Emperor Palpatinemay have returned to the big screen inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but theStar Warscomics beat the movies to the punch well over thirty years ago. Although no longer in official canon, one comic book sequel to the original trilogy was the first to bring the Emperor back as a clone.
Released in 1991,Star Wars: Dark Empirewas one of the first comicsproduced by Dark Horse Comics after they acquired the license from Lucasfilm. Coming from the creative team of writer Tom Veitch and artist Cam Kennedy,Dark Empirewould be followed by two sequels:Dark Empire IIandEmpire’s End(with artist Jim Baikie), effectively forming a trilogy on its own.
Released around the same period as Timothy Zahn’sHeir to the Empire,Dark Empirejoined that best-selling novel as a new piece ofStar Warsmedia at a time when the franchise had been dormant for some years.
“Somehow, Palpatine Has Returned”
Dark EmpireBrought the Emperor Back Years BeforeRise of Skywalker
It may be hard to believe now, but theStar Warsbrand was about as dead as it gets in the late eighties and early nineties. Marvel Comics let their license to create comics expire after cancelling theirStar Warsseries in 1986. Known for acquiring licensed properties such asAliensandPredator, Dark Horse Comics picked up theStar Warscomic license in 1991, withDark Empiremaking waves as an official sequel to the Original Trilogy. TheDark Empiretrilogy would introduce many concepts that theSequel Trilogy would later explore, including acloned version of Emperor Palpatine.
An earlier version ofDark Empirewas actually pitched by Veitch and Kennedy to Marvel before they lost theStar Warslicense in the eighties
Set six years after the events ofReturn of the Jedi, the story sees Luke Skywalker absorbed into a mysterious energy storm after sensing a disturbance in the Force. He then awakens onboard an Imperial prison ship, where Luke is shocked to discover a younger version of Palpatine. It turns out theEmperor was able to transfer his consciousness to a clone body before meeting hisultimate end on the second Death Star. Even worse for Luke, the cloned Palpatine warns the surviving Jedi that he can’t be killed, as he’ll simply transfer into another clone body if Luke strikes him down.
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In an even bigger twist, the clonedPalpatine offersLuke the chance to become his apprenticeand learn the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. Seeing no other options, Luke hesitantly agrees, all the while strategizing on how best to prevent the Imperials from returning to power in the galaxy. Luke studies the Dark Side under Palpatine to better understand his father, and finds that while there is great power in the darkness, it also comes with a great sadness and fear that arises out of isolation; something that Luke notes he senses within Palpatine himself.
The Clone Palpatine in Dark Empire is Formidable
The Younger Version of the Emperor Can Duel Luke with Lightsabers
While there’s something to be said for the creepy, zombie-esque Palpatine clone seen inRise of Skywalker, thecloned Emperor Palpatine inDark Empireis a much more formidable opponent, as he poses a physical threat toLuke by being able to duel with a lightsaber. This was long before the Prequel Trilogy would show Palpatine’s skill with a lightsaber inRevenge of the Sith, so getting to see a younger version of the Emperor crossing lightsabers with Luke inDark Empirewas a rare treat forStar Warsfans.
The cloned Emperor Palpatine was popular enough to be turned into an action figure: first by Kenner in 1998, and later by Hasbro as a part of a two-pack with Luke in 2008
In addition to the clone version of Emperor Palpatine, theDark Empiretrilogy also included several ideas that would reappear during the Sequel Trilogy. TheDark Empireseries was one of the first times Leia was seen wielding a lightsaber, where she used it to duel Luke himself while he was under the sway of Palpatine. A major plot point inDark Empirealso concerns Palpatine hiding away a portion of the Imperial army insecret within the Deep Core of the galaxy, which would later be echoed in Palpatine’s hidden Sith army in Exegol inRise of Skywalker.
Of course, most of the Expanded Universe ofStar Warswas rendered null-and-void following Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney in 2012. Although it’s now considered “Legends” and no longer in official continuity, it’s interesting to look back at the original clonedEmperor Palpatineseen inStar Wars: Dark Empirecompared to the later version seen inThe Rise of Skywalker.
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Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn’t enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.
