Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is set to be the source of much intrigue over the next couple of months as Disney begins to pump out marketing material for their final blockbuster of the year. The Last Jedi’s ending means that Kylo Ren is now the man in charge of the First Order and, with the dastardly Sheev Palpatine seemingly coming back for the franchise’s big finale, excitement is starting to gather momentum.
We have so many questions about the villains of the saga, from Kylo Ren to even his predecessor and master, Supreme Leader Snoke. Here are 10 questions we want answered when the movie hits theatres this December.
Who Was Snoke?
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Fans flocked to see The Last Jedi hoping to learn more about the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke, who The Force Awakens had introduced as Kylo Ren’s master. Theories swarmed the internet prior to the blockbuster’s release, with some believing him to perhaps be Palpatine acting undercover or even a resurrected version of Anakin Skywalker.
But Snoke died without us getting any answers on his backstory. We’d love to know who the villain was and what prompted him into both leading the First Order and turning Kylo Ren to the dark side. With this being the final chapter of the sequel trilogy, we have to get the answers we want now.
How Is Palpatine Back?
There were audible gasps at Star Wars Celebration when the first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Palpatine was back in the picture, all these years on after he seemingly died in Return of the Jedi. But while it’s great to have the iconic character back for one final battle, Disney needs to come up with a producing explanation behind his return.
That’s because it’s hard to believe that even the strongest of Jedi would be able to survive being thrown down the chute of the Death Star. Throw in the fact his lightning was going everywhere and it makes even less sense. We’re hyped to see Palpatine - but it all needs to make sense.
Has Palpatine Been The Puppet Master?
In the time since Palpatine was last seen, the galaxy has changed once again. His death was meant to be the start of a more peaceful time for the inhabitants of the Star Wars universe but, since then, the new republic has fallen and the First Order have risen to power, effectively becoming what the Empire was prior to their downfall.
Has Palpatine been behind things the whole time? It’s certainly possible. Thanks to other canon material we know that he had plans installed for after his death and it’s feasible that one of those would have involved him finding a way to return and take control of the galaxy once again.
Are The Sith Fleet and Star Destroyers His?
Eagle-eyed viewers have been quick to notice that the Star Destroyers seen lining up in battle formation during the D23 footage are actually of Imperial design, rather than those concocted by the First Order. Throw in the fact that the movie will be showing off Sith Troopers for the first time and it looks very much like such weapons may have been stored away by Palpatine.
Merchandise material has suggested that they actually answer to Kylo Ren - meaning there’s currently much uncertainty over their allegiances. We’re sure we’ll get the answers we need later this year.
Why Did Kylo Ren Join The Dark Side?
We know that Star Wars is primed to answer some questions regarding Kylo Ren’s backstory via a new comic book series. However, while that’s all very well and good, we’re hoping The Rise of Skywalker can clarify both why he turned and why he seemed to have such issues with father Han Solo.
Luke Skywalker trying to kill his nephew obviously played a part but, in The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill’s character explains how he had sensed a darkness growing within Ben. The question has to be why. It can’t have been about having greater power because he effectively became Snoke’s lapdog. So what, possibly, could have promoted such a drastic transformation?
Is Kylo Ren Beyond Redemption?
Kylo Ren is arguably the most interesting Star Wars character of the sequel trilogy because of the way his emotions seem to change from one scene to the next. He looked on course to descend deeper into darkness after killing Han Solo in The Force Awakens but a softer, lighter side of him was shown in The Last Jedi.
That means we still can’t tell whether or not Ben Solo is beyond redemption. He was willing to team up with Rey but unwilling to give up the power of the dark side. Given how formidable he is in combat his state of mind could be key to where the battle for the galaxy is won and lost.
What Are Kylo Ren’s Feelings Towards Rey?
Kylo Ren’s stance on the light and dark side isn’t the only thing we don’t know about the First Order’s new Supreme Leader. It’s also unclear what he really thinks about Rey - something that has been this way since The Force Awakens released in 2015.
Sometimes he seems her as a threat but, on other occasions, he’s treated her with warmth and compassion. This has led to talk there may be an element of romance involved in their relationship and we’ll have to wait until December to see whether or not that’s the case.
Where Have The Knights of Ren Been?
Before The Force Awakens came out four years ago, fans were particularly interested in the Knights of Ren. With their unique weapons and supposed prowess in combat - coupled with the fact they answer to Kylo Ren - people were expecting them to play a key role in the sequel trilogy. So far, however, that hasn’t been the case.
Rian Johnson admitted he couldn’t find a place for them in The Last Jedi - meaning we’ve had two movies with just a single glimpse of the villains in action. We want to know why this has been the case and what they’ve been up to over the course of the first two blockbusters so far.
Will Kylo Ren Kill General Hux?
General Hux, so far, has treated Kylo Ren with nothing but contempt. He seems to think himself superior to Ben Solo but now finds himself serving under his enemy following the death of Supreme Leader Snoke. And given how much he loathes his new master we’re expecting the duo to come to blows in The Rise of Skywalker this winter.
Everything we’ve seen so far has led to us believing that Kylo will snap and kill Hux during his final outing of the saga. Whether or not we’re right, however, is something that we’ll have to wait to find out. There’s talk of Hux potentially being a mole and that, surely, would pave the way for his death.
What Is Allegiant General Pryde’s Role?
So far in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, there have been three layers of power within The First Order. Sitting at the top of the pile was Supreme Leader Snoke, with Kylo Ren second and General Hux third. However, the saga’s final installment is set to throw Richard E. Grant’s Allegiant General Pryde into the mix.
This has us thinking: with Kylo Ren the top dog, what will this new character’s role be? Or will he be somebody who answers to Palpatine instead? Given how big an actor Grant is we’re expecting him to have a rather significant part in the movie.
