With the release of the trailer for Obi Wan Kenobi, the new limited series for Disney+, Star Wars is back at the top of trending topics. The Skywalker Saga continues to expand in a variety of mediums. Whether through novels, television series, and spin-off tales, each of the official nine Star Wars episodes live on for new and old audiences. To think that this adventure began 45 years ago is astonishing. The fan-base continues to broaden because of George Lucas’ vision of a galaxy far, far away.
Each of the movies in the Skywalker Saga contains bits of trivia and interesting information. Whether it be a storm destroying the set of The Phantom Menace, or the fact that Luke Skywalker almost fell to the dark side in Return of the Jedi, these films are filled with fun facts. Looking at the final film of the Skywalker Saga, there are plenty of Easter eggs and bits of trivia one may have missed on the first viewing. The Rise of Skywalkeris the conclusion to the 40-year-long story of one family tree. While it closes one door, it opens the windows to many others. Here are nine hidden details about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
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9 A Nod to Ralph McQuarrie
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The sinister throne of Emperor Palpatine is a direct nod to the concept art drawn by Ralph McQuarrie on the original Star Wars trilogy. McQuarrie’s original design for the sith throne on the Death Star seen in Return of the Jedi is a direct inspiration for Palpatine’s new seat in The Rise of Skywalker. Director of the seventh and ninth Star Wars films J.J. Abrams is a die-hard fan of the series, and it comes as no surprise that he would want to pay homage to an artist of the original trilogy.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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8 42 Years
Following the coordinates from none other than Luke Skywalker himself, Rey and the gang find themselves on a quest which leads them to Pasaana. However, on this desert planet, they wind up in the midst of a large festival that occurs once every 42 years. However, this number is far from random. The 42-year mark separates the date from The Rise of Skywalker to the original Star Wars. While The Rise of Skywalker released in 2019, A New Hope (originally titled Star Wars) released in 1977.
7 D-O
The sequel trilogy of Star Wars is filled with voice cameos and hidden appearances, like Daniel Craig as a Stormtrooper or Bill Hader’s contribution to BB-8. However, in The Rise of Skywalker, the adorable D-O, recharged by BB-8, was actually voiced by the film’s director J.J. Abrams. His voice acting, along with the practical effects, bring this hilarious droid to life. He blends together seamlessly with the family of robots we’ve come to know and love over the past few decades.
6 It’s Not a Trap!
While the famed Admiral Ackbar perished along with many others in the masterpiece that is The Last Jedi, the lineage of this character continues onward. In the scene where our heroes plot their attack on the resurrected Palpatine, there is a similar looking creature to Ackbar himself. However, this Easter Egg of a creature in the crowd is named Colonel Aftab Ackbar, and he is the son of the famous Admiral. In addition, Aftab is voiced by the film’s co-writer Chris Terrio.
5 Be With Me
When all hope seems lost in Rey’s fight against Palpatine, she lends all of her will to the force. However, at this moment of solitude, she and the audience hear faint voices of the past. These voices speaking to Rey are past Jedis we’ve all come to know over many decades. While The Force Awakens featured voices from Ewan McGregor and a revitalized line from Sir Alec Guinness, who both played Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Rise of Skywalker included an entire catalog of reprisals.
Those voices from past Jedi are that of Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Frank Oz as Yoda, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. But in addition to live action Jedi, we also hear the voice of Freddie Prince Jr. as Kanan James of Star Wars Rebels, and Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano.
4 Yellow Optimism
Lucasfilm / Disney
One of the film’s more shocking revelations is the introduction to a new color in the lightsaber lore. With its roots in the original trilogy being red for the sith and blue for the jedi, we once thought that Mace Windu’s purple colored saber was the furthest out of the realm we would see. However, Rey’s yellow lightsaber, whose hilt was made from her own staff used in all three films, is a culmination of many different ideas.
The VFX team stated that her lightsaber is a representation of her optimism, which is shown in the yellow color. The team also stated the presence of a yellow kyber crystal within the handle itself. However, theories have formed that Rey’s yellow lightsaber is a nod to the guards of the Jedi Temple. With yellow lightsabers, these guards protected the sanctum and the Jedi as a whole. This could be mirrored here, as Rey is the last true Jedi, and her optimism and not falling to the dark side is protecting the Jedi code.
3 Familiar Places
In the dramatic opening sequence, featuring Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) brutally cutting down cult colonists who inhabit this barren wasteland of a planet. However, this planet is very familiar and an integral piece of the Skywalker Saga. This planet is none other than Mustafar, where Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi battled in the climactic peak of the very underrated Revenge of the Sith. But this isn’t the first time Mustafar returned to the big screen. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we also see a brief return of the lava-filled planet, as it is the location of Darth Vader’s castle.
2 Palpatine’s Return
While Palpatine’s resurgence did come as a shock to most fans of the series, a possible explanation has been under our noses since 2005. Revenge of the Sith contains one of the most pivotal scenes of the entire saga. Anakin and Palpatine speak of the dark side of the force. Palpatine entices Anakin with the incredible powers he could unlock. However, in this sequence, Palpatine utters the line:
This line is repeated word for word by Palpatine himself in The Rise of Skywalker. What could be interpreted by this is that Palpatine’s return is simply due to these unnatural ways of the dark side. Death could be cheated, as per the Sith Lord’s own words.
1 Healing
As the dark side of the force has its long list of unnatural abilities, the light comes with its own perks as well. All of these abilities are canonical and within the confines of the Jedi lore. Rey’s ability to heal the injured is also seen shortly after in the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
Next, force visions have been seen many times before. Luke’s famous vision in The Empire Strikes Back was the first time in the series where things got metaphorical and strange. Also, in the hit video game Jedi Fallen Order, Cal Kestis experiences a nightmare where he has turned to the dark side. The force itself is explored in The Rise of Skywalkerand the sequel trilogy as a whole. However, the things in which one can do with the force, while canonical, have rarely been seen in the film series. Perhaps the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which is bringing back Cal Kestis, might explore this further than The Rise of Skywalker did.
