In the canonical Star Wars novel “Shadow of the Sith,” written by Adam Christopher and published in June 2022, Palaptine’s various cloning experiments are explored in detail. Rey’s father wasn’t a natural-born son of the Sith lord, but rather a strand-cast clone of him.

In essence, strand-cast cloning is a process in which the base genetic template of a chosen subject is blended with external genetic information to create a new, artificial being tied to the progenitor but notably different. Snoke, the Palpatine stand-in sent to lead the First Order and train Kylo Ren in the dark side, is also a strand-cast creation. During his decades-long exile on Exegol, Palpatine clung desperately to life through a series of clone bodies, most of which quickly failed. His “son,” Rey’s father, was yet another attempt to create a long-term vessel for the dark lord.

All that means is that no, there is no hard proof that Palaptine has ever done the deed. And yet, the question remains. He was the leader of the galaxy for more than 30 years, after all, and as any fan of “The Incredibles” will know, power is an attractive quality.