi. However, it is so smart that Star Wars took an outrageous fan theory and turned it into Imperial propaganda that further indoctrinated the people fighting their war. Return of the Jedi saw the death of Emperor Palpatine, but it also created new stories that would insight another year’s worth of fighting.