Six Years Post-The Rise Of Skywalker: A Shocking Revelation Highlighting Palpatine’s Weakened State

A subtle yet significant detail within Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker underscores the vulnerability of Emperor Palpatine following his resurrection. The film alludes to Palpatine’s return through enigmatic means, but recent canon specifies that he harnessed the dark side’s essence transfer ability to shift his consciousness into a cloned body after his demise in Return of the Jedi.

In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine occupies a fragile, cloned physique that serves as a temporary vessel until he can transfer his essence to a more suitable form. The concept of essence transfer is primarily drawn from the influential Dark Empire comics, created by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, which heavily inspire the film’s narrative.

In the Star Wars Legends continuity depicted in these comics, Emperor Palpatine revived multiple times using essence transfer into clones that were robust and formidable. However, in the current canon, the emperor’s cloned body is weak and deteriorating, compelling him to siphon Force energy from Ben Solo and Rey to regain some strength. A pivotal element revealing Palpatine’s diminished power is his reliance on extra protection.

Palpatine’s Use of Guards: A Shift in Defense

One telling sign of Palpatine’s frailty is his increased dependence on bodyguards. Historically, during his tenure in power and even in his more youthful representations in the Legends continuity, Palpatine did not genuinely require guards; he utilized the highly lethal Imperial Royal Guards merely for show and intimidation. Renowned as one of the universe’s most formidable lightsaber combatants and dark side aficionados, he would surround himself with guards to mask his true capabilities.

Despite their extravagant appearance, the Emperor’s Royal Guards were considered some of the most lethal non-Force-sensitive combatants in the Star Wars Legends continuity. In Dark Empire, they remained feared, yet in the modern canon, an aged and revived Palpatine found himself in a position where he actually depended on guards for protection. Prior to rejuvenating himself through Force drain from Rey and Ben Solo, he would have stood at a disadvantage in a physical encounter, utilizing proxies like Snoke and his guards on Exegol for safety.

The Knights of Ren: A New Era of Guarding

During the events of The Rise of Skywalker, the character Snoke took charge of the First Order with his elite Praetorian Guards; meanwhile, the reconstructed Palpatine relied on the Sovereign Protectors for security. These formidable guards were crafted from the most lethal among the Sith Eternal’s Sith Troopers but ultimately fell to Rey during the climactic Battle of Exegol.

Additionally, this film introduced the enigmatic Knights of Ren, a formidable yet philosophically distinct group of dark side adherents. Their portrayal in The Rise of Skywalker highlights a divergence from traditional Sith beliefs, showcasing Palpatine’s reduced dominance and influence in the galaxy.

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