This is turning out to be quite an eventful week for lightsaber-related theories and hearsay. First, a tweet from John Boyega got some fans thinking that Finn will be wielding the weapon once more in Star Wars: Episode IX. At the same time, a rumor started making the rounds that Leia will be examining a saber in one scene, and now this latest find suggests that Rey might not have a saber at all at the start of next year’s release.
A newly shared prop photo from Star Wars: The Last Jedi shows the sword that once belonged to Anakin Skywalker, then Luke, and now Rey, and is it turns out, Daisy Ridley’s character isn’t too great at taking care of other people’s things. As fans have observed, the weapon’s all-important Kyber crystal appears to be broken, meaning that it could take more than a quick fix to get this thing working again.
If these observations are correct, then it’s unclear if and how this development will factor into J.J. Abrams’ next film. Though we could see Rey going to the effort of acquiring a new crystal or finding some way to repair it, it’s also quite possible that the character will start off the movie already equipped with a fully-functioning weapon. After all, Return of the Jedi, didn’t feel the need to offer an explanation for Luke’s new green saber, and there are surely more important plotlines to explore than how Rey gets her replacement blade.
In any case, since Abrams is hardly one to ignore franchise tradition, you can expect a lightsaber duel to factor somewhere into the climax of this upcoming release, and chances are, the two combatants will be Rey and her old frenemy Kylo Ren. If so, then we’ll see how this pair work out their difference when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.