Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Palpatine talks to Kylo Ren in new clip

Emperor dies in the original trilogy

Warning: the story below contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

A new clip from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker further teases Palpatine's apparent return to the franchise – by showing him conversing with none other than Kylo Ren.

The video, unveiled on Thursday on the Star Wars Movies Facebook page, prominently features the ominous voice of the late emperor, who dies in the original film trilogy.

While Palpatine doesn’t appear in person, he talks to Adam Driver’s character, telling him: “I have been every voice you have ever heard inside your head.”

This sentence is actually uttered through three different voices – Palpatine’s, and what sounds like Snoke’s and Darth Vader’s.

Palpatine’s trademark laugh, which was fans’ first clue that Palpatine would return to the franchise in some way in The Rise of Skywalker, can be heard after that.

Fans have been speculating about the meaning of the newly unveiled clip, with some suggesting that Snoke could have been Palpatine’s puppet all along.

All will be revealed when The Rise of Skywalker, the final chapter in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, premieres in the UK on 19 December and in the US on 20 December.