Revenge Of The Sith’s Ian McDiarmid Just Revealed 12 Prequel Trilogy Secrets

Iconic Star Wars actor Ian McDiarmid has just confirmed some exciting secrets about playing Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Having played the Emperor for just over 40 years, Ian McDiarmid has one of the longest acting tenures in the galaxy far, far away. However, the actor has recently revealed that he most enjoyed playing Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith for several reasons.

In honor of Revenge of the Sith’s 20th anniversary and current re-release in theaters, Ian McDiarmid recently sat down with Variety to discuss all things Palpatine. Naturally, the bulk of the conversation was focused on the prequel trilogy and Revenge of the Sith, though there are some other fascinating reveals about the Emperor in general. Keeping that in mind, here’s everything Ian McDiarmid shared about Emperor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith (and beyond).

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12

Even Ian McDiarmid Had No Idea One Major Revenge Of The Sith Twist Was Coming

Darth Sidious Wielding His Own Sith Lightsaber

Custom Image by David Miller

After confirming that he enjoyed having so much more to do in the final prequel movie, one of the first things McDiarmid revealed about playing Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith was that he had no idea his character was going to be so physical, including engaging in his very own lightsaber duels with formidable Jedi Knights including Mace Windu and Grandmaster Yoda:

“I had more to do in “Revenge of the Sith” — I had more screen time, more time with Hayden [Christensen] — so that was more satisfying. I also had no idea that Palpatine would have power with a weapon, so to find that he was very good — to give my stunt double full credit — with a saber was interesting.“

For a villain who’d only ever been seen using Force lightning, seeing Palpatine wielding his own lightsaber in Revenge of the Sith was a big surprise to audiences when the movie was first released back in 2005, so it’s fun to see that McDiarmid was just as surprised.

11

With Phantom Menace, The Full Palpatine Plan Wasn’t Yet Mapped Out

Not Yet Fully Known How Palpatine Would Become The Emperor

Ian McDiarmid also confirmed that the full plan for Senator Palpatine’s evolution into the Emperor seen in the original trilogy wasn’t yet fully mapped out when he was first re-hired to star in 1999’s The Phantom Menace:

“It started off as a big mystery. I had no idea that Palpatine would figure [into the story so heavily]. But by then it so happened that I was young enough to play the younger Senator…I got the script and realized that he was more than one character, which made it even more fascinating to play — an ordinary, everyday, fairly hypocritical politician with a monster hiding inside his body.”

While George Lucas must have had a big-picture plan and overarching vision for how Palpatine would eventually seize power and rule the Empire, it’s fascinating to hear McDiarmid confirm that the evolution wasn’t fully detailed from the get-go.

10

Ian McDiarmid Confirms Palpatine Only Ever Cared About One Thing

Unlimited Power From The Dark Side

While not necessarily surprising, it’s so very satisfying to hear the actor himself share his thoughts on Palpatine’s core motivations and the singular concept that drove Darth Sidious as a Sith Lord: Unlimited Power.

“Well, he’s a hypocrite, plain and simple — and a very good actor. He’s a performance. He’s only interested in one thing: absolute power. It sounds objective and black and white, but it’s extraordinary…Palpatine embodies the dark side. He relishes it. He thinks people who don’t enjoy it or don’t allow themselves to be drawn to it are stupid.“

9

The Space Opera Was The Peak Of Palpatine’s Manipulation

The “Apotheosis” Of Darth Sidious’ Plot

According to McDiarmid, the opera house sequence in Revenge of the Sith was the peak culmination of Palpatine’s manipulation and plotting. After all, it is the moment where Palpatine first begins to reveal his true self in a bid to seduce and corrupt the Chosen One to the dark side:

“Palpatine sees the spark of ambition, and he cultivates it. In the opera scene when Anakin asks him to help save Padme’s life, the phrase he uses is “Not from a Jedi.” In other words, “You’re going to have to betray everything that you think you stand for in order to join this side. You’ve got to embrace evil and all its totality, otherwise you’ll be no use to yourself” — let alone me.

It’s amazing, manipulative stuff. That scene at the opera was, for me anyway, the apotheosis of it. He invites him into his world, to be his right-hand man, and as Palpatine gets physically more frail, Vader will become stronger.”

8

Palpatine Was Always The Mask, Sidious Was The True Identity

Posing As Weak, Hiding Dangerous Power

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

McDiarmid also shared a key piece of direction he received from George Lucas at the very beginning of the prequel trilogy:

“When we were doing “The Phantom Menace,” George said, “You should think of your face as a carapace” — as if we’d made me up, and underneath was the real person. That was great, because to believe that my own face and voice were utterly manufactured was a huge help.“

As seen in the prequels, Palpatine was the public mask and facade, while Darth Sidious was the villain’s true self. Likewise, McDiarmid also confirmed that he played with this idea during Return of the Jedi as well, such the particular way he sat on his throne and used a cane, masking Palpatine’s true dark power by posing as weak and feeble (not unlike Palpatine feigning weakness right before he killed Mace Windu in Revenge of the Sith).

7

Steven Spielberg Knew McDiarmid Was The Perfect Palpatine

“Oh My God, You’re Evil!”

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McDiarmid also shared a fun story from when he was recording lines as Palpatine for Return of the Jedi, and that legendary director Steven Spielberg was present alongside George Lucas to witness one of the first times the actor brought Palpatine to life:

“Later we came to re-voice everything in the studio in London, with George and Kathleen Kennedy, who I met for the first time, and indeed, Steven Spielberg, who I met for the first time. And when we did the first few scenes, Steven said, “Oh my God, you’re evil!” I thought, “That’s a relief.”

Without a doubt, Steven Spielberg being impressed by McDiarmid’s performance must have been a great sign for the actor and Lucas that they were on the right track as they were developing the Emperor as one of the Star Wars franchise’s biggest villains.

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6

Somehow, Palpatine Returned (And Ian McDiarmid Was Always Surprised)

Never Expecting To Return (Both Times)

McDiarmid revealed he was just as surprised to be coming back for the prequels as he was when he was asked to return for The Rise of Skywalker:

“I mean, I thought he was killed. So when I got a call to come in and talk about the prequels, to find out about Sidious and all the rest of it, I thought, “I’ve got lucky again,” but I thought this is definitely the finish. And then JJ Abrams called me and said, “He’s coming back.” That was great to do too.“

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While the evolution from Senator to Emperor might not have been fully fleshed out at the start of the prequels, it’s been confirmed elsewhere that there was even less of a plan regarding Palpatine’s return in the final sequel movie. Nevertheless, it’s cool to see that Ian McDiarmid was willing and happy to return for both trilogies.

5

Ian McDiarmid Doesn’t Think Palpatine Ever Really “Did It”

At Least Not Traditionally

Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann

Ian McDiarmid was also asked if anyone had ever talked to him about Palpatine having children, given the reveal in Rise of Skywalker that Rey was his granddaughter. While McDiarmid has been asked this question before about whether Palpatine had ever had a sexual relationship in the Star Wars timeline, the actor’s response was somewhat different this time around:

“Then people ask the slightly embarrassing question about, “Does this evil monster ever have sex?” And we don’t really know the answer to that question either — things in tubes, you think about probably, rather than the awful vision that you might have in your head of this monster ever having a sexual relationship with anybody.“

In the years since Rise of Skywalker, it’s been confirmed in canonical books and comics that Palpatine’s son and Rey’s father Dathan was a failed genetic experiment created by the Sith Eternal in their goal of creating a viable clone host body for Palpatine’s resurrection, who eventually escaped the Sith world of Exegol. While McDiarmid likely doesn’t know all the ins and outs about these subsequent reveals since Episode IX, he’s still right on the money that Palpatine’s ability to have children has to do with “tubes”, as opposed to more traditional (and disturbing) means.

4

There Was Once An Emperor Palpatine Series In Development

Was This Star Wars: Underworld?

At one point during the interview, it was revealed that a Palpatine TV show was once in development by Lucasfilm. While McDiarmid and the interviewer didn’t get into the details, one has to wonder what this Palpatine series would have looked like and why it never came to fruition. That said, it’s possible that this show was actually Star Wars: Underworld, George Lucas’ live-action series set during the Dark Times, which was confirmed to involve major arcs involving McDiarmid’s Palpatine. However, the series never came to be after Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in 2012.

3

Darth Plagueis Was All McDiarmid Knew About Palpatine’s Past

Darth Sidious’ Past Was Revealed Off-Screen

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While talking about the aforementioned Palpatine series, McDiarmid was asked if he had been told anything about Palpatine’s mythology and backstory, to which the actor confirmed he hadn’t:

“Just the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise. It’s fairly obvious that my character murdered Plagueis on his road to becoming Palpatine. But beyond that, no. With George, you didn’t discuss anything really. You turn up and you shoot.“

Seeing as how Darth Plagueis made his live-action debut in 2024’s The Acolyte, perhaps a Palpatine prequel series before the prequel trilogy could one day finally get made. It would be fascinating to get a canonical account of Palpatine’s past, especially with the 2012 Darth Plagueis novel being rendered a non-canonical “Legend” following Disney’s continuity purge of Expanded Universe content.

2

Ian McDiarmid Believes Palpatine Having A “Plan B” Was Inevitable

A Resurrection Wasn’t All That Surprising

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While being asked to return for the sequels came as a surprise, McDiarmid confirms he wasn’t surprised at all that Palpatine had a backup plan to prolong his life after death, as revealed in Rise of Skywalker:

“But as I said, mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable. This man who was horribly maimed thought maybe one day it might happen to him, and we’ve got to have a plan B. I loved the whole idea that he should come back and be even more powerful than he was before. Though this time, he had to be utterly destroyed. So I think he’s dead.“

Acknowledging some of the fan backlash that came with Palpatine’s return, it’s nice to see McDiarmid share that he’s never been very bothered by it, and the idea that Palpatine would have a Plan B does make sense. Likewise, most Star Wars fans would likely agree that the narrative execution of Palpatine’s return is what was most frustrating, rather than the return of McDiarmid’s Palpatine himself.

1

Like Palpatine, McDiarmid Is Also Fascinated By Unlimited Power

Those Who Have Riches/Power Always Want More

After playing Palpatine for over 40 years, Ian McDiarmid was asked if there was an unexpected characteristic he now shares with the Emperor. While not a personal trait, McDiarmid confirms that he finds “unlimited power” and those who relentlessly seek it to no satisfaction deeply fascinating:

“I’ve always been fascinated by power. The thing that’s always puzzled me about people when they make a lot of money is that somehow there’s not enough. They need to be richer or more powerful than anybody else, and that seems to be the overriding objective of a lot of people. That fascinates me. And I suppose that’s something I could lean into when I was playing Palpatine, both older and younger.“

Sure enough, Emperor Palpatine was never content with the power he had. Ruling an Empire wasn’t enough for Palpatine; he had to have a Death Star built to gain more control and assert his power over the galaxy even further. Likewise, the entire goal behind Palpatine wanting to extend his life well beyond its natural limits was so that he would never have to lose all the power he’d gained, and could subsequently seek to gain even more power over time.

The 20th Anniversary Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Re-Release is now in theaters.

Source: Variety

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  Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

  PG-13

  Adventure

  Action

  Science Fiction

  

  7/10

  154

  8.6/10

  Release Date

  May 19, 2005

  Runtime

  140 Minutes

  Director

  George Lucas

  Writers

  George Lucas, John Ostrander, Jan Duursema

  Producers

  Rick McCallum

  Cast

  See All

  • 

    Ewan McGregor

    Obi-Wan Kenobi

  • 

    Hayden Christensen

    Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader

  Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith details the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker’s transformation under the influence of Darth Sidious. Released in 2005, the film explores Anakin’s internal conflict and the shifting political landscape, leading to the rise of the Galactic Empire.

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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.

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