“Have you felt it?” No, not an awakening in the Force. We’re talking about the final countdown to The Rise of Skywalker. Soon, the saga of the most famous family in the galaxy far, far away will come to an end. Are we emotionally ready for it? Not even a little bit, but not for lack of trying. We’ve spent the last two years writing about all of the news and theories we could find. We know it can be hard to keep track of everything, so to help you prepare for Star Wars: Episode IX, here’s everything you to need to read and watch ahead of the movie’s release on December 20.
And make sure to come back, because we’ll keep updating this post with new articles and videos until then.
TRAILERS AND POSTERS
There’s nothing quite like a Star Wars trailer, and the teasers and promos we’ve seen for The Rise of Skywalker have not disappointed.
The Final Trailer: The film’s last teaser was an emotional one that also seemed to include a major Rebels Easter Egg, as well as a very surprising B1 Battle Droid.
How the Final Trailer Teases Palpatine’s Plan: The last look at the movie also hinted at the Emperor’s master plan.
A Shot-by-Shot Breakdown of the First Trailer: It had us putting on our detective stormtrooper helmet to look for every clue we could find, and when we were done breaking it down we went searching for the internet’s best clips from it: The Best GIFs from the Teaser
Poster Shows Palpatine in Full Force: Is it weird to be excited to see the most evil person in the galaxy again? No… right?
NEWS AND REPORTS
Disney and Lucasfilm have done a good job keeping its biggest secrets under wraps, but there’s still plenty of info about the movie out there, both official and unofficial. Here’s everything we’ve learned so far.
J.J. Abrams Confirms Fan Theory About Kylo Ren’s Helmet: Not only do we know fans already got one theory right, it’s a really cool one.
9 Things We Learned from Vanity Fair’s Cover Story: There were tons of goodies in Vanity Fair‘s big spread, and we found the most interesting ones.
D23 Expo Display Reveals New Jet Trooper: A new Star Wars movie means a new stormtrooper, but The Rise of Skywalker will feature at least two. Jet Troopers can fly, but their red Sith Trooper counterparts could reveal a lot more about the plot: What Sith Troopers Tell Us About the Movie
The Rise of Kylo Ren Comic Will Give the Knights of Ren a Backstory: After teasing them in The Force Awakens, the Knights of Ren will finally get a starring role in The Rise of Skywalker. Who are they though? We have you covered: Everything to Know About the Knights of Ren
Carrie Fisher’s Brother Says There Are “Many Minutes” of New Leia Footage that was available for J.J. Abrams to use. Might there be enough she could even help another young heroine. Will Leia Train Rey?
Mark Hamill Shares His Feelings on Carrie Fisher Appearing in The Rise of Skywalker: Mark Hamill reflects on what it will mean to see his late co-star a final time. But if that wasn’t emotional enough for you, her daughter Billie Lourd sang an emotional tribute on her late mother’s birthday.
Admiral Ackbar’s Son Gets His Own Comic: The late general’s son Aftab might have been spotted in the final trailer.
Disney Tours Reveals New Locations: That’s no forest moon of Endor. It’s a water moon.
THEORIES
For as much as we know about the movie there’s even more we don’t, but trying to figure out all those mysteries is a big part of the fun. These are the best, most enjoyable, and wildest theories we’ve either come up with or came across.
Does The Rise of Skywalker Hint That “Clone Rey” is Real? Could “Dark Rey” actually be a second Rey? :dramatic music:
7 Possible Locations for the Final Scene: Kevin Smith’s secret set visit points to a famous setting for the film’s final scene, but where could that take place?
What Unused Star Wars Art Could Tell Us About Episode IX: “No one’s ever really gone,” and neither is good concept art.
What the Color Scheme Tells Us About The Film: What do you get when you combine blue and red? A good color theory.
A Guide to Every Theory About Rey’s Parents: The topic of Rey’s parents won’t end until we see The Rise of Skywalker, but in fairness to those who don’t accept Kylo’s claim they were nobodies, J.J. Abrams Originally Had Different Plans for Rey’s Parentage.
Who’s Really Wearing Kylo Ren’s Mask? “Who is buried in Grant’s tomb,” but for important space wizards.
Does This Jedi Prophecy Predict the Return of Palpatine? We love lore. We love Palpatine. We love prophecies. So yeah, we love this.
Could the movie Return to Tatooine? We’d bet a lot of credits on this happening.
This Rumor Says Someone Is a Traitor: A First Order frenemy could derail Kylo Ren’s plans to rule the galaxy.
Could the Extended Universe Set Up Rey as a Palpatine? Rey as Palpatine seems pretty wild, but the wildest theories can be the most fun.
This Kylo Ren/Snoke Fan Theory Might Make Your Head Explode: And what’s more fun than having your head explode?
“REYLO”
Will they or won’t they? (Also what is it they will or won’t do?) The nature of Rey and Kylo’s possible relationship has been a major topic of discussion around the movie.
Rey and Kylo Will Have a “Deeper” Connection in Episode IX: The link Snoke created between the two will only grow stronger.
The Case for Reylo: Lots of fans want to see Rey and Ben end up in each other’s arms, and there’s a very good argument for it happens. Of course, there are nearly as many who hope they don’t, and they have a compelling case too: The Case Against Reylo
What the Cast Had to Say About Reylo: Fans aren’t the only ones with strong opinions about the possibility.
“BENDEMPTION”
Unless Rey turns Dark, Kylo Ren will have to remember what it means to be Ben Solo, in a possible return to the Light Side known as “Bendemption.”
Why Kylo Ren Should Be Redeemed: Not everyone is rooting for Ben Solo to find his way back to the Light Side like his grandfather Anakin did, but there are good reasons for why that’s exactly what should happen.
How the Death Star Could Be the Key To Kylo Ren’s Redemption: Will that happen the same place Darth Vader found his?
Does Avatar: The Last Airbender Hold the Key to Kylo Ren’s Redemption? It’s even possible Kylo’s salvation might mirror another beloved story about powerful people.
Does The Rise of Skywalker Art Book Hint at Kylo’s Redemption? We might be able to find what we’re looking for in art for the galaxy far, far away.
COLUMNS
We think about Star Wars a lot, and that includes the past, present, and future of the franchise. These are some of our best ideas, histories, and reflections on what could happen in The Rise of Skywalker and what it could all mean.
How the Movie Could Tie Together All Nine Films in the Saga: The Rise of Skywalker won’t just end a trilogy.
Why Rey Should Go Dark In The Rise of Skywalker: Will she become a Sith? Even if she doesn’t Rey should at least explore the Dark Side.
Rey’s Double-Bladed Lightsaber Has a Dark History: It might be new to the big screen, but Rey’s double-bladed lightsaber isn’t new to Star Wars.
How Rey and Kylo Ren’s Fight Recalls Vader’s Origins: That epic fight amid the waves of the broken Death Star looks a lot like Anakin and Obi-Wan’s fight on Mustafar.
How Episode IX Redefines “Skywalker”: The title of Skywalker could soon refer to someone who isn’t a relative.
Rey’s Hair Pays Tribute to Leia: A touching tribute to our late general and her famous hairstyle.
Star Wars Could Easily Bring Back Han Solo for Episode IX: Harrison Ford finally got his wish to die in a Star Wars movie, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still return.
The Ins and Outs of Becoming a Force Ghost: Obviously not just anybody can become a Force Ghost, so what does it actually take to return like Obi-Wan and Yoda?
What Does Star Wars Rebels‘ Big Reveal Mean for The Rise of Skywalker? A huge revelation from the animated series’ finale could have huge ramifications for its cinematic counterpart.
INTERNET FUN
Sure, the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake in the final showdown between good and evil, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be so serious.
The Teaser Set to Spider-Verse’s ‘What’s Up Danger’ is Perfection: Two of our favorites get mashed up for an epic crossover.
Some Guy Predicted The Rise of Skywalker 6 Years Ago: No, it was not J.J. Abrams. That wouldn’t be a big deal.
Actor Domhnall Gleeson Sings “Happy Birthday” As General Hux: Pleasant? No. Funny? Yes.
Rey’s Flip Syncs Surprisingly Well with Every Song: An amazing flip over a speeding spaceship is like a black dress – it goes with anything.
Remember to bookmark this page so you can easily keep track of every new article we post before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to theaters this December.
Featured Image: Disney/Lucasfilm
