6

The novelization of The Rise of Skywalker tells us that the new Sith Lord is a clone of Emperor Palpatine. Not the original, but a clone.

Palpatine clone in a metallic throne-like chair

“All the vials were empty of liquid save one, which was nearly depleted. Kylo peered closer. He’d seen this apparatus before, too, when he’d studied the Clone Wars as a boy. The liquid flowing into the living nightmare before him was fighting a losing battle to sustain the Emperor’s putrid flesh.

“What could you give me?” Kylo asked. Emperor Palpatine lived, after a fashion, and Kylo could feel in his very bones that this clone body sheltered the Emperor’s actual spirit. It was an imperfect vessel, though, unable to contain his immense power. It couldn’t last much longer.”

But his face looks scarred like the original.

cloaked Palpatine, with orange eyes

Why would his face be scarred like the original? If he got a whole new clone body, wouldn't it be new? Did the cloning process somehow mimic the facial scars that he received in his duel with Mace Windu?

Palpatine getting electrocuted by lightning

Community
  • 1
RichS
  • 38,592
  • 34
  • 184
  • 375
  • Probably an oversight or the "Dark side corrupts" thing that is also in the Old Republic Games. – A.bakker Mar 03 '20 at 07:01
  • 9
    "It was an imperfect vessel, though, unable to contain his immense power. It couldn’t last much longer.” - Says it right there in the question – Valorum Mar 03 '20 at 07:21
  • 2
    @Valorum Doesn't explain why it has the same look as the original Sidious, one would expect some scars but not exactly the same. It is obvious why they have chosen this look but not an in universe explanation. – Shade Mar 03 '20 at 07:33
  • 2
    Why wouldn't the scarring be the same if the cause is much the same? – Valorum Mar 03 '20 at 07:35
  • 3
    @Valorum The cause was not the same. One was Force Lightning, the other was Dark Side corruption. –  Mar 03 '20 at 07:47
  • 12
    I think the answer you want is "something something something dark side". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something,_Something,_Something,_Dark_Side –  Mar 03 '20 at 07:48
  • 3
    Both of those things are the same thing. Just one is a more potent form of the other – Valorum Mar 03 '20 at 07:52
  • 3
    @LincolnMan What is Force lightning if not Dark Side corruption. I agree with Valorum here the text answers the question. – TheLethalCarrot Mar 03 '20 at 09:03
  • 17
    Wait. Hold on. Are you suggesting there was an aspect of The Emperors return that wasn't carefully thought through!? – DavidS Mar 03 '20 at 11:27
  • 1
    Maybe we'll get an answer in the next season of Fortnite. – delinear Mar 03 '20 at 11:57
  • 8
    I don't really follow Star Wars anymore, but a few answers on this stack suggest that the scarred face is his real face, and Palpatine just a mask. That would at least explain the look of the clone. – Eike Pierstorff Mar 03 '20 at 12:03
  • I've read the same thing as @EikePierstorff that the scared face is the real Darth Sidius and the Mace Windu attach was a convenient way to allow him to show it in public. I'll have to see if I can find that reference to put together a proper answer – psubsee2003 Mar 03 '20 at 12:39
  • 1
    I've voted to reopen. It's not a good question, but it's not a dupe either – Valorum Apr 09 '20 at 22:43
  • After I came out of the theater. I thought the point was that Palpatine (Even as far back as the Prequels) Was a Clone of this 'Dark Lord'. That he never left Exegol. That he was extremely extremely old. So old, that he had to use technology to keep himself alive. When we would see a communication on the view-screen to Darth Vader it was coming from him. So in 'ROTJ' it was a clone that died. Not the original. In the 'Rise of Skywalker' we were finally seeing the original in person. – Robert Koernke May 08 '20 at 18:08

0 Answers0