Emperor Palpatine famously returned from the grave in the Star Wars films, giving life to the iconically cringe-worthy line of dialogue, “Somehow, Palpatine returned”. While the live-action, animated, and canon comic book series have made strides to explain how Palpatine came back to life, the fact that it wasn’t fully explained when it happened in The Rise of Skywalker already makes it inferior to the original version of that very same story in Star Wars Legends.
Star Wars Legends’ Dark Empire Trilogy was the original story of Emperor Palpatine’s resurrection following the events of Return of the Jedi - and for the most part, it’s pretty much the same as what fans see in The Rise of Skywalker. Emperor Palapatine’s essence survived after his body was destroyed in the second Death Star, inhabiting an unstable clone body until he’s presented with a suitable host to inhabit. However, as previously mentioned, it’s the details that make the Legends version so much better, with 10 in particular that stick out the most.
Emperor Palpatine’s Spirit was Guided Back to Life by Other Long-Dead Sith
Beginning with the obvious, Dark Empire's version of Palpatine's resurrection was immediately better than the version fans got in The Rise of Skywalker for one main reason: Star Wars Legends actually explained it. In the Dark Empire Trilogy, Palpatine travels to an ancient Sith Temple known as a Sith Necropolis, where the spirits of long-dead Sith Lords reside forever, trapped in a limbo between the living and the dead. While there, Palpatine and the Sith Lords reveal how Palpatine returned from the grave: the Sith spirits guided him.
When Palpatine's body was destroyed along with the Second Death Star, his spirit didn't have a clone or host body in proximity to inhabit. So, Palpatine required the guidance of the spirits of these Sith Lords to guide him to the mortal plane, where countless clone bodies were waiting for Palpatine to possess.
Emperor Palpatine is the Main Villain Right from the Start of His Resurrection
In the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Emperor Palpatine wasn't revealed as the main villain until the third movie. In the previous two, Supreme Leader Snoke was the overarching villain, and the mystery surrounding Snoke's identity was an interesting aspect of the sequel trilogy - until it was revealed that Snoke was just Palpatine the whole time. Snoke was a clone puppeted by Palpatine while he built his strength on Exegol, and was a major fake-out.
In Dark Empire, however, Palpatine didn't hide behind a clone alter ego, he presented himself as the main villain right from the start. This detail allowed Star Wars Legends to actually craft a story surrounding Palpatine's resurrection, as it delved into the necromancing practices of the Sith in much greater detail, and didn't leave fans wanting more when Palpatine was ultimately defeated.
8 Star Wars Legends Gave Palpatine a Younger, Battle-Ready Body
Emperor Palpatine Got a New Look with Exciting Storytelling Potential
When Palpatine came back in The Rise of Skywalker, he was even more feeble than he was in the original trilogy. While fans know now that Palpatine was more than capable of lightsaber combat at that time, that wasn't immediately apparent when those films first came out, as Palpatine didn't do anything except sit on his throne and shoot Force-lightning. And, in The Rise of Skywalker, that's basically all Palpatine did again, which offered nothing new.
In Dark Empire, Palpatine didn't just inhabit a clone body that was basically an exact copy of his Return of the Jedi form, he got a younger, battle-ready body. The difference here is that The Rise of Skywalker was seemingly trying to do the same thing as Return of the Jedi in regard to Palpatine, while Dark Empire was trying to be completely different, making the Legends version much more interesting.
Emperor Palpatine Regarded Leia as a Jedi, & Even Commended Her Skills
Aside from a brief flashback scene and a moment when Leia used the Force to pull herself through space, the Star Wars sequel trilogy all but ignored any Jedi potential Leia ever exhibited. It's explained that Leia consciously chose not to continue her Jedi training with Luke Skywalker, but that just seemed like wasted potential. Thankfully, Star Wars Legends gave Leia a solid Jedi arc, one that coincided with Palpatine's return.
Leia was teased as the other 'only hope' of the galaxy in The Empire Strikes Back, and in Dark Empire, she proves that. When Luke briefly falls under Palpatine's dark side corruption, it is Leia who uses the Force (and her lightsaber skills) to save him. Then, Leia is able to block Palpatine's Force-probe into her mind, something the Emperor is actually impressed by.
Emperor Palpatine Nearly Possessed Leia’s Youngest Son, Anakin
Palpatine's plan in The Rise of Skywalker was to lure Rey to his base on Exegol and inhabit her body. The film explained that Rey was Palpatine's ideal host given that she was his biological granddaughter, but that wasn't even established until that very movie, and didn't quite 'rhyme' the way Star Wars is meant to.
In Legends, Palpatine seeks Leia's newborn son, Anakin, to take over the infant's body. This idea is much more full-circle than what fans got in the films, especially if it's true that Palpatine used the Force to create Anakin Skywalker for the sole purpose of inhabiting his body (before his injuries), as he now has the chance to do it again with a new 'Anakin'. This is a classic example of a rhyme in Star Wars storytelling, making Anakin a much more fitting host than Rey.
Emperor Palpatine Actually Corrupted Luke Skywalker, Making Them Greater Enemies
Emperor Palpatine may have been the overarching villain of all three Star Wars film trilogies, but that didn't really feel like the case with regard to Luke Skywalker personally. Luke's main enemy to overcome in the OT was his own father, Darth Vader, who was an incredibly personal villain. And in the sequels, Luke didn't even meet Palpatine's resurrected form, let alone fight him. In the Dark Empire Trilogy, however, all of that is perfectly fixed.
Luke Skywalker is corrupted by Emperor Palpatine in Dark Empire after going undercover as his apprentice, giving the two of them an actual relationship with personal stakes. Palpatine was no longer this essentially amorphous 'big bad' that Luke Skywalker had no actual connection to. His conflict with Palpatine became personal, making their final confrontation that much more impactful.
Emperor Palpatine and Luke Skywalker had a Climactic Lightsaber Duel
The Star Wars films neglected to give fans a Luke Skywalker vs Emperor Palpatine lightsaber duel not once, but twice. In Return of the Jedi, the Emperor merely shot Luke with Force-lightning, and in The Rise of Skywalker, Luke was already dead by the time of Palpatine's resurrection. Luke Skywalker is the ultimate hero of Star Wars, while Emperor Palpatine is the ultimate villain, yet the two never have a lightsaber duel in canon.
Legends corrects this by giving fans the lightsaber duel the films didn't, and in the coolest way possible. After Palpatine inhabits a younger clone of himself, he and Luke engage in not one, but two epic lightsaber duels, and the second one ends with Luke slicing off Palpatine's hand in another perfect example of how Star Wars rhymes.
Emperor Palpatine was More than the Maniacal Villain the Films Portray Him As
Emperor Palpatine always came off as a fairly two-dimensional villain. He craved power, he had no qualms about murdering anyone, and he was incredibly sadistic. In fact, Palpatine's sadism became his defining feature as a villain, as he genuinely enjoyed every moment of his evil existence. At least, that's how he was in the films, but in Star Wars Legends, there was more to Palpatine than that.
In Legends, a Jedi named Brand gained access to Palpatine's spirit, and offered final insight into the state of Palpatine's psyche. As it turned out, Palpatine wasn't filled only with glee from the overwhelming evil in his heart, but another emotion that was admittedly shocking: despair. Suffering is what all Sith experience, but up until this point, it seemed like Palpatine was the sole exception, though Legends clarifies that he was not.
Emperor Palpatine is Killed by a Survivor of the Great Jedi Purge
In the Star Wars films, Palpatine's final death comes in the form of Rey channeling the light side energy of all the Jedi who came before her, obliterating Palpatine in epic fashion. While that allowed every Jedi Palpatine had ever killed the opportunity to avenge their own deaths, it seemed a little impersonal, and a bit over-the-top, which actually lessened the impact.
When Palpatine was killed for the final time in Legends, it was a Jedi named Brand who delivered the final blow. Brand absorbed Palpatine's spirit before it could possess Anakin Solo, and then he allowed himself to die, taking Palpatine with him. And the best part? Brand was a survivor of the Great Jedi Purge. Brand killed Palpatine on behalf of all the Jedi, which is basically what happened in canon, but in a much more impactful way.
Emperor Palpatine will Never Return Again, as His Spirit is Sent to a ‘Sith Hell’
What happened to Emperor Palpatine after he died in The Rise of Skywalker? That question is one fans have been left pondering since the end of the sequel trilogy, and it's possible they will never get an answer. However, in Legends, Star Wars tells fans exactly what happened to Palpatine after he was finally killed by Brand, and it's something Palpatine had been dreading throughout the Dark Empire Trilogy.
When a Sith dies without a body to transfer their life essence into (or without an anchor to link their spirit to the physical world), they essentially experience a 'Sith Hell'. They become trapped in an eternal state of madness and fear, one that even the strongest Sith cannot escape. And, when he finally dies, that's exactly what happens to Emperor Palpatine, which is a detail that makes his Star Wars resurrection so much better in Legends.
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Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn't enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.
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