Rise Of Skywalker: 13 Visual Dictionary Revelations That Change EVERYTHING

2. No Palpatine Whatsoever Confirms His Last-Minute Retcon

They can say he was "the plan all along" or "part of the trilogy" from the beginning, but if that was the case, there would be some mention of Palpatine's return in the official Visual Dictionary.

After all, there are full entries on Exegol, the Sith Eternal who live there, and the "crumbling ruins" that make up the architecture we see in the film - but no Palpatine.

Why? Because clearly - through the combination of Ian McDiarmid's paltry screen time, the Emperor making no sense having been killed off in Return of the Jedi, and Matt Smith's rumoured Sith character being canned - the return of this fan-favourite was a last ditch effort to reclaim ground after the divisive Last Jedi.

As for Smith's role, the Doctor Who actor was attached to the project; rumoured to be either Rey's father or a descendant from the evil realm of Mortis, only to be quietly booted off, as there's been no further mention of what happened.

With writer Chris Terrio noting that Kathleen Kennedy wanted him and JJ Abrams to bring Palpatine back, it seems this was at the cost of severing Matt Smith altogether.

Lastly, add the fact that Ian McDiarmid was told directly by George Lucas that Palpatine was dead after Return of the Jedi, and his inclusion is all the more ridiculous.