When Palpatine returned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, many fans were understandably upset as the entire sequel trilogy never really sets up or explains his return. The movie only offers a single line from Poe Dameron to explain this, with that being the meme-worthy "somehow Palpatine returned." Now, a few pieces of Star Wars transmedia have dived into Palpatine's contingency plans and it can be somewhat pieced together from there, but "somewhats" or "somehows" may be all fans really get. Yet, somehow once again, this could play a major role in the next chapter of the franchise, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Of course, Emperor Palpatine is alive and well during The Dark Times when Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes place, but his Contingency plan is obviously not one formed over the course of a day. Fans have seen bits and pieces of it scattered everywhere, including Operation Cinder as seen in Star Wars Battlefront 2, the Imperial destruction on Jakku (as it was his will that the Empire not outlive him), the remnant, elect, and creation of the First Order, the relocation to Exegol and the construction of the Empire via the Final Order, and others. However, one element of his plan that has not been explained much is his clones, as well as the Strandcast experiments he conducted, outside fans of Star Wars Legends knowing how obsessive Palpatine was with his Clones.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - The Bacta Tank, Clones, and Strandcasts
It's a little messy, but fans know that Palpatine was "reborn" in a clone body on Exegol. It's also known that he and his cult experiment with Strand-casting, a pseudo-Sith science in the Star Wars universe, leading to the creation of genetically engineered creatures such as Snoke. The best comparison is that Snoke and Strandcasts are effectively Humonculi, as seen in fantasy and often associated with Alchemy. This is all important for Palpatine's return, but also something that probably started before his time on Exegol.
Whenever Emperor Palpatine began constructing his Contingency plan, there was definitely some stuff he had to figure out. Beyond what to do with the Empire, there was a question of how he would be resurrected in clone bodies. Star Wars Legends and various transmedia establish that cloning is often a difficult process, which is why the Kaminoans and their cloning tech were so vital during Palpatine's rise, but what's even more difficult is producing a Clone that is/can be Force Sensitive. They exist, but they are a rare lot and something Palpatine likely needed from his clones.
Meanwhile, Standcasts he could manipulate like Snoke are as rare, if not more so, for reasons that are seemingly unexplained. It stands to reason that the cloning and Strandcast experiments were one and the same: a method of obtaining Palpatine a powerful body should his original be destroyed.
There may be limits here, but a powerful body is likely something Palpatine needed. Palpatine already had a body prepared for Exegol, Snoke could have been a stand-in at the time, but this experiment probably began long before Snoke. Looking at Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, it's possible that the man seen in the Bacta Tank is an early Clone/Strandcast experiment for Palpatine, should he ever need another body. It certainly looks like a strong enough host for Palpatine, though every Clone, successful Strandcast, and body for Palpatine often has an original personality first. But the kicker here is not so much the physique, but the hair.
In Star Wars Legends, Clones would be tracked and differentiated by giving them an extra vowel in their name. It was the best way to communicate this in this medium; for example, Luke's clone was called Luuke Skywalker. But games and movies do not have this limit. The original eyes of Sheev Palpatine, before his eyes began to show the yellow tint of the Sith, were blue. He also had white hair, though it did have a brown tint when he was younger. Snoke, though, had white hair as evidenced by his eyebrows and blue eyes, and so too does this figure in the Bacta Tank. This could be a new method of tracking and discerning these individuals.
Furthermore, while many fans assumed this was a Bacta Tank for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a device used to heal old wounds, this has never been outright stated. It could be, but that also doesn't mean it isn't a tank for growing Clones and/or Strandcasts. And while all of this is speculative, combined it makes perfect sense for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Emperor Palpatine's Plans
Many fans believe that Cal Kestis travels to Coruscant in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, based on the recent trailer that showed him fighting alongside Bode Akuna in a cityscape, but going to Coruscant as a Jedi in the Dark Times is an incredibly risky move. He'd be right under the thumb of Palpatine and the Empire, meaning that if this speculation is true, Kestis needs a compelling reason to go there.
Really, the only thing that could be that compelling has to be tied to Emperor Palpatine, and receiving a message that he is doing something that will make him even more powerful would be just that. It would also allow players to circumvent having an encounter with Palpatine, without undermining his presence and power, as they did with Darth Vader in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order; while it was fun and interesting, fans knew Kestis would not beat Vader. They also know he can't beat Palpatine, but he could stop or delay at least part of Palpatine's Contingency plan.
What's more, the assumption the mysterious figure of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a Palpatine Clone/Strandcast Experiment opens a plenitude of potential narratives. Even if he is, that doesn't mean the original personality or soul of the body is evil. Or that Cal will know what to do with him, what the right thing to do is, or how to keep him out of Palpatine's reach, and tackling such a narrative would explain more of Palpatine's plans during the Empire and even after it. Of course, this is all speculation at this time and should be taken as such, but Respawn knows fans want to know more about this figure. Whether that happens before launch though remains to be seen.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on March 17, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.