The final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker leaves fans with some interesting details to pore over in the two months leading up to the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.
Let’s take a look at the scenes, dialogue, characters and ships of every kind that appear in the new footage, and try to deduce what might happen in director J.J. Abrams' finale.
REY'S TRAINING ON AJAN KLOSS
The trailer opens with Rey dropping her training helmet (similar to the one donned by Jedi younglings in the prequels, and by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope), and rushing toward something so menacing that it merits the lighting of her lightsaber.
As she jumps over a jungle cliff, the shot cuts to place her landing on top of the ruins of an Imperial ship, similar to the one we saw in Rey's introduction, in The Force Awakens. Whether these are two scenes cut together for the trailer or a hint that Rey might be actually moving through time and space is something that will have to wait for the premiere.
This is also the first appearance in the trailer of the dueling aspects of Star Wars (other than the dark side and the light): the living, natural world and the cold, technological one.
The voice that runs over this scene is Finn's: "It's an instinct. A feeling. The Force brought us together."
THE RESISTANCE REBORN... BUT IN TROUBLE
The Resistance seems to be in slightly better shape: Lando as well as General Ackbar's son, introduced in Marvel's Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance, are with them, although by the end of the short scene, they're seemingly under attack.
ROSE IS BACK
Rose Tico, Lieutenant Connix, and her companion, played by Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings) seem to come from a battlefield, and the voiceover hints at the conclusion of Poe's arc, in his own voice: "We're not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them."
THE TANTIVE IV
A small Easter egg for lovers of Star Wars vessels: The ship that lifts off over Finn and Poe on the jungle planet is suspiciously similar to the Tantive IV, an Alderaanian model belonging to Bail Organa featured in Revenge of the Sith.
IMPERIAL SHIPS ON ICE
Another eerie ship moment is when a Star Destroyer emerges from ice, almost as if it had been frozen in carbonite, awaiting the perfect time to come back to life. It's a powerful image that ties in with the theme of the apparently undead Emperor, unnaturally alive despite all the years that have passed.
This could be one of the rumored hide-outs where the remnants of the Empire retreated with their fleet, or it could be in the gorgeous iceberg that seems to attract all those TIE fighters.
SHIPS, SHIPS, SO MANY SHIPS
The trailer also brought us practically every Resistance and Rebel ship ever seen in off-shoot stories, including the Ghost from Rebels, and a ship that looks suspiciously like the Colossus from Resistance.
As hopeful as this looks, it's shown at the same time as the Emperor's voice rejoices in them "coming together… It will be your undoing."
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REY & KYLO REUNITE ATOP THE DEATH STAR II
A scene that appeared in the teaser, the sizzle reel and the posters is the showdown atop what looks like the ruins of the Death Star II between Rey and Kylo Ren. Rey crosses the angry ocean on a fragile sea speeder and confronts Kylo Ren, who emerges from the mist and foam of the waves, while her dialogue runs over her positively furious face: "People keep telling me they know me. No one does."
And to this, Kylo answers, "But I do," in what seems a callback to their dialogue in The Last Jedi, and a big reminder of the unique bond they have shared since they touched hands on Ahch-To.
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REY & KYLO DESTROY IMPERIAL RELICS TOGETHER?
Rey and Kylo seem to be working together, or at least not actively attacking each other at two different points in the trailer. In this scene, they join forces in a gleaming, lens-flare-friendly white room to destroy what looks like an obsidian pedestal holding a spherical object -- possibly Darth Vader's ashy mask.
THE 'OTHER' THRONE ROOM
Besides the ruined Death Star II throne room, an even more ancient throne, carved with what looks like the Sith emblem and surrounded by spiky black branches appears in the trailer.
Could this be the McGuffin that might bring the Emperor back to life? Or is it the a seat for a Dark Rey? It looks terrific, and it should: it's Ralph McQuarrie's unused throne design for Return of the Jedi.
IS KYLO REN SHOOTING AT THE FIRST ORDER?
Another subtle Easter egg, for those fans of the Skywalker flying style, is this spinning maneuver by a small ship facing a Star Destroyer. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize it as Anakin Skywalker's favorite flying trick, and one that Kylo also performed in The Last Jedi.
That it comes after Luke's voice finishes saying saying, "Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi, your destiny," might be another hint that "Bendemption" is truly happening, and that Kylo may well turn against the First Order that he leads.
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
Speaking of comebacks, one of the voices most prominently featured is Ian McDermid's Palpatine, who says, "Long have I waited, and now… you're coming together. It's your undoing." And it’s not only his voice; a hooded figure strapped to a black throne-like machine hovers menacingly over Rey.
We previously speculated the Emperor must have survived his fall into the Death Star, simultaneously becoming part machine and, thanks to the kyber crystals that powered his weapon, an unwelcome guest of the World Between Worlds. That might be where he's meeting Rey.
Or, a more pedestrian explanation could be that he managed to survive feeding on pure hatred, like Darth Maul, until a helpful attendant came along and attached him to that floating monstrosity.
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BABU FRIK'S DROID WORKSHOP
Although Star Wars' newest alien, Babu Frik, was unveiled before the trailer, here we get a good look at the tiniest droid repairer in the galaxy. His appearance, along with the long coats the protagonists wear in his workshop, point at the location being Kijimi, as does the presence of Zorii Bliss, the leader of that planet's spice runners.
C-3PO'S HEAD MATCHES ZORII'S DISC
In Entertainment Weekly's feature, Zorii Bliss holds up a mysterious golden disc. The shot of the back of Threepio’s head in this scene shows a matching ring within, hinting at the rumored "personality makeover" that he will receive to lead the Resistance to the hidden fleet.
C-3PO'S 'LAST WORDS'
In the only exchange of words we hear in the trailer, Threepio answers Poe's question about his expression with a heartbreaking, "Taking one last look, sir. At my friends." C-3PO was Anakin's first creation, and has been an integral part of the entire saga. These words, more than anything else in the trailer, mark The Rise of Skywalker as the true end of the story.
THE RACE ON PASAANA
Podracing fans rejoice! In this exhilarating race in Pasaana, BB-8 deploys a cloud of yellow dust to give his, Chewbacca's and Rey's ship an advantage. It might have worked, because in the next shot Finn and Poe cheer. It's not all doom and gloom in the saga's final chapter.
REBEL BRIGADE CHARGES ACROSS A STAR DESTROYER
In another similarly memorable action sequence, Finn, Jannah and BB-8 charge on horse-like creatures on top of a Star Destroyer, mixing two of Star Wars strengths: space and ground battles.
LUKE & LEIA'S WORDS FOR REY
The trailer closes with a close-up on Rey's vulnerable expression, illuminated by her lightsaber and violent bursts of lightning, and the calming voice of Luke, who says, "The Force will be with you," followed by Leia, who adds, "Always."
NOTABLE ABSENCES
There are some curious omissions that had been heavily advertised previously: Every named character from the First Order, including General Hux, who positioned himself as Kylo Ren's Starscream in The Last Jedi; Allegiant General Pryde, who appeared prominently in the Vanity Fair photoshoot in May; the Knights of Ren; and, most notably, the red Sith Troopers. The Emperor is only hinted at, and the Dark Rey seen in the sizzle reel that launched a thousand fan theories is likewise absent.
On the Resistance side, Maz Kenata, played by Lupita Nyong'o, is also missing from the final trailer. This can only mean one thing: whatever theories you might have after watching the trailer, The Rise of Skywalker will still hold plenty of surprises.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, with Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams. The film arrives on Dec. 20. Advance tickets are available now.
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