The upcoming return of Emperor Sheev Palpatine is undoubtedly the biggest surprise in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. After all, this would mean that the Sith Lord survived in Return of the Jedi and that Anakin Skywalker had sacrificed himself in vain. Interestingly, it may have been Luke Skywalker's father that gave the Emperor a way to cheat death so he could return in Star Wars Episode 9. Is it possible that Palpatine transferred his consciousness into Darth Vader's helmet so he could survive without being noticed?
In Return of the Jedi, Emperor Sheev Palpatine wanted Luke Skywalker to join him in the Dark Side. When Luke refused, he was promptly tortured by the Sith Lord using Force lightning. However, things changed for Darth Vader as he watched his son going through the torture. Vader attacked the Emperor just as Sheev was about to strike with the killing blow, electrocuting himself and his former master.
The sacrifice severely damaged Darth Vader's helmet and Anakin Skywalker convinced his son to remove it even though its removal would kill him. Not surprisingly, the movie is being revisited by Star Wars Episode 9 fans, claiming that it could have been a sign that Palpatine had used the Force lightning to transfer his consciousness into the helmet.
It is possible that Anakin Skywalker knew that Palpatine had transferred himself into the helmet. This is probably why he asked Luke Skywalker to remove the helmet so he could look at his son with his own eyes. With the helmet on, Anakin saw Luke as the Emperor, so he wanted to discard the headpiece as soon as possible.
A theory suggests that the Emperor's consciousness still resides in Darth Vader's helmet and has been feeding Kylo Ren with hate all this time. Some believe that although Kylo believes he is speaking to his grandfather, he is communicating with Palpatine without his knowledge. This is something that the Emperor is planning to use against the Force user so he could take control of Kylo's body and achieve immortality.
It's certainly an interesting theory about how Emperor Sheev Palpatine will be brought back in Star Wars Episode 9. It could also explain why Kylo Ren is somehow drawn to Darth Vader's helmet strangely. However, it is important to point out that this is currently based on theory. With that in mind, it is best to take it with a grain of salt.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters on December 20.
