For years, the Star Wars sequel trilogy has felt like an unresolved argument. Now, a new book is helping fans rethink the chaos—and maybe, just maybe, find closure.
It’s been nearly a decade since The Force Awakens premiered. Since then, the sequel trilogy has sparked more internet debates than the prequels ever did. Love it, hate it, tolerate it—everyone had something to say. But thanks to Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, the dust might finally be settling.
The Sequel Trilogy’s Bumpy Road
Let’s not pretend things went smoothly. The Force Awakens hit screens in 2015 and brought Star Wars back to life with a fresh cast, crisp visuals, and a familiar vibe. Critics liked it. Audiences cheered. But there were whispers—it looked a little too familiar. Beat for beat, it resembled A New Hope. Still, nostalgia carried it.
Then came The Last Jedi. That one split the fandom like a lightsaber through butter. Some praised its boldness, others called it betrayal. Luke’s arc, Rey’s parents, the treatment of Snoke—it was all up for grabs.
And then, The Rise of Skywalker. Oh boy.
Plot threads twisted into knots. Characters rushed. Palpatine’s return? Suddenly he’s just… back. No real setup, no real logic.
It left fans wondering—was this all planned? Or did they wing it?
A Book That Reads Like Star Wars Met Real History
Surprisingly, the clearest answers have come not from a movie, but from a book.
Published by Dorling Kindersley in 2023, Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire isn’t your average tie-in. It’s written in-universe, like a history textbook from someone living after the fall of the First Order. The author? Dr. Chris Kempshall—a real historian, not just someone spinning fanfiction.
That matters.
Kempshall specializes in war history and how it’s portrayed in popular culture. So this book isn’t just lore dumping. It takes a methodical, almost scholarly look at the rise of the Empire, the birth of the First Order, and yes—Palpatine’s resurrection.
That last part? It’s what grabbed Reddit’s attention.
Palpatine’s Return—It Was Always About Immortality
One Reddit user, codingsoft, pointed out a key passage. According to the book, Palpatine wasn’t just trying to win. He wanted to live forever. His obsession with immortality wasn’t some last-minute plot twist in Episode IX. It was baked into his psyche all along.
That’s what made his manipulation of Anakin so tragic—and so believable.
• Palpatine didn’t just lust for power. He feared death.
• His experiments into Sith alchemy and cloning weren’t backup plans. They were the plan.
• This wasn’t new. It echoed his teachings from the Darth Plagueis tale—where cheating death was the ultimate Sith goal.
And suddenly, that bizarre Exegol sequence in The Rise of Skywalker makes more sense. The clones, the strange lab, the dark rituals—it wasn’t random. It was obsession.
More Than Sith Lore—Real-World Echoes in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
But immortality isn’t the only theme the book tackles. One Reddit comment made a striking observation: if you went through the pages with a highlighter, every politically loaded sentence would shine like a warning sign.
That’s not hyperbole.
Dr. Kempshall weaves eerie parallels between the Galactic Empire’s rise and the actual political trends in our own world. The manipulation of fear. The bending of truth. The rise of authoritarian figures.
One reader put it bluntly: “It’s hard not to read this and think about current headlines.”
Here’s a quick table showing how the book subtly mirrors modern politics:
| Star Wars Event | Real-World Parallel |
|---|---|
| Rise of First Order | Nationalist resurgence |
| Disinformation campaigns | Fake news & propaganda |
| Weaponized fear | Security over freedom debates |
| Clone programs | Ethical gray zones in biotech |
| Jedi marginalization | Marginalization of dissenting voices |
Fans Are Feeling… Conflicted, but Heard
Let’s be clear—this book doesn’t “fix” the sequel trilogy. It’s not some retroactive Band-Aid. It’s more like a friend explaining a confusing story over coffee. Suddenly, you realize what the storyteller meant to say, even if they didn’t say it very well.
Some fans are still hurt by how things played out. And that’s fair.
Others, though, are starting to see the big picture. A story about generations of fear, power, legacy, and failure. A story where heroes fall, rise again, and fall once more.
The book doesn’t erase the trilogy’s flaws. But it reframes them. Makes them feel…intentional. That alone is a small miracle.
A Hidden Gem in the Star Wars Library
For casual fans, the book might fly under the radar. It doesn’t come with lightsaber duels or Grogu’s big eyes. It’s slow, thoughtful, and packed with dry historical tone.
But for those who want to connect the dots, this is the kind of lore that hits deep.
And if you’re the kind of person who can’t stop thinking about what could have been with the sequel trilogy—this book is worth a look. Just be ready for some emotional whiplash. Because it’ll remind you of everything The Rise of Skywalker could’ve been… and wasn’t.
Still, in a franchise built on hope, maybe clarity was all fans ever needed.
