Empire's November covers will feature Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's key characters, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), clashing their lightsabers. Meanwhile, while the exclusive subscriber cover features an illustration by Paul Shipper, with the couple standing back to back for what looks like a last-stand fight as they did in The Last Jedi. The magazine is scheduled for release on Oct. 3. American collectors can order the two regular covers as a bundle.
In the Empire images, Kylo Ren's face is covered by his reforged mask, and the arm scar that Rey received in The Last Jedi's throne room scene is also hidden by a leather bracelet. She is wielding the iconic blue lightsaber previously owned by Anakin and Luke Skywalker, which seems to imply she managed to repair it at some point between Episodes VIII and IX.
In this issue Empire speaks to J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and Chris Terrio about the movie that marks the end of the Skywalker saga. In the past, the three filmmakers have talked about the importance of Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship, and how they are two sides of the same coin that will find each other across the Galaxy in this last installment.
While the regular covers reinforce the conflict between their opposing sides, Empire's subscriber issue telegraphs a different story; Paul Shipper's illustration looks like an homage to The Attack of the Clones photoshoot of Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), as well as from the Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) photoshoot from the original Star Wars film.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives on Dec. 20.