The 'Somehow Palpatine Returned' meme originates from a pivotal scene in the 2019 film 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,' where Poe Dameron (played by Oscar Isaac) delivers the line with a look of visible exhaustion. The line was widely criticized by fans for its lack of explanation regarding the primary villain's revival, quickly becoming a shorthand for lazy screenwriting, massive plot holes, or poorly explained narrative twists. In the years since its release, the meme has evolved beyond the Star Wars franchise, being used across social media to describe any situation where something or someone reappears without a logical justification, often highlighting the absurdity or frustration of an unexpected event.