'Star Wars Rise of Skywalker' Rumors: Sith Troopers Tease Palp's Evil Plan
Emperor Palpatine could be a bigger threat than ever before in 'Episode IX.'
by Jake KleinmanThe plot of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is one of the best-kept secrets in the galaxy, but an official reveal this week may have spilled a big spoiler about Emperor Palpatine’s role in the new movie. Clad in bright red armor, the Sith Troopers are set to make a big impact in Episode IX, but who will they take orders from and what does their presence mean for the fate of the galaxy in Rise of the Skywalker?
Speculative spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below.
While one report from the typically reliable news-site Making Star Wars claims the Sith Troopers will only follow Kylo Ren and the other Knights of Ren, most fans seem to agree that these new soldiers will wind up taking marching orders from the Emperor himself. Now, an exhilarating new fan theory argues that not only will the Sith Troopers follow our wrinkled old buddy Sheev Palpatine, but they represent his most diabolical plan yet. Forget the Galactic Empire, Star Wars: Episode IX may see the rise of a terrifying new “Sith Empire.”
One of the few times Palpatine's revealed his Sith identity in Star Wars.
This argument from redditor u/DaTruestEva hinges on the fact that, for the first time ever, Palpatine isn’t making his Sith affiliation a secret like he did in the prequels and even in the original trilogy. Instead, these new Sith Troopers make it clear that he’s a practitioner of the Dark Side.
“It’s interesting that they are being called Sith Troopers, being up front about it,” u/DaTruestEva writes. “I think this is gonna play into Palpatine’s plan/goal. I think this time around Palpatine intends to be up-front about being a Sith. He’s not gonna have a Galactic Empire like he did last time, he’s gonna bring back the Sith Empire, improved and far worse than the Galactic Empire.”
Sith Trooper merchandise from 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'
What does a Sith Empire even look like in Episode IX? We have no idea, but we may be about to find out. Considering that the Galactic Empire’s evil plan hinged on destroying entire planets with the Death Star, you can probably expect something even worse from Palpatine in Rise of Skywalker. Could that mean the total enslavement of the entire galaxy? The complete destruction of the Jedi? Anything seems possible as the Skywalker saga comes to a close.
Of course, we have to assume that the ninth and final movie in this story won’t end on a dark cliffhanger. The good guys have to win, right? But by putting Rey, Finn, Poe, and the rest of the Resistance up against the biggest threat the galaxy has ever faced, that eventual victory in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be even more satisfying.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.
