The return of Emperor Palpatine is perhaps the most anticipated storyline in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Where was the character all this while? And why didn’t he reveal himself? A recently released comic book appears to give the answer to this question.

When the first trailer of the film was released, the fans were excited about the return of the Emperor, who was presumed to be dead. If there was any doubt that Palpatine will return, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) himself confirmed in the voice over that no one is really gone, a statement that also opens the door for the return of the Jedi Master.

But, what was the Emperor doing all this time? A recently released comic book titled “Star Wars: Age of Rebellion – Luke Skywalker” reveals Palpatine’s plan.

In the comic book, the Emperor is seen trying to manipulate Luke. Palpatine knows that it is difficult to turn the young Jedi to the Dark Side. So, he tries to show Luke that people in authority, from both the Rebellion and the Empire, can be bad. The result is that the Jedi starts to believe that he can’t do much to change the galaxy and it is better to just live in exile.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” will revisit the scene in which Luke watches his Jedi Academy burn. According to Screen Rant, the film may also show that it was the Emperor who may have manipulated Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) too.

The Emperor uses the Force to manipulate people. Often it is just a voice that makes suggestions at the right time. Has Palpatine been manipulating people like Luke and Kylo Ren all these years, biding his time?

With Luke gone, there is no Jedi who is strong enough to stop the Emperor in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Is this what he has been planning all along? Luke going into exile also helped First Order to grow stronger in the galaxy, which again appears to be something that Palpatine has planned.

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