>they never explained (in the films) where palpatine came from
>afaik

I had as many snoke theories as the next guy, but after the movie I was telling my friend the same thing that I had never really realized, that when the OT was out, no one knew who the fuck the Emperor was or where he came from, he was just the big bad guy.

These days, there is such a high demand for backstory and needing to know everything that the simple thought of a "bad guy" isn't enough for anyone.