In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey began her Jedi training with Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To and just like her mentor, she cut her own training session short to follow her moral compass. For Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it appears that Rey's training will continue under a new mentor: Leia Organa.
Leia's costume for the upcoming movie was on display during the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker press junket, featuring a sign with a brief explanation about her role in the film. The card reads: "General Leia Organa continues to lead the heroic Resistance, building back a fighting force after having suffered costly setbacks. Leia is also training Rey in the ways of the Force, for the galaxy still has need of a Jedi." An image of the sign can be seen below.
Due to Carrie Fisher's passing three years prior, Leia's scenes in the new film were constructed from 8 minutes of deleted footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, according to Abrams. When it came to Leia's inclusion in the movie, CGI was off the table. "We didn't even consider it," Abrams said in an earlier interview.
Although she was never a Jedi in the Star Wars movie canon (that we know of thus far, at least), Leia was shown to have a connection to The Force. Her Force abilities were first teased in the original trilogy when Yoda spoke of "another" hope in The Empire Strikes Back. Then, in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Luke tells Leia that his "sister has it too," referencing the Skywalker family's strong connection to The Force. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Leia finally used that power, saving herself from perishing in the depths of outer space. The Rise of Skywalker will expand on that, using Leia to pick up the pieces where Luke left off and finish Rey's Jedi training.
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, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives December 20.