Palpatine

In 2019 Oscar Isaac uttered the now iconic words “somehow Palpatine returned”. This is widely considered a low point in the Star Wars franchise, dialogue perhaps more embarrassing than any cheesy line George Lucas ever came up with. The Rise of Skywalker didn’t bother to explain the “somehow” and we were left with Merry Brandybuck’s mutterings about “dark science, cloning, secrets only the Sith knew”. Since then the franchise has slowly filled in the blanks. Apr. 2023’s ‘Chapter 23: The Spies’ of The Mandalorian season 3…

Screenshot: YouTubeProduct placement in media is a tale as old as time, but the internet was delighted this week after a series of segments showing spots for Chilean beer company Cristal clunkily, yet charmingly, spliced directly into the original Star Wars films have sparked a wave of joyous recreations. Here’s some of the best we’ve seen—either from the galaxy far, far away, or other films.As we noted on Monday, the viral ads—showcasing Obi-Wan and Emperor Palpatine randomly reaching for a drink in the middle of crucial…

Ruling the galaxy with an iron fist and a not-insignificant amount of planet-sized battle stations is tiring work, and that’s even before you get to sexing your way to an immortal bloodline of evil. What’s an Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith to do if not occasionally sit back, relax, and crack open a beer with the boys (the boys being the Imperial Ruling Council)?Spoilers of the Week May 2-6That’s probably not what was at the forefront of the minds behind these incredible adverts for the Chilean beer Cristal, which went…

Image: LucasfilmIn current Star Wars canon, the plot to steal the Death Star’s technical plans is incredibly straight forward: it’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the tale of Galen Erso’s sacrifice and the ragtag team that swooped down to Scarif and gave their lives to ensure that data fell into Rebel hands. But in the expanded universe, one of Star Wars’ most legendary games set the stage for a much larger, more complicated process.Dark Forces, released in 1995—and re-released this week with a new remaster across PC and…

Image: Lucasfilm/DK PublishingEverything in Star Wars in its 47-year lifetime has revolved arond the Galactic Empire. No matter when, or no mater who, all roads eventually lead to Sheev Palpatine’s dominance over the galaxy. It’s understandable if you’re a little confused on how it’s all meant to make sense from a timeline perspective, which is why DK Publishing is putting out a book specifically about the Empire’s 24-year reign. Andor Episodes 1-3 ReviewIn July, DK Publishing is releasing Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of…

Screenshot: LucasfilmThe idea of a Force sensitive clone isn’t at all surprising—it’s an idea that was explored repeatedly in Star Wars’ old Expanded Universe, and in contemporary canon we’ve known the potential is possible, considering that’s how Palpatine ultimately returned in Rise of Skywalker. But one interesting thing that Bad Batch has subtly brought to the fore in this mix that was lacking in the Expanded Universe’s exploration of the concept is that, well, clones are actually also as much their own people in the…

Image: Hot ToysBeyond the surprise of Ariana Greenblatt showing up during Ahsoka as a live-action interpretation of the Star Wars character’s animated youth was a really stark reminder Clone Wars never truly sold: holy hell, that is a little kid they gave a pair of glowsticks to and stuck on the front lines of the deadliest war the galaxy had seen in thousands of years. And now you can be reminded of the Jedi Order’s hubris—via wallet-induced pain—thanks to Hot Toys!The company’s latest Star Wars action figure goes back…

Right now in Star Wars, if something evil is going on, odds are it’s all part of Emperor Palpatine’s master plan. The Bad Batch has been playing with this idea as it set up its Rise of the Empire-era world across its first two seasons, but season three’s premiere made it even more explicit with the big boss showing up at Mount Tantiss... and a very tantalizing namedrop.Spoilers of the Week May 2-6“Shadows of Tantiss”—the third episode of The Bad Batch’s three-part season three premiere —saw Omega and Crosshair’s plans to…

Screenshot: LucasfilmSo that’s where we are, who’s gone and who’s back. So what can we expect in season three? All eyes are on Mount Tantiss right now—not just for whatever project Hemlock has cooking for the Emperor, but for our surviving Batchers to rescue Omega before it’s too late, to see wherever Crosshair’s re-examination of his duty takes him while he’s imprisoned there, and to figure out just what is up with Emerie and her connections to both Omega and Hemlock.But then there’s a billion other questions. How’s…

Image: Christopher Moeller/LucasfilmThe Epic Continues never made it past this presentation point, however—conflicting stories say either Lucasfilm approved the idea only for Kenner’s upper management to wind down the Star Wars line anyway based on market research showing declining interest in the series, or that Lucasfilm just wasn’t quite ready to take steps in solidifying a new Star Wars continuation at the time. Either way, The Epic Continues was over before it started, and with it, Kenner’s Star Wars toy line came to…