A major plot point from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is explained... in Fortnite. J.J. Abrams made a lot of surprising decisions with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, not least was the decision to dive straight into the action, with the galaxy already aware that Emperor Palpatine was alive.

This shocking truth was revealed in the opening crawl, which opens with the declaration "The dead speak!" It seems that Emperor Palpatine, who always reveled in operating from the shadows, has decided to announce his return to the entire galaxy. He's transmitted a mysterious broadcast to the entire galaxy, in which he personally declares that the time of revenge has come. But this major plot point, which essentially launches the narrative of the entire movie, is never discussed in any detail. Naturally, viewers are more than a little curious as to just what the Emperor said.

Related: Every Star Wars Movie Coming After Rise of Skywalker

In a surreal twist, it turns out Lucasfilm reserved this for Fortnite players. On December 14, players were given an exclusive gala event based around Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which culminated in a message from Emperor Palpatine himself. "At last the work of generations is complete," the Emperor proclaimed. "The great error is corrected. The day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith."

Sidious attempts to infiltrate the World between Worlds by manipulating Ezra in Star Wars Rebels

There have been reports that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was heavily edited, so it's reasonable to assume this dialogue was originally recorded for the movie itself. The message could have just been played back, perhaps in a meeting of the First Order's Supreme Council where they discussed the return of the Sith. Alternatively, it's possible The Rise of Skywalker originally began with the transmission, and took a little longer to get going. Whatever the truth may be, the recording was cut, and instead was used to promote the film in a Fortnite event. It's rather a strange decision, to say the least.

Of course, the transmission wouldn't have meant quite so much to the citizens of the galaxy as it would have to people playing Fortnite. Emperor Palpatine was quite a reclusive figure once he had successfully taken command of the galaxy, making as few public appearances as possible, meaning most people wouldn't have recognized his voice in the first place. Even among the Empire, only the highest-ranking Imperials knew that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, and there's actually no evidence the New Republic ever made this public knowledge; they probably figured it would look like propaganda. The galaxy's general populace seem to have believed the Sith had been rendered extinct millennia ago, and many considered them to be nothing more than a legend. So most citizens would probably have viewed this message as a weird hoax.

Ironically, though, the very fact Palpatine linked himself to the Sith would have made the First Order and the Resistance take the message seriously. As the grandson of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren would have known that the Emperor was a Sith, as would some former Imperials in his Supreme Council. Meanwhile, the highest-ranking Resistance leaders - including General Leia Organa herself - would have been shocked to hear the connection made public. No wonder both parties decided to prioritize finding Palpatine.

More: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Every Easter Egg & Reference