Star Wars fans have been anticipating the return of Emperor Palpatine ever since the Sith Lord's dark laughter was released in the very first teaser for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While most believe that Darth Sidious' return would be limited to Force Ghost appearances, holograms, and potentially voices in Sith artifacts, a new leak suggests an even more horrifying return for the iconic Star Wars villain.
Taking to Instagram, noted Star Wars leaker Bespin Bulletin revealed new details about events that are supposedly going to take place in The Rise of Skywalker. Not only does the leak suggest that Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) come together to defeat Palpatine in the very last entry of Lucasfilm's Star Wars sequel trilogy, but it also suggests that they'll have to face a half-human, half droid version of the Emperor.
"Kylo and Rey confront Palpatine. Ian [McDiarmid] was on set. Palpatine was next to a bunch of mechanical stuff including what looks like some big mechanical arm. He might've actually been attached to this mechanical stuff.
While this leak has yet to be confirmed, it's far different from what fans previously imagined. There were theories that Palpatine would posses Matt Smith's unknown Star Wars character. There was suggestions that Dark Rey would turn out to be Palpatine. Some even suggested that Palpatine's soul was tied to the old Darth Vader helmet that Kylo Ren's been bringing along with him since his first appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
It would be pretty wild to see a half-mechanical Palpatine appear in Episode IX, but then again, it's not hard to imagine the Sith Lord replacing half of his body considering how he fell from the Death Star in Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres December 20, 2019.
Read: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Official Synopsis Teases The Final Battle For Freedom
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Star Wars: Episode IX