10 Biggest Plot Twists In Star Wars History

By the conclusion of Return of the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker fulfils his prophecy by extinguishing Darth Vader and killing his master, Darth Sidious. However, in the final chapter in the Star Wars Saga, 2019's The Rise Of Skywalker, Palpatine is resurrected for our heroes to overcome.

In a 2019 interview with Collider, J.J. Abrams opened up about the decision to bring Palpatine back into the frame. As the filmmaker explained, "You just look at what he talks about, who he is, how important he is, what the story is — strangely, his absence entirely from the third trilogy would be conspicuous. It would be very weird."

Although Palpatine was heavily used during the marketing of The Rise Of Skywalker, the reveal that the Sith Lord had survived his ordeal on the second Death Star was shocking, though that did not mean it was for the right reasons. As many fans were quick to point out, Palpatine surviving past the end of Return of the Jedi does a disservice to Anakin Skywalker's Chosen One prophecy, particularly as Palpatine was finally defeated by Rey in the final moments of The Rise Of Skywalker.

Whether or not Palpatine's return was the best thing for the Sequel Trilogy, it was undoubtedly a huge surprise seeing the Sith Lord again.