These are the words uttered in the very first trailer for The Phantom Menace. Things have come full circle now, as we have received the final trailer for the Skywalker Saga. Every generation has a legend…Every journey has a final step…Every saga has an end. Both beginning and end echo one another beautifully, and “Every generation has a legend…” appears in the first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker. As the Skywalker Saga comes to an end, three generations who grew up with each trilogy will have the chance to experience how the story ends, together. Three trilogies, three generations, experiencing the greatest story of our time. JJ Abrams intends to tie the entire saga together and give it the ending it deserves, and this is nothing but evident in the trailer. So before we get too nostalgic, let’s dive right into our The Rise of Skywalker trailer analysis.
The trailer begins with Rey running through a forest-like planet, lightsaber in hand. That’s not the most interesting part though. What’s interesting is that Rey seemingly drops a helmet: a rebel helmet, reminiscent of the helmets worn during the Battle of Endor. If it is a rebel helmet from the Battle of Endor, this gives us one of the locations of the film: Endor. It’s only fitting, as Return of the Jedi, the final film in the Original Trilogy, ended on Endor, and Endor is featured in the final film of the Sequel Trilogy. Rey is running from blaster shots in the scene, meaning she’s fighting someone. Who, or what, is unknown, but it could be those seeking the ruins of the second Death Star, which is featured in the trailer as well.
This shot is very interesting. Rey and Kylo Ren destroy, what seems like, the mask of Darth Vader, which sits on some kind of pedestal. The location also seems like an old imperial installation. Cloud City? It definitely fits the aesthetic. The most interesting thing is that Rey is holding a dagger. Yes, a dagger. The dagger of Mortis, from The Clone Wars? That is mere speculation, but it very well could be. It would also match up with George Lucas’ original idea for the Sequel Trilogy. More on this later, as his presence is felt throughout the trailer.
Here is Kylo Ren and Rey in the Emperor’s Throne Room on the Death Star. Where Luke and Anakin had their final confrontation. Where Anakin was redeemed, turned back to the light side, and seemingly killed his master. The dichotomy of light and dark is poetic here. This is where everything ended, and returning to this specific location is very powerful, and in fact, something Lucas planned from the beginning.
George Lucas’ concept art for the Sequel Trilogy with “Kira”
We also see within the ruins of the Death Star in the featured image on this page, in addition to Kylo and Rey fighting on the ruins of the Emperor’s ultimate battle station.
The voiceover in this part of the trailer re-emphasizes what the film will be about, and what this trilogy is about: Rey’s search for self-discovery and belonging. “People keep telling me they know me, but no one does.” Kylo Ren retorts, “But I do.” Whether this is selective editing or not, we do not know. Rey shows anger. Aggression. This goes back to The Force Awakens when Rey tapped into the Dark Side in order to defeat Kylo in their first duel. She seemingly doesn’t know who she is anymore. She’s lost. But as Luke says, “Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi.” That’s certainly true for Anakin and Luke, and it will be for Rey.
What’s also really interesting is Finn is on the ruins of the Death Star as well. He runs toward Rey, and seemingly screams her name. He cannot stop destiny though. Rey and Ben’s destinies are intertwined, and how that works, we don’t quite know yet. Daisy Ridley said they have a connection, but connection can have a number of different connotations. They very well may be family, which is why they have an intense “bond.”
The emotional climax of the trailer is when 3P0 takes one “last look” at his friends. Whether he is deactivated or has his memory wiped (again), C3P0 seems to have his moment to shine in the newest installment in the Saga. Everyone looks somber.
There’s also the head of a battle droid from The Clone Wars in the upper right-hand corner, which is a neat easter egg. This scene feels very reminiscent of when we first meet 3P0 with no coverings at all, so this is very emotional; his first moments with Anakin, his final moments with Rey.
The Emperor lives (we think?), and his new throne is taken straight out of an old Ralph McQuarrie painting.
The aesthetic looks very much like Mortis from the Clone Wars, or at least inspired by it. The formations seem natural, and its made of stone. Wherever this takes place, it’s somewhere very ancient, rife with lightning.
This final scene seems to take place in the same room, and that is presumably Palpatine, but he’s not in his throne. Yes, he towers over Rey, but he is moving toward her; some kind of life-support system, ironically, like Vader’s? Better yet, are Rey and Ben siblings? And take off your tinfoil hats, but did Palpatine manipulate the Force once again in order to create an heir, “influencing the midichlorians to create life”? This would make in essence make Rey a Skywalker, as she is a product of the Force, just like Anakin. They would both share the same parents.
So much of this is told without context. We’ve done our best to analyze the most important parts of the trailer to get as much out of it as possible to try and figure out what is going on. The answer is, not a whole lot. While the trailer was fantastic, it was great at showing us a lot without actually showing us anything.
In order to see the rest, we’ll have to see the film in theaters on December 20.