'Star Wars: Episode 9' Theory: What The Emperor Really Wants

The cackle of the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) at the end of the first “Star Wars: Episode 9” trailer raised many questions. Did the Sith Lord survive? What has he been doing all this time? Why is he returning only now and what does he want? A new theory about the film attempts to answer some of these questions.

While the return of Darth Sidious is a bit of a mystery in the films, the character’s plans to stage a comeback are apparent in the canon books. The Emperor had a contingency plan to destroy the Empire in case of his death, but his loyal followers were supposed to regroup at a location in the Unknown Regions to plan for the future.

According to a theory by CBR, the fact that the Emperor spent a lot of time collecting Sith and Jedi artifacts, instead of taking a more active interest in ruling the galaxy, gives a strong hint about what he wants. After getting seemingly limitless power, the Sith Lord may be after conquering death.

The canon novels already confirm that a few Sith Lords were able to come back after death by transferring their essence into objects like a helmet. According to the theory, Palpatine may have done something similar and he may now look for a host body in “Star Wars: Episode 9” to return in the flesh.

Apart from Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), the most obvious choice for a host body is one of the Knights of Ren. The reason why the Emperor may choose to return now is that the galaxy is ripe for him to take over. The First Order is fragmented because of the fight for leadership and the New Republic is vulnerable after the war, making the conditions right for the manipulative Sith Lord to gain power once more.

The introduction of the Sith Troopers in the upcoming film may be a way for the filmmakers to give the audience a fresh perspective about the dark side Force wielders, Screen Rant reported. There has been no mention of the Sith in the sequel trilogy so far, and the upcoming film may help build the mythology and the lore of the villainous faction.

If the Emperor is the main villain in “Star Wars: Episode 9,” the fight against him may be the last battle in the film. Kevin Smith got an opportunity to be on the set of the film when the last shot was being filmed, but in an interview with IGN he said that he did not see the set of this sequence because the director and the crew members advised him not to. This is one shot that the crewmembers felt should be seen in the theaters.