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Star Wars Reveals How Palpatine Made His Survival a Secret from Luke Skywalker


Credit: Lucasfilm


Emperor Palpatine's return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker truly shocked the galaxy, but the Sith Lord's misdeeds and plans have actually been revealed in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath: Empire's End, pieced together with other works.

In Wendig's Aftermath trilogy, it was revealed that the Emperor has established secret bases called "Observatories" across the galaxy, each with their own specific purposes. These were constructed shortly after he became Supreme Chancellor in The Phantom Menace. Staffed with droids that follow Palpatine's orders.

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Credit: Lucasfilm

The Shattered Empire miniseries then explains why this network remained a secret even after the Emperor's death, revealing that Luke Skywalker found one of these facilities after the destruction of the Second Death Star. While one of these installations was disrupted, it was too late and the Sith Lord was in luck. He has already made his last instructions to the galaxy, sending these Sentinel droids across the galaxy to conceal the bases' existence.

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Credit: Lucasfilm

As ScreenRant notes, the Emperor presumably was aware that Luke was close to discovering him, so he went through with his horrific plan. In addition, it couldn't have been a coincidence for Lando's daughter to disappear just when Luke was close to hunting the Wayfinder. The Sith Lord has always known that Luke was a big threat.

What are your thought on Palpatine's return in Episode IX? Tell us in the comments below!

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