Star Wars: When Did Emperor Palpatine [SPOILER]?

Warning: SPOILERS below for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker marks the conclusion to the long-running Skywalker saga, and along with making some new revelations about the returning Emperor Palpatine, it also raises plenty of questions – specifically, with regard to Palpatine being revealed as Rey’s grandfather. While this does given more weight to Rey’s lineage beyond her parents simply being “nobody” as indicated in The Last Jedi, with the movie as a whole really playing up her significance, the twist also brings with it some questions about the logistics of Rey being descended from the nefarious Sith Lord.

In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey comes to learn that her parents chose to be nobodies, and their abandonment of Rey on Jakku was not a cold act of parental rejection as previously thought, but part of their efforts to keep Rey hidden from the pursuing Palpatine. Furthermore, Rey also learns that her father was Palpatine’s son, with the ties she now knows she holds to the Sith causing Rey to experience an identity crisis. While the new twist on Rey’s lineage completely flips the script on what The Last Jedi sought to establish about her origins, it also raises questions about the specifics of how Palpatine came to be a father himself.

In terms of the Star Wars chronology, Palpatine’s story previously ended in Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader finally intervened to save Luke Skywalker from the bloodthirsty Emperor, and Palpatine plummeted to his death in the depths of the Death Star. With Palpatine’s survival having been a secret in the decades between Return of the Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, it begs the question of exactly when Palpatine’s son was born.

Although that question is not definitively answered, the appearance made by Rey’s parents in the movie does offer some hints about the timeline of Palpatine’s fatherhood. Billy Howle, who portrays Rey’s father, offers some context in this regard with his age of thirty. Going by Howle’s age, this points to Rey’s father having been born some time during the reign of the Empire.

While this does partially fill in the blanks of Rey being Palpatine’s descendant, there nevertheless remains one piece of the puzzle without a clear answer: the identity of Rey’s grandmother. While the movie zeroes in on the reveal of Rey’s blood relation to Palpatine as the unexpected twist that it indeed is, nothing is said about exactly who Palpatine had a son with. Given that Rey’s father was most likely conceived during Palpatine’s reign as Emperor, this opens the question of who his would-be bride was, and where she was during the Rebellion’s final battle against the Empire

Of course, anyone remotely familiar with Star Wars fandom knows that it is more than commonplace for fans of the franchise to ponder and theorize over details such as this. The new ways in which The Force is utilized in the movie are sure to be among its more debated elements, while Rey’s connection to Palpatine opens the door for endless speculation on the identity of the latter’s mistress without there being a concrete answer. Given that arguments still persist to this day over whether Han or Greedo shot first, the full answer to the question of who the mother of Rey’s father is will remain one of the lingering mysteries of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

About The Author

Brad Curran
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Growing up, Brad developed an innate love of movies and storytelling, and was instantly enamored with the world of adventure while following the exploits of Indiana Jones, Japanese kaiju, and superheroes. Today, Brad channels his thoughts on all manner of movies, from comic book films, sci-fi thrillers, comedies, and everything in between through his writings on Screen Rant. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he’s also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world’s great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. When he’s not writing, Brad enjoys going on a ride with the latest action hit or Netflix original, though he’s also known to just pop in “The Room” from time to time. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradCurran.

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