WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in theaters now.

In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, J.J. Abrams wraps what he began in 2015's The Force Awakens. As much as the film provides closure for key characters and their arcs, including Rey's lineage and Kylo Rey's true purpose in the story, some questions remain unanswered at the end of the film.

One minor example is what the heck the Knights of Ren were doing during the events of The Last Jedi, where they were nowhere to be seen! With that in mind, let's look at the more noteworthy questions that left fans wondering if Episode IX was truly the end of the Skywalker Saga or if Abrams and his creative team simply forgot to tie up a few threads.

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HOW DID PALPATINE CREATE A NEW EMPIRE?

In the opening crawl, we're told Palpatine survived the reactor blast in Return of the Jedi and has sent a message to the galaxy he'll be returning with an army. However, the film never addresses how the Emperor survived. After all, the blast was shown to incinerate him. The movie doesn't address if Palpatine's a clone with the Emperor's soul inside (a possibility because he can perform spirit transference) or if his gaunt, disfigured frame is really the body of Palpatine.

Also, we don't know who rescued Palpatine and hooked him up to life support. Or where he was recruiting his minions from for all this time. Fans would also like insight how his new Sith empire, particularly the fleet of Death Star Destroyers, was created and then outfitted with soldiers. Surely, the rebels would have known about such a legion being built, even if it was on the fringes of the Unknown Regions. Palpatine needed parts and manpower, which apparently came out of thin air.

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WHY DID REY MAKE HER BIG CHANGES?

Why did Rey renounce her family name at the end of the film and claim she's a Skywalker? A big part of her arc was accepting she was a Palpatine and realizing that, like Luke and Leia said, her destiny wasn't defined by her name or where she came from, but by her actions. Rey's actions redeemed the Palpatine name, so the renaming made no sense and was contrary to what her mentors taught her.

We'd also love to know where Rey got her revered yellow lightsaber. Kyber crystals are a rare commodity and to bleed them yellow takes skill, not to mention such a journey can be quite treacherous. Luke's sacred texts would have taught her how to make the lightsaber, but Rey doesn't have the tools to do so. Does that mean she acquired them somewhere? Having her just appear with the lightsaber in the coda to the film is convenient because it also saves the movie from answering the question of whether she's planning a new Jedi Order.

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IS FINN A JEDI IN TRAINING?

Finn in The Rise of Skywalker

Many assumed the big secret Finn wanted to tell Rey was that he was in love with her. However, throughout the film, he had several moments where he demonstrated he was Force sensitive. He had gut feelings and knew things about Rey's presence. Yet, while Abrams confirmed Finn is Force sensitive, it's never addressed in the movie itself. It seems like Finn could just have good instincts, otherwise anyone who says "I've got a bad feeling about this!" as Han and Lando did, could now claim they're Force sensitive!

Since The Force Awakens when Finn wielded Luke's lightsaber, it seemed he was Force sensitive, so The Rise of Skywalker should have provided a definitive answer. The older movies in the Saga confirmed Leia was, and she demonstrated instincts similar to Finn's. Yet, all we can do now is wonder if Finn really has a connection to the mystical energy, and if Rey will train him -- as well as the other 'normal' people who can tap into the Force -- to create a new group of Jedi warriors.

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HOW DID MAZ KANATA RECOVER LUKE'S LIGHTSABER?

Maz Kanata with luke's lightsaber

Luke's blue lightsaber was lost when Vader chopped his son's hand off on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back. Yet, somehow it appears again in The Force Awakens in Maz's treasure trove. When asked how she got it, she said it was a question "for another time," but this time never comes in the follow-up films.

Instead of sharing the juicy details in The Rise of Skywalker, all Maz does is stay by Leia's side and, as the leader dies, offer a eulogy about how great a princess and general she was. Hopefully, someday we discover how the thief got the saber because we doubt it was just floating in space after falling into the pits of Cloud City. Maz said it was quite an adventure, which leaves us even more curious about her escapades.

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WHY DIDN'T BACKUP COME DURING THE LAST JEDI?

Star-Wars-Last-Jedi-Crait

In the finale of Episode IX, rebels from all across the galaxy come to the Unknown Regions in Exogol to back up Poe's alliance and help them shoot down the Sith Destroyers. It's an Avengers: Endgame moment where vessels far and wide containing all sorts of heroes assemble to gun down Palpatine's allies and finally create the Resistance Leia always dreamed of.

But why didn't they come during The Last Jedi? In fact, at the beginning of The Rise of Skywalker months after the battle, they still hadn't shown up. It's never confirmed whether they received the distress signals about the battle on Crait, so one has to wonder if they didn't. Yet it seems they'd surely have gotten word about Luke's sacrifice there. The spark was lit in that battle, so it's shocking no one contacted Poe or Leia earlier to plan a course forward. We're glad the new fleet arrives in Episode IX, but still, it would have been nice to know why they didn't come to help before, even if the reason is the First Order or Palpatine blocked their signal.

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.

NEXT: Star Wars: Luke’s First Apprentice May Have Been the Most Powerful Jedi Yet