Sith Lord Palpatine appears in Star Wars’ Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 6, but he looks very different from his previous appearances. The series is set approximately 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, when Palpatine executed Order 66, bringing the Empire to power and forcing the few surviving Jedi into hiding. Yet, in this period, Palpatine seems to have changed dramatically from his prequel-era look
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, after learning that Senator Organa’s daughter Leia was kidnapped, Jedi Master Obi-Wan hesitantly embarks on a journey to rescue her. He succeeds, only after embracing the Force he had become estranged from, and defeating his former Padawan Darth Vader. The series finale features cameos from renowned light side and dark side characters. This includes a heart-warming reunion between Obi-Wan and the Force ghost of his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, reprised by Liam Neeson in his first Star Wars appearance in 23 years. But perhaps the most notable cameo comes earlier in the episode, Darth Vadar returns to Mustafar after losing to Obi-Wan in battle, where he faces a hologram version of his own Master Darth Sidious (Palpatine), played by Ian McDiarmid in his sixth Star Wars live-action appearance.
Both cameos help tie the series to previous Star Wars projects, and as it takes place between the prequel and original trilogies, it makes sense that the surviving Palpatine would appear. However, his face differs substantially from other projects. He is older and more deformed by the dark side than in the prequels but is more human than the resurrected version of Palpatine seen in the sequels. Palpatine's face looks weird in Obi-Wan Kenobi due to appearing at a point in the timeline that we have not seen him in before. As a result, it's understandable that he would have a "new", surprising look.
In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine is seemingly disfigured in battle when his Force lightning is deflected back towards him by Jedi Mace Windu. However, there is a theory from the Legends comics, where Palpatine uses Sith alchemy to conceal his true face behind a mask, which the Force lightning breaks, rather than causing disfigurement. This is reinforced in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, when Luke Skywalker is physically unaltered by Palpatine’s Force lightning. Also, the dark Force can physically change its users, as evidenced by Anakin Skywalker’s eyes turning yellow – like Palpatine’s – after his first kills influenced by the dark side. Palpatine’s changed appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi likely reflects 10 years of aging and further deformity from continued use of the dark side of the Force. Contrastingly, Palpatine’s visage in the sequels is radically different, as he is a partially-resurrected version of himself, housing his consciousness in a cloned body. This body could not contain him and rapidly decayed, leaving him with yet another drastically different look from what viewers see in the series finale.
Though he may look weird, Palpatine’s cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi makes sense for the character at that time and acts as a key indicator of the show’s place along the Star Wars timeline, second only to beloved characters Leia and Luke appearing as children. His appearance, paired with that of Qui-Gon Jinn, signals that no cameo is off the table in this new age of Disney+ Star Wars content. With Qui-Gon Jinn telling Kenobi “We’ve got a ways to go” before the show concludes, it seems there is potential for either a second season or more cameos from these legendary characters in future Star Wars projects.
No comments:
Post a Comment