in the "infinities" storylines, which take alternate paths from the original three films— one from a specific point in each of the first three films— palpatine's rule is depicted as eventually coming to an end in various ways. in the first such alternate continuity— based on "a new hope"— yoda uses the death star to slay the emperor, who had by this point managed to turn leia to the dark side, crashing the massive station into the emperor's castle. in the second, based on the "empire strikes back", palpatine rules the empire, and his ultimate fate is unrevealed, as the story focuses on leia becoming a jedi in place of luke, who had perished on hoth. in the final story, set in an alternate timeline of "return of the jedi", palpatine is defeated by the combined forces of luke, leia, and darth vader as the second death star is destroyed by the rebel forces, but he remains alive. as a result, palpatine remained as emperor and the rebels, now joined by a redeemed anakin skywalker in a white version of the darth vader suit, continued their battle against him.