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Most viewers assumed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker would focus on the mystery of Palpatine's resurrection, or at the very least that the film would explain it. In the end, though, those hopes were doomed to disappointment. Palpatine himself simply tossed out a familiar line from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith about the dark side being a gateway to many powers others would consider to be unnatural, while the Resistance seemed to almost shrug it off. "Somehow Palpatine returned," Poe Dameron told his fellow Resistance agents, and that was about it for explicit explanations.
That particular line of dialogue has turned into something of a meme. It's seen as an indicator of how little Lucasfilm had planned the Star Wars sequel trilogy out, and frankly how little the writers cared in of crafting a cohesive storyline. It's fallen to tie-in novels and comics to try to draw the threads together and explain Palpatine's resurrection, with mixed success. And yet, for all that's the case, the Emperor's resurrection really didn't need any more explanation.
The Force Has Always Been A Mystery In Star Wars
Star Wars is science-fantasy, not science-fiction. That means there's always been a mystical undercurrent to the franchise, one that resists analysis and explanation. Indeed, when George Lucas attempted to establish a pseudo-scientific basis to the Force by introducing midi-chlorians in light and dark side Force powers are equally inexplicable. Nobody really needs to know exactly how a Jedi blocks blaster bolts, how the Sith generate Force Lightning, or how a Jedi conducts a Mind Trick. And Force vergences, mysterious locations such as the Sith redoubt of Exegol where the Force can be used in unprecedented ways, are largely a mystery in-universe as well.
When it comes to the Force, less is more - at least as far as the films themselves are concerned. Palpatine's explanation of his resurrection, his claim that the dark side is a pathway to powers many would consider unnatural, is not a cop-out; it's literally all anybody needs to know. Like Poe Dameron, viewers are simply expected to accept that, in a galaxy where telekinesis and telepathy are possible, where ancient prophecies of the Chosen One can lead to the rise and fall of an Empire, and where a Death Star can destroy a planet with a single shot, it is indeed possible to conquer death. Anything else can be left to the tie-ins.
"Somehow, Palpatine Returned" - All The Resistance Needed To Know
"Somehow, Palpatine returned," Poe Dameron told the shocked Resistance agents. One of them, a historian named Beaumont Kin, paused to reflect on how it was possible; "Dark science, cloning, secrets only the Sith knew," he guessed. His was a lone voice of reflection, though, and it was soon drowned out. Palpatine's resurrection was tied to the secrets of the dark side, and the Resistance knew they would never be able to understand those secrets - even assuming they ever discovered them. The Emperor's return mattered because it recast the battle against the First Order, transforming the war into one last battle to free the galaxy from the tenacious grip of the Sith. The mechanics simply didn't matter, because they weren't relevant to the narrative.
A film is not supposed to be like a Wikipedia page (or, indeed, like a Wookieepedia page). It should only explicitly deal with the questions that are relevant to its main narrative, leaving all else either to implicit nods or tie-in media. In the case of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the film did actually provide numerous clues to Palpatine's resurrection. The Force vergence at Exegol was clearly a unique place in the galaxy, one where the dark side was ascendant, and Kylo Ren ed clearly-identifiable cloning booths. It was all enough to prove Beaumont Kin's best guesses to be right. Nothing else was needed - at least for the main story.
Star Was Tie-Ins Are Clarifying The "Somehow"
Lucasfilm initially resorted to The Mandalorian has hinted Grogu was sought after by Imperial scientists seeking to figure out how to clone and genetically engineer Force-sensitives. There's a clear narrative throughline running up to Palpatine's resurrection.
Disney has evolved Star Wars into a trailblazing transmedia franchise, one where a single narrative spins out across myriad different mediums. The films are best understood as the foundation of this transmedia franchise, establishing basic ideas and core concepts that will be fleshed out elsewhere. Viewed from this perspective, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker should be seen as a tremendous success. "Somehow, Palpatine returned," Poe Dameron declared, and that was all the film really needed to establish. But it was enough for countless other creators - writers, artists, showrunners, and more - to explore that "somehow," building some tremendous stories out of it. Lucasfilm's storytelling approach with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may have been mocked and derided, but it worked out in the long run.
