It’s been five years sinceStar Warsended the Skywalker saga in an interesting and somewhat controversial way withStar Wars: TheRise of Skywalker. The sequel trilogy wasn’t uncontroversial beforeThe Rise of Skywalker, though, asStar Wars:The Last Jediwas arguably more debated two years earlier. Although much has been said about the finalStar Warsfilm, and a lot of it negative, there’s still a lot to love in the last chapter of theSkywalker family’s story.
As the end to cinema’s most famous saga,The Rise of Skywalkersurprisingly makes a lot of questionable choices. For one,it reintroduces the main villain of the prequel and original trilogies, Emperor Palpatine. This notorious decision to bring back Palpatine has stuck in many fans' minds, leading to years of debate that caused a lot of the movie’s good to go overlooked. Here, we’ll look at the five best ideasThe Rise of Skywalkerhas going for it that help to offset the otherwise odd choices.
5Leia, Luke, & Han’s Sendoffs
The Original Trilogy’s Legacy Character Endings
One of the best things about the sequel trilogy as a whole is getting to finally see the cinematic return of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill as their iconic characters. Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker all have big roles in the sequels, andThe Rise of Skywalkeris no different, featuring at least one scene from all three. There was even a flashback sequence featuring Luke and Leia training in their younger years.
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This is possible for Leia using archival footage of Carrie Fisher fromStar Wars:The Force Awakens, bringing Leia to the silver screen one last time.These sendoffs are incredibly respectful, and honor the characters well by showcasing all of their strengths. Leia shows her son how strong he is, Han reminds him he’s good, and Luke prepares Rey to carry the Jedi legacy, even finally lifting his X-wing out of the water.
4Rey’s New Lightsaber
A Golden Saber Made From Her Staff
The final scene ofThe Rise of Skywalkeris Rey on Tatooine, layingLuke and Leia’s lightsabersto rest at the Lars homestead. This is before igniting her own lightsaber, and declaring herself “Rey Skywalker”, heir to the family’s legacy. Despite the name’s controversial reputation, few can deny that Rey’s new, personal lightsaber is a wonderful idea.
Rey Skywalker
Daughter of a “failed” Palpatine clone, Rey became part of a mysterious phenomenon known as the Force Dyad - a vergence in the Force that bound her to Kylo Ren. Trained by both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Rey fought against the First Order as an ally of the Resistance. She ultimately triumphed against Palpatine himself, channelling the full power of all Jedi.
Firstly, Rey’s blade is yellow – alightsaber colornot seen in aStar Warsmovie until this point. This alone makes it a cool sight, but the design’s quality doesn’t stop there.The hilt of Rey’s lightsaber is built from pieces of her iconic staff. This way, the former scavenger carries a piece of her past with her at all times, while also carrying the new Jedi legacy.
3Ben Solo’s Redemption Arc
The Last Solo’s Rise
As one of the most popular aspects of the entire sequel trilogy, Ben Solo’s role inThe Rise of Skywalkeris an obvious highlight. This is true despite the comparatively small role Kylo has in this movie compared to inThe Last Jedi. Ben Solo begins the film as the evil Supreme Leader of theFirst Order, and ends with him giving his life to save Rey, making it quite the redemption arc.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren’s heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
Much of this is inspired by one of the best scenes in the movie, when Ben repeats the final confrontation he had with his father inThe Force Awakenswith a new mindset. This, alongside Rey’s compassion and the nudge of his mother, sends Ben hurtling back to the light side of the Force.He becomes a true hero, with Adam Driver’s physical performance shining, and is instrumental to the survival of the Jedi Orderthrough Rey, becoming one with the Force after the two shared a passionate kiss.
2The Citizens' Fleet At Exegol
A Galaxy United Against The Emperor
Being the final chapter of theStar Warssaga,The Rise of Skywalkerneeded to have a final say on the galaxy. It needed to feel like a finale, andgiven that the conflict in the sequels felt something like a repeating of the original trilogy’s conflict, it needed to give a definite reason that this won’t happen again. Surprisingly, it provides this in a wonderful way.
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The arrival of the Citizens' Fleet at the Battle of Exegol is an incredibly triumphant moment, but it wasn’t just that. It was a fulfillment of Anakin Skywalker’s diagnosis of the galaxy’s biggest issue inStar Wars: Episode I -The Phantom Menace. It’s a staunch statement that now, the citizens of the galaxy themselves are refusing a return to the old ways, unlike inReturn of the Jedi, where the Rebellion won the day.InThe Rise of Skywalker, the galaxy itself rose to the occasion and won the day.
1Exegol, Sith History, & Sith Troopers
The Sith On Screen
The sequel trilogy decided to move forward while also moving backward – way backward, with the introduction of both the Jedi and Sith homeworlds of Ahch-To and Exegol.Exegol was the central and most important world toThe Rise of Skywalker, leading to a lot of fun Sith imagery and a darker vibe to everything there. It was a fully Sith planet, and definitely feels like it.
Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
The senator for Naboo, Palpatine rose to power and influence during the dying days of the Republic. In reality, his public persona was just a mask; he was really Darth Sidious, greatest of the Sith Lords, and he used his political skills and Machiavellian cunning to bring down both the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine ruled his Galactic Empire for decades, until he was betrayed by his apprentice, Darth Vader. Even this wasn’t enough to stop the Emperor, however, as he was resurrected by his followers - only to be defeated once again.
This is fully encapsulated with the undead Palpatine, creeping audiences out from the movie’s first sequence. Red armored Sith Troopers, while not onscreen for long, also make an incredible impression, with armor that channels both clones and First Order stormtroopers. Most of all, however, it’s just really fun to actually have the Sith in their element on screen, not hidden nor undercover, and not leading an Empire. The Sith are fittingly the finalStar Warsmovie,The Rise of Skywalker’s, true villains, leading to their ultimate defeat.
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Cast
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Skywalker saga with Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron leading the Resistance against the First Order. As the final battle unfolds, they draw upon the wisdom and strength of previous generations to confront their adversaries. Released in 2019, the film concludes the sequel trilogy.
