Summary

Rey’s lineage as Palpatine’s granddaughter raises the uncomfortable thought that the Emperor may have engaged in sexual activities to continue his bloodline.
Actor Ian McDiarmid acknowledges this possibility but asks fans not to dwell on it too much.
Fortunately, the Star Wars canon offers an alternative explanation to this awkward plot point, hilariously relieving the distress of many fans.

Emperor Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid has hilariously addressed one of the biggest and most awkward questions Star Wars fans had after seeing The Rise of Skywalker. As seen in the final movie of the Skywalker saga, it was revealed that Rey was a descendant of Palpatine himself, the Emperor’s granddaughter who’d been hidden away on Jakku for many years. However, this also opened the door to a concept regarding Palaptine’s past which multitudes of fans would prefer to never think about…ever.

In an interview with Empire celebrating 25 years of the Star Wars prequels, Palpatine actor Ian Mcdiarmid gave his opinion about the Emperor and how he was able to have not only a granddaughter but also a son (Rey’s father). You can read the excerpt from Empire’s upcoming Star Wars issue here:

Just, don’t take the existence of Daisy Ridley’s Rey – revealed to be Palpatine’s granddaughter in
The Rise Of Skywalker
– as proof that the Emperor liked to… well…
do it
. “Please don’t pursue that line too vigorously,” says McDiarmid. “But yes, he does [have sex]. It’s a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex in any shape or form. But then, of course, perhaps he didn’t.”

No matter how you look at it, the existence of Rey as a Palaptine opens up the awkward and horrible possibility that the Emperor may have indeed done it and had sex to further his bloodline. However, the Star Wars canon has thankfully provided an alternate explanation, mercifully silencing the millions of voices that had suddenly cried out in terror thanks to this Rise of Skywalker plot point.

Related How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.

Rey May Be Palpatine’s Granddaughter… But It’s Via Cloning, Not Sex
Thank Goodness

Ian McDiarmid is most certainly braver than Star Wars canon. As was revealed in later Star Wars novels such as Adam Christopher’s Shadows of the Sith, Rey’s father Dathan was confirmed to be a cloned strandcast, rather than being Palpatine’s genetic offspring. Although he didn’t have the Force sensitivity Palpatine was looking for to achieve his own unnatural form of immortality, Dathan was allowed to live to further the Palpatine bloodline. This resulted in the birth of Rey after Darthan escaped Exegol and fell in love with a woman named Miramir (Rey’s mother).

Unfortunately, there is still a chance that Palpatine did have sex at some point in his life while ruling the galaxy. However, Rey and her father don’t confirm anything by any stretch of the imagination. Thankfully, Star Wars has kept that part of Emperor Palpatine’s history mercifully ambiguous and not worth exploring (exactly as it should be).

Source: Empire

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker This is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and serves as the culmination of the Skywalker saga. The film sees Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) team up to put an end to the First Order after Palpatine mysteriously returns. Jurassic World helmsman Colin Trevorrow was originally named director back in 2015 when the film first entered development, but he parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences over the script. In September 2017, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams signed on to finish what he started.Release Date December 20, 2019 Cast Carrie Fisher , Oscar Isaac , Anthony Daniels , Joonas Suotamo , Mark Hamill , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Kelly Marie Tran , Billie Lourd , Keri Russell , Richard E. Grant , Daisy Ridley , Lupita Nyong’o , Dominic Monaghan , John Boyega , Domhnall Gleeson , Billy Dee Williams , Naomi Ackie Runtime 142 minutes Budget $275 million