As both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett showed, Star Wars’ Disney+ series are both capable of bringing back some unexpected characters and keeping their appearance a secret until the time is right for them to be unveiled. With that in mind, comments by actor Ian McDiarmid have hinted that he believes there is potential for the return of Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars universe, and considering Darth Vader will be back in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, there is every chance we could see the evil Sith mastermind returning sooner rather than later.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is already eagerly awaited by fans of the Star Wars franchise, with Ewan McGregor reprising the role of Kenobi almost 20 years on from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith. Having been in development as a movie for many years, it seemed that Kenobi’s story would remain untold following the uncertainty in the wake of Solo: A Star Wars Story, but finally, the “rematch of the century” is coming between the Jedi Master and his former student Darth Vader. Could it be possible that another dark presence will also feature in the series?

In an interview with Weekend Extra (via Murphy’s Multiverse), McDiarmid conceded that his days as Palpatine may now be over in the future of the Star Wars franchise, but he eluded that with the history of the characters also being explored now, there are still possible chances for the evil former Chancellor to return. He said:

“I think I have to accept that, thanks to my ungrateful granddaughter, my annihilation was finally final. [But] Of course, [Darth] Vader is back in the new [Obi-Wan Kenobi] television series, so I suppose it’s not impossible that one day his mentor might be discovered once again skulking in the shadows.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi Takes Place Between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Meaning Palpatine’s Return Could Be Imminent

Emperor Palpatine, or Darth Sidious, initially met his assumed end in the climax of Return of The Jedi, only return in The Rise of Skywalker thanks to a clone experimentation story that suggests he transferred his soul to a new body before his apparent death. However, as McDiarmid seemed to be suggesting, the timeline of Obi-Wan Kenobi has allowed both its title character and Vader to return, so would it not be expected that Palpatine would also be featured somewhere, considering he is very much in control of Anakin Skywalker’s actions at this time.

The inclusion of Palpatine in the series would most likely be a small role, as the series is about Kenobi and not Vader, and to have too much focus on the Siths would take the focus off the title character. We have seen The Book of Boba Fett become a story of The Mandalorian in its final episodes, so there is always a possibility that the balance between Kenobi and Vader could become equal at some point in the series. With the series making its debut on May 25th, there are only a few months to wait until all the secrets of the series are revealed.