It’s finally here. The first trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has hit the internet and it’s full to the brim with moments to pick apart and luxuriate in, but there was something that we picked up on that we can’t quite believe, and it could possibly have a huge impact on the narrative going forward.
Fans were likely perturbed by the lack of Adam Driver at Celebration this year (don’t worry; he’s currently on Broadway with Keri Russell who also couldn’t make it). But it’s the brief glimpses that we do get of him in the trailer that led to our pretty solid theory. It seems to hint that Rey and Kylo might be on the same side in the last chapter of the Skywalker Saga.
TRAINING?
The trailer opens with Rey in a desert, very reminiscent of her introduction on Jakku. She’s holding the lightsaber she inherited from Luke and looks incredibly determined. As she looks to the distance, we see Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer and inside the cockpit a pair of leather-gloved hands forcing the vessel towards Rey. In one of the most epic moments we’ve seen in Star Wars history, she jumps over the oncoming ship whilst holding her lightsaber.
It seems at first like Rey is avoiding the attacks of the man who has been her foil and antagonist throughout the last two films. But what if that isn’t the case at all? After all, why would the pair be alone in the desert in the midst of battle? So what if the actual scenario is that the two conflicted and lost Force users are actually training together?
KNIGHTS OF REN?
During the panel, J.J. Abrams described The Rise of Skywalker by saying, “This movie is about this new generation and what they’ve inherited, the light and the dark, and asks the question, are they prepared to face the greatest evil and the dark?” This sounds like there might be a new threat headed their way, which was seemingly confirmed with the arrival of Ian McDiarmid at the end of the panel. If the Emperor has truly returned, in whatever form, then Kylo may find himself convinced to team up with the Resistance as an attempt to save the Galaxy.
We also see Kylo cutting down some hooded figures who may or may not be the Knights of Ren. Could it be that the Force Ghost of the Emperor has managed to rally the forces of the army that Kylo once led? And now he has to stop the evil which he has lost control of? It would fit with Ben Solo’s desperation to end the old ways, and with Rey’s dedication to Kylo’s redemption. It would also fit in very, very well with our Avatar: The Last Airbender / Star Wars theory (just saying!).
Whatever happens, we likely won’t know until the movie hits in December. But keep your eyes peeled for all of our Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker news as it hits from Star Wars Celebration.
Images: Disney, Lucasfilm
