RJ Writing Ink

Everyone, I’m going to start this review with a disclaimer. If you haven’t seen the season finale to The Mandalorian, then for the love of all that is holy, go watch it. RIGHT. NOW. Because it’s only after watching it that you’ll understand why the entire Star Wars fandom cried tears of joy in the early morning of December 18th, 2020.

You back? Good. Now you know our joy. But before we talk about that ending to The Mandalorian, let’s talk about what made the season finale one of the best things to ever happen to Star Wars.

Mando Assembles the Team

After learning the location of Gideon’s ship, the next move of Mando’s team is to capture the Moff’s lead scientist, Dr. Pershing, and force him to tell them about all the defenses Gideon’s ship has. After that, they go to get the last members they need to pull off this rescue: Bo-Katan and one of her Nite Owls.

I wasn’t surprised that Bo-Katan returned so soon to the show. She’d have to settle her score with Gideon and reclaim the Darksaber, after all. What did surprise me, though, was the open hostility she showed towards Boba Fett. It’s understandable given her turbulent history with Jango Fett’s clones, but to openly deny that Boba’s a true Mandalorian? In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if Boba Fett’s a clone or a foundling; he’s a Mandalorian to me.

The resulting altercation and fistfight did bring up one of the central themes to this season, though: what does it mean to be Mandalorian? Does that mean one must be born to someone of Mandalore, or do they merely have to be raised in their culture? It’s a poignant question that lightly touches on the real-world concept of what can unite a people, be it a shared cultural identity, religion, or goals. As Bo-Katan points out, though, the Mandalorians have been fractured for too long. They must unite to take back their home, and that starts with taking down Gideon, getting the Darksaber, and taking his ship.

Like Something out of a Video Game

With all the members aboard, Mando begins his raid to rescue Baby Yoda. What follows over the next fifteen minutes of the episode feels, quite frankly, like something out of a video game.

After Boba gets them inside with an elaborate ruse, Fennec, Cara, Bo-Katan, and Koska assault Gideon’s ship and slaughter his Stormtroopers. It’s a very entertaining action sequence that empashizes how badass these women are. Not only that, but they all manage to work very well together. Their team dynamic’s solid and they even get in a few quips and one-liners.

Mando, though, has the hard job. He has to make sure Gideon’s Dark Troopers don’t get loose in the ship, and he only barely manages to toss them out an airlock. Before that happens, though, he goes against a single Dark Trooper. The fight that follows is brutal, with the Dark Trooper being tough enough to give the Terminator a run for his money. Mando’s barely able to take it down with his Beskar spear.

Of course, that only leads him to his next problem: Moff Gideon holding Baby Yoda at sword-point. What follows is a brief, but impressive duel that shows just how good a fighter Din Djarin is. One that ends in his victory and taking possession of the Darksaber.

Uh-oh.

The True Power of the Darksaber

For those who didn’t watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars or Rebels, here’s the importance behind the Darksaber. It was forged a thousand years ago by the only Mandalorian to ever join the Jedi. When he died, his people stole it from the Jedi Temple, and the blade became a symbol of leadership for Mandalore, passing from owner to owner whenever the previous one was bested in combat. Thus, the Mandalorians will only recognize someone as the rightful owner of the Darksaber if they won it in combat. In other words, Mando inadvertently won the right to claim the title of Mandalore.

I’d speculated once that Gideon did not win the Darksaber from Bo-Katan, but stole it. However, that may not be the case, given how obsessed she was with fighting Gideon. And now, she’ll have to fight Mando for it.

I won’t lie to you, there’s been a thought in the very back of my head: what if Din Djarin’s going to be the next Mandalore? A foundling who unites his people to retake their home and become their next leader would make for a hell of a story.

But there are bigger problems: the Dark Troopers are back! Fortunately, help comes in the form of a legendary Jedi.

Luke Skywalker Gets the Return he Deserved

I cannot tell a lie: when I saw that familiar-looking X-Wing land in the hanger of Gideon’s ship, I knew what was about to happen. And I began to squeal in joy over it. Luke Skywalker, the legendary Jedi Master, had returned to us.

Like a lot of fans, I was deeply dissappointed with how Rian Johnson turned Luke into a cynical hermit in The Last Jedi. Yeah, it was because of his failure to keep his nephew from becoming Kylo Ren, but my gripe was the fact that he gave up too easily. Instead of learning from it and keep trying to rebuild the Jedi, he thought the Galaxy would be better off without them. Spoiler alert: it isn’t, Luke! This wasn’t the Luke Skywalker the fans wanted to see. Fortunately, Dave Filoni and John Favreau knew this, and brought Luke back the right way.

When I saw the hooded figure of Luke fighting his way through Gideon’s ship, cutting through droids like his father before him, I was overcome by joy. This was the Luke Skywalker the fans wanted to see. The legendary Jedi that struck fear in the Empire and always fought for what was right. And by the Force, it was glorious. By the end, I was cheering like it was a sports game.

A Tearful Goodbye. For Now, At Least

With the arrival of Luke and Gideon in chains, the rescue’s been a success. What’s more, Mando’s fulfilled the mission his tribe gave him: to find a Jedi to look after Baby Yoda. However, given how much he’s come to care for Grogu/Baby Yoda, it only makes it harder to see what happens next.

One big theme to the show thus far has been about parenthood. In season one, Mando learned to accept his role as a father figure for Grogu. Season two’s seen him learn how to be an actual father, and a good one at that. Of course, this leads us to the hardest part of any parent’s life: learning to let go of their child.

It’s obvious to everyone that Mando doesn’t want to part with Baby Yoda, no matter how necessary it is. And then, we saw Mando do something that left me in tears. Completely forsaking his Tribe’s rule of never showing his face, Mando willingly removed his helmet so he could give his son a proper goodbye.

This has to be one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever seen in Star Wars. Heck, the only other moment I think rivals this is when Luke took off his father’s helmet as he was dying. It also shows off just how much Mando has changed since the first episode. His experiences throughout this season only reinforced those lessons, whilst simultaneously making him question everything he knew.

Bottom line, everything led us to this moment. The old Mando we first met is long gone. In his place is a new Mando, one who’s not defined by the rigid rules he was raised under. You go, Mando!

The Adventure Continues

Thus, another season of The Mandalorian comes to an end. Of course, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: what now? I’ve got a few ideas.

While I have a feeling we’ll see Baby Yoda again, I think that Mando will choose to stick with Bo-Katan. She’ll want the Darksaber back, so I doubt he’ll have much of a choice anyway. This could eventually lead to a grand finale where the Mandalorian people unite to take back their homeworld at long last. It would be an amazing way to cap off the story of Din Djarin, if you ask me.

Alternativately, the series could shift focus onto another Mandalorian: Boba Fett. In a post-credits scene, Fett returns to Tatooine after repaying his debt to Mando. He then proceeds to return to Jabba’s palace, kill what’s left of his court, and take the palace for himself. I don’t know what the old bounty hunter has planned, but it will no doubt be big. Big enough to warrant his own story.

No matter how you slice it, though, I think the future of Star Wars is a bright one. I can’t wait to see what happens in Season Three of The Mandalorian.

At the same time, though, we shouldn’t forget about the past.

RIP, Jeremy Bulloch

I’m not sure if you’ve heard by now, but yesterday, it was announced that Jeremy Bulloch, the original actor who played Boba Fett, passed away at the age of 75.

Jeremy Bulloch was the original Mandalorian, and Star Wars owes him a great debt. While he only had a handful of lines onscreen, Boba Fett grew to become one of the franchise’s most popular characters. Decades later, that popularity would lead to the prequels giving us Jango Fett, and with him, the Clone Troopers. So much of Star Wars success beyond the movies can be trace back to Boba Fett, and Jeremy was the man behind the mask. He may be gone, but I find it fitting that he lived to see his iconic role capture the hearts of a new generation. RIP, Jeremy Bulloch. This is the Way.

I Give “The Rescue” a 5/5.

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I Call out the Jedi Order On Their Mistakes

For forty-two years, the Jedi Knights have been some of the greatest paragons of good in pop culture. Wielding the power of the Force and armed with their lightsabers, they’re symbols of peace and good. However, once you’ve been into the franchise long enough, you see that the Jedi aren’t perfect. In fact, they can be just as bad as the Sith and dark siders they fight.

With the Rise of Skywalker out on Friday, and the future of the Jedi uncertain, I think now’s a good time to look at the flaws this group has. In addition, I’ll be providing examples of mistakes they’ve made in Star Wars, both in the new canon and Expanded Universe. Just because I love them doesn’t mean I can’t call them out on their nonsense.

No Blaster Training

This is more of a nitpick than an actual flaw the Jedi have. In a Galaxy where almost everyone has access to energy based firearms, the Jedi rely on the Force and their lightsabers for defense. Normally, that’s all they need, but even that can fail them.

Normally, the Jedi don’t use blasters because they see them as clumsy and, more often than not, lethal. Meanwhile, a lightsaber is methodical and doesn’t necessarily kill a person when used. Thus, they see it as an elegant weapon from a more civilized time. Here’s what I have to say to that:

Once the Empire rose, the last thing a Jedi would want to do is use a lightsaber in public. Therefore, blasters become a preferred option for Jedi trying not to draw attention.

Personally, I fail to see why the Jedi didn’t integrate blasters alongside lightsabers. Firstly, most, if not all blasters, have a stun setting so they can be non-lethal. Secondly, with the use of the Force, a Jedi will likely be far more accurate with their shots, to the point where can deliver non-lethal hits. In the Expanded Universe, there are several cases in which someone draws on the Force to deliver incredibly accurate and deadly shots. If the majority of Jedi trained with ranged weaponry, they could be deadlier than even the most skilled non-Force users. Finally , I think watching a Jedi dual-wield a lightsaber and blaster would incredibly badass.

Choose to Avoid their Emotions

Part of the Jedi’s code is to avoid using their emotions. They see it as means to cloud their judgement, and that negative emotions like fear and anger can lead to the Dark Side. As a result, the Jedi are seen as paragons of fairness and ideal as mediators and judges.

Unfortunately, there’s a flaw in choosing to avoid one’s emotions: not everyone’s capable of doing that. In fact, given how their job involves getting involved in potentially life-threatening and traumatic experiences, not dealing with one’s feelings can be a bad thing. Worse still, because the Jedi see emotion as a potentially bad thing, they have no way to help members who clearly need emotional support.

Take Anakin Skywalker, for example. He always felt guilty for leaving his Mom in slaver, something most Jedi had a hard time understanding. So when he started having nightmares about his Mom in trouble, their advice was to “be mindful of your thoughts”. That was a mistake, as Shmi Skywalker was in great danger, and ended up dying in his son’s arms. As a result of that traumatic experience, Anakin lost himself in his rage and killed the entire village of Tusken Raiders, even the non-combatants. Afterwards, he never told anyone outside of Padme and Palpatine, the latter of whom would use the knowledge to force further to the Dark Side. He kept the anger and guilt bottled up because he knew that the Jedi would refuse to forgive him.

I won’t condone what Anakin did, but I think many of us understand how traumatic the experience was for him. The Jedi wouldn’t have been able to, and that anger, guilt, and fear festered and helped push him to the dark side. The best thing the Jedi could have done was reach out not with horror, but with sympathy and understanding. Me? I would have been horrified at first, but would understand how much Anakin was suffering and that pushing him away would do more harm than good. In that moment, what Anakin really needed was a friend that understood why he did it and would help him atone for his actions.

Forbidding Attachments

Piggybacking off what I said above, because the Jedi are paranoid about emotions leading to the Dark Side, the idea of emotional attachments is frowned upon and forbidden. They see it as a potential weakness and fear that it will lead a Jedi to forsake their duty if it meant rescuing someone they loved. In my honest opinion, though, I think the whole thing’s poodoo.

Yes, people can make rash decisions when our loved ones are on the line. That said, most of the Jedi fail to realize that bonds between loved ones does more good than harm. Love is one of the most positive emotions that a sentient being can feel, be it love for a friend, a family member, or partner. That love can, in turn, serve as an anchor to keep a Jedi from falling to the Dark Side. Both in canon and in the Expanded Universe, love has actually helped several Jedi come back from the darkness.

I think the problem isn’t necessarily attachments. I think the true problem is that Jedi don’t know how to deal with pain and loss, and thus they embrace their inner darkness. In the Expanded Universe, Luke Skywalker recognizes this mistake of the old Jedi Order. Given his own experiences with the redemptive power of love and attachment, Luke thus allowed the New Jedi Order to marry and raise families. Hopefully, Rey or someone else will do the same if they rebuild the Jedi.

Believing Those Fell to the Dark Side were Iredeemable

In the original trilogy, both Obi-Wan and Yoda told Luke that trying to bring his father back from the darkness was impossible. This attitude was a reflection of the Jedi’s deeply entrenched belief that the Dark Side was something to be destroyed on sight. As a result, they saw anyone who fell into its grasp as beyond saving and must be destroyed. Yet as we saw, Luke proved them both wrong when Anakin chose to save his son’s life.

Looking back on the films, I realize that Obi-Wan and Yoda gave up on Anakin too easily. As is often the case in real life, anyone is capable of changing for the better. They need only be willing to let that happen. While Anakin remains the best example, Star Wars is filled with examples of Jedi who fell to the Dark Side but redeemed themselves. In other words, that whole “forever will it dominate your destiny” stuff is bantha poodoo. Not even Yoda knows everything.

We Still Need the Jedi

I could going about all the screw-ups the Jedi have made, both in the EU and in Disney’s canon, but I think you got the picture. The Jedi Order was a flawed organization that messed up a lot. From a certain point of view, you can see why Luke thought the Jedi had to end with him.

Here’s what I have to say: screw that.

The Jedi aren’t perfect. They let the Sith rise to power, they had no idea how to handle negative emotions, and they thought love was the root of evil. That doesn’t change the fact that when they were doing what they’re supposed to and helping others, they did a great job. The Galaxy saw them as symbols of justice and hope. No matter what Luke may have thought of them in The Last Jedi, that doesn’t change the fact that the Galaxy needed the Jedi to come back. As long as there are jerks who want to use the Force to bully others, the Jedi need to be there.

In other words, I hope that The Rise of Skywalker sees Rey do what should have been done a long time ago: bring back the Jedi.

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My Rankings for Every Lightsaber Duels in Star Wars

The moment you hear that hiss and the sight of the plasma beam coming out of the hilt, you know shit’s about to go down. Each of the main Star Wars movies has at least one lightsaber duel. With The Rise of Skywalker coming out soon, I’m taking a trip down memory lane. These are my rankings for worst to best lightsaber fights in Star Wars thus far.

For this, I will only be using the duels that occur in the main films. In other words, no Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels, or other material. However, I will do them in separate posts, so don’t worry.

#12-Darth Vader vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Episode IV: A New Hope

This may have been the one that started it all, but it’s also the slowest one. In order to buy time for Luke and his friends to escape, Obi-Wan duels his fallen apprentice and friend one final time. However, the duel itself is very slow-paced and lacks excitement. In addition, while I’m not certain, I think Obi-Wan let Vader win.

Thankfully, some fans decided to remake the duel with more modern tech, and the results are cooler.

#11-Rey vs Kylo Ren, Episode VII: The Force Awakens

I had doubts about the sequel trilogy, but I held out hope that at least the lightsaber duel would be epic. After all, the fights in the Prequels were some of the best in the franchise. Those hopes were dashed when I actually saw Rey and Kylo Ren fight.

While I admit that seeing Rey call Anakin’s lightsaber to her was an epic moment that convinced me she was Luke’s daughter, that was the only cool thing about this fight. It lacked any of the elaborate acrobatics or techniques we saw in previous films. I understand that JJ Abrams wanted to return to Star Wars roots, but the lightsaber duels were some of the best things about the Prequels. This felt like a step back from what I was used to.

#10-Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi And Yoda VS Count Dooku, Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

In hindsight, I think its safe to say that Attack of the Clones is the weak link in Star Wars. The movie’s great when there’s actual action being shown, but then we have Anakin’s “I hate sand” speech. What was great, though, was the duel of Dooku vs. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda.

Despite putting up a valiant fight, Obi-Wan and Anakin are still no match for the more experienced Sith Lord, with the latter losing his arm to the Count’s blade. However, then Yoda shows up and turns the tables on his former Padawan. As a result, we got to see the legendary Jedi Master in action for the first time, and even in his advanced age, he’s a deadly opponent. The one problem is that he kept jumping all over the place like Kermit the Frog. Which I know is ironic since Yoda’s voice actor Frank Oz is part of the original cast of The Muppets.

#9-Anakin and Obi-Wan vs. Dooku, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Despite being the apparent big bad of the Clone Wars, Count Dooku barely does anything in Revenge of the Sith. While trying to “rescue” Chancellor Palpatine from General Grevious’ flagship over Coruscant, Anakin and Obi-Wan engage in their final duel with Count Dooku. Obi-Wan gets knocked out, and Anakin’s forced to duel the Sith Lord on his own. Ultimately, he ends up winning and straight up kills the Sith Lord.

In a movie with no less than five lightsaber duels, this one wound up being my least favorite. While Anakin’s victory shows how far he’s progressed since Geonosis, this fight lacks the savage brutality, high stakes or emotion of the other fights in the movie. In addition, Anakin’s victory is soured by the fact that it was a test by Sidious to see if he could be turned to the Dark Side.

#8-Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. General Grevious, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

General Grevious hated the Jedi, but he hated Obi-Wan the most. As a result, when Obi-Wan confronted him on Utapau, the cyborg decided to fight him himself instead of siccing the entire army on him like any sane man would do. The result is a brutal and winding chase and battle which ends with Obi-Wan finally putting an end to the cyborg.

Going into the movie, we knew Obi-Wan would win due to plot armor. That still didn’t stop me from being impressed with their duel. Grevious was a terrifying opponent and one of the few non Force Users able to wield a lightsaber. Despite

#7-Kylo Ren and Rey vs Praetorian Guard, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

After failing to convince Luke to join the fight against the First Order, Rey allows herself to be captured and brought to Snoke to try and redeem Kylo Ren. In an unexpected twist, Ren ends up saving her life by killing his master, doing what Grandpa Vader could never do. As a result, the two fight back-to-back against Snoke’s Praetorian Guard.

Firstly, I can’t remember the last time a Dark-Sider had the guts to kill their master, so when I saw Ren do it, I was impressed. Secondly, I think this fight was a huge step above the snoozefest that we got in The Force Awakens. While not at the same level of the Prequels, this lightsaber duel showed off how powerful both Rey and Kylo Ren were. On their own, they’re incredibly powerful, but together, the two are unstoppable. Too bad Ren decided to stay on the Dark Side.

#6-Yoda vs Darth Sidious, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This was the kind of lightsaber duel that would make fans drool. As Obi-Wan confronts Anakin on Mustafar, Yoda faces off against Darth Sidious in the Halls of the Senate. The resulting fight between the two masters of the Force, while brief, was very brutal with neither holding back. Seeing the two fight on almost even footing reinforced just how powerful each was. In the end, though, this duel resulted in a draw with neither side claiming victory. As a result, it gets placed halfway on this list.

#5-Mace Windu vs Darth Sidious

While Return of the Jedi showed us how powerful Darth Sidious was in the Dark Side, it was Revenge of the Sith that showed us how deadly he was with a lightsaber. Faced with a team of four Jedi led by Mace Windu, the Dark Lord of the Sith drops his facade at last and unleashes his full power as a Sith; and it was terrifying!

From the primordial howl he gives to the sight of him cutting down three Jedi Masters in seconds, this duel reminds us how dangerous Darth Sidious is. However, what I love about this fight was seeing Mace hold his own against the Sith Lord. In fact, some fans speculate that had Anakin not intervened, Master Windu would have won.

#4-Luke vs Darth Vader, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The climax to what many consider to be the best Star Wars movie saw Luke recklessly head to Cloud City to rescue his friends. Too late, he realizes that its a trap as he faces off against Darth Vader. While he manages to put up a valiant fight, even briefly pushing the Dark Lord back, Luke proves no match.

Going into this lightsaber duel, we knew that Luke had little chance of defeating Vader. This only made it all the more painful to see Luke battered and dismembered by the end of the duel. However, the real trauma is more emotional. In this now legendary, Vader drops one of the biggest bombshells in the history of storytelling: that he’s Luke’s father. Not sorry if I spoiled it!

#3-Luke vs Darth Vader Round 2, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

In an effort to redeem his father/protect his friends, Luke let himself be captured by the Empire. This leads to him being brought to the Emperor and forced to duel his father once more. Only this time, it’s a far more even duel. At least, until Luke refuses to fight his father anymore.

The film had already shown how far Luke had progressed in the year between Episode V and Episode VI, but this lightsaber duel drove that point home. Not only did Luke match Vader blow for blow, but once he finally snaps and lets his rage out, he completely overpowered him. Seeing the once invincible Vader be brought to his literal knees was a sobering moment. Thankfully, Luke had the common sense to refuse to give into his anger.

#2-Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan vs Darth Maul, Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Say what you will about The Phantom Menace, but it has three things that redeem it, and this lightsaber duel’s at the top. In the midst of helping to free Naboo from the Trade Federation, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan engage in a ferocious duel against the Sith Lord Darth Maul. The end result was one of the most exciting displays of swordsmanship in the entire franchise.

In many ways, this fight came to exemplify what Star Wars could do with lightsaber duels for me. From the fast and furious clashing of lightsabers, to the acrobatics, the Duel of the Fates, this was leaps and bounds above what had come before. Also, it’s why I’m so critical about the fights in the Sequel Trilogy. If George Lucas could do this twenty years ago, then JJ Abrams has no excuse.

#1-Anakin vs Obi-Wan, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This was the fight that fans had been waiting for since Empire. Needless to say, what we got in Revenge of the Sith didn’t disappoint. Having learned of Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader, Obi-Wan fights him in a terrifying duel that will shape the Galaxy for decades.

More than any other example, I consider this to be the definitive lightsaber duel in Star Wars. Considering its importance, it’s no surprise George Lucas’ team went all out. From the lava-strewn surface of Mustafar invoking an image of Hell, to John Williams’ masterful music, this fight screams epic! In addition, the fact that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen spent weeks practicing so they could fight shows the level of dedication the cast had.

In the Star Wars films themselves, this fight manages to be both epic and heart-breaking all at once. On one hand, it’s the most amazing lightsaber duel in the films. On the other, it symbolizes the death of the brotherly bond that Anakin and Obi-Wan had. The final sight of Anakin burning alive beside that river of lava’s enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.

May the Force Be With You

Do you agree with my picks? What has your favorite lightsaber duel been from Star Wars? Let me know in the comments! Until then, may the Force be with you!

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A Look at How Darth Sidious Cheated Death in the Expanded Universe

Ever since the trailers for The Rise of Skywalker dropped and we heard the laughter of Ian McDiarmid, Star Wars fans went crazy. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, who is admittedly a little bitter over the loss of the EU (#MakeRevanCanonAgain), I was skeptical. I immediately asked one question, the same question everyone is asking: how the heck could Darth Sidious still be alive? We saw Anakin throw him over the railing and explode in a ball of dark side energy. Not even a Sith Lord could survive that.

However, assuming it’s not a red herring or he’s a ghost, I keep coming back to a single theory: cloning. We know Palpatine has access to advanced cloning technology. It’s possible he could have made clones of himself when and if he died. It’s a theory that’s been proposed already, but that’s not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about the time in the Expanded Universe where Palpatine did, in fact, come back from the dead. It’s called the Dark Empire series, and I think it gives us clues on his possible return in The Rise of Skywalker.

Sidious’ Cheat Code

Like many Sith, Palpatine tried looking for a way to cheat death so he could rule his Empire for eternity. Fortunately for the Galaxy, while the Force has ways to extend one’s life by decades, even centuries, true immortality is a myth. Thus, Sidious found himself a workaround using cloning technology. He made an army of mindless clones of himself that he could inhabit when his original body died.

As a result, when a redeemed Anakin threw him down that reactor, he did die, but his spirit stayed behind. He traveled to his private fortress near the center of the galaxy, where he possessed a younger clone of himself. Thus, Darth Sidious returned from death.

The Shadow Hand

One would think that his first priority would be letting the Galaxy know he’s alive. Rather than do that, Palpatine stayed in the Deep Core and watched his Empire tear itself apart like a pack of starved Womp Rats. He built up his forces and created an arsenal of super weapons. These included the Eclipse and Eclipse II, two Super Star Destroyers with miniature versions of the Death Stars superlaser. There were the World Devastators, mobile factories that sucked planets of resources and churned out ships and weapons. Then my personal favorite, the Galaxy Gun, a platform capable of firing planet-destroying missiles through hyperspace. It’s like the galaxy’s biggest sniper rifle.

Around six years after the defeat at Endor, Sidious made his move. Using the Force to create a portal to his fortress world of Byss, Sidious captured Luke Skywalker. Rather than face certain death, Luke pretended to bend to the reborn Sith. However, Sidious eventually broke him for real, turning him into the leader of his armies. With an armada of ships and deadly superweapons, Sidious announced his return to the Galaxy.

However, Sidious once again underestimated the power of love for another person. Leia chose to confront her brother, and was able to bring him back from the Dark Side. Together, they used the Force to cut off the Emperor’s connection to it. As a result, he lost control of the massive Force Storm he just created, destroying him and his flagship.

He then came back, again.

Final Death

Having suffered several major setbacks, things only got worse for the Sith Lord. Due to the actions of a traitorous guard, Sidious’ remaining supply of clones were falling apart; even the genetic template was damaged. Desperate, Sidious sought the aid of the spirits of the Ancient Sith Lords. They advised him to take the body of Leia’s infant son, Anakin Solo.

Yes, Leia and Han names their youngest son Anakin. They wanted the name to stand for something good again.

Sidious tracked the family to Onderon and brought his armada in to finish the job. However, Luke arrived soon afterwards. Alongside him and Han was a Jedi survivor of Order 66, Empatojayos Brand, and his padawan, Rayf Ysanna. The three Jedi engaged in a furious fight with the Sith Lord and his Dark Jedi guards. Despite besting his guards, the Emperor killed Ysanna and mortally wounded Brand. However, Han Solo arrived, and with a well placed blaster shot, struck the Dark Lord down; which is what Sidious wanted. No longer needing his body, his spirit rushed towards young Anakin. Before he could do anything though, Brand used the last of his strength to throw himself in front of the baby and his mother.

Knowing that he was dying, Brand used all his power to trap Sidious within him. He told Luke he would drag the Emperor to the depths of hell, where all the Jedi he’d murdered would ensure he would never return. Thus, cursing the Skywalker bloodline, Darth Sidious died, this time for good.

A Similar Scenario for Sidious?

First off, this story came out in the early 90s, well before the Prequel Trilogy established the idea of the Chosen One. Thus, even though it’s said the Chosen One would destroy the Sith, Sidious’ survival seems to contradict that. It was a crazy time for Star Wars.

Secondly, I bring this story up now because, in my opinion, cloning may be the best way to explain how Sidious’ returns in The Rise of Skywalker. He could have created clones of himself on some remote planet where he could lay low and gather his strength over the next thirty years. That, and he’d probably see the Galaxy falling apart as some sort of sadistic entertainment.

How he came back, though, doesn’t matter in the end. What matters is that Darth Sidious is back from the dead, and by the look of things, he has dark plans for Kylo Ren and Rey. What’s surprising, though, is how I’ve warmed up to the idea of Sidious returning. If the rumors and speculations are true, then he’s been behind everything in the movies. He’s one of the greatest villains of all time, the overarching antagonist to Star Wars. Seeing him one last time will be awesome. Plus, after all’s said and done, he’s still got the Villain Pub on How it Should Have Ended to go back to.

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Check out this fan animation for the comics that I just found!