Warning: contains SPOILERS for Obi-Wan Kenobi's season 1 finale.

The Emperor Palpatine cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi redeems his hated return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in a few ways. Emperor Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), also known as Darth Sidious, is a Sith Lord who was a major influence on Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) transformation into Darth Vader. In The Rise of Skywalker, it's revealed that Palpatine survived the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and continues to exert an influence over the Sith Order. The Rise of Skywalker also reveals that Rey (Daisy Ridley) is Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter, whom Palpatine tries bringing over to the dark side.

Meanwhile, the Palpatine cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi was only a hologram conversation between him and Darth Vader. Kenobi needed a reason to end Vader's hunt for Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) so as to avoid any major retcons for A New Hope. Because of his superiority over Vader, Palpatine was a good choice to use as an intervening measure against Vader's continued pursuit of Kenobi after his old master defeated him in battle. Palpatine convinces Vader that the battle weakened him, and his emotional ties to Kenobi would only become a further threat to his power.

Related: Yes, The Obi-Wan Kenobi Meme Was Perfect (& Worth The Wait)

A few things elevate the Palpatine cameo in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale over his Rise of Skywalker appearance. For one, The Rise of Skywalker did not bring Palpatine into the trilogy organically. The sequel trilogy hadn't set him up as an incoming threat, and his resurrection after a brutal Return of the Jedi death makes questionable amounts of sense. Meanwhile, in Obi-Wan Kenobi, his crucial role in convincing Darth Vader to give up hunting Kenobi makes his appearance much more logical. Furthermore, during the time period in which Obi-Wan Kenobi is set in, Palpatine is not only alive but also still carries a heavy influence over Darth Vader. Finally, Palpatine is in his true form in Obi-Wan Kenobi, which makes his appearance's nostalgic qualities and menacing presence more effective than his zombified Rise of Skywalker self, and acts as an atonement for the earlier installment.

Obi wan kenobi palpatine cameo changes Darth vader

While TROS Palpatine still had threatening qualities about him, none of the sequel characters up until Palpatine's appearance had any meaningful interactions with him. Therefore, his villainous relationship with the characters has little depth. Meanwhile, Kenobi-era Palpatine has an extremely close connection with Vader. Furthermore, like the Qui-Gon Jinn Obi-Wan Kenobi force ghost cameo, a Palpatine appearance in the show was necessary because of how much he affected Obi-Wan's life, too. Palpatine's role in creating Darth Vader led to the complete destruction between Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship, which is a central point explored in Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Palpatine's appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi showcases how effective cameos can be in the right contexts. His standing in the Galactic Empire is coupled with his genuine relationship with other characters and the role he serves in the overall plot of the Star Wars timeline. To Vader, he is the master who took Obi-Wan's place, and his presence needed to be addressed in the show considering how Obi-Wan Kenobi greatly centers around Obi-Wan and Vader's former Master-Padawan connection. Palpatine's appearance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, therefore, is atoned for by his Obi-Wan Kenobi cameo, as the latter was so effective.

Next: Why Obi-Wan Didn't Kill Darth Vader In Kenobi Episode 6

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Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 is now available to stream on Disney+.

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