The Rise Of Skywalker
Yes, the biggest reveal of the Episode IX trailer has to be that the much-discussed title is, in fact, The Rise of Skywalker. Much like The Last Jedi before it, fans are already busy theorizing what it could refer to as it’s a title with a lot of potential different interpretations.
So, which Skywalker is going to rise? Well, there are two still around, as per the end of The Last Jedi. Leia herself and Kylo Ren AKA Ben Solo. Given Fisher’s sad passing, we can presumably rule the Resistance general out. Ben, meanwhile, sees himself as the champion of the Skywalker’s darker legacy, but he could well redeem himself and the title could refer to him. Alternatively, it could be Luke, a hint that he’s not really dead and will get a much happier ending this time around to appease fans offended by his arc in TLJ.
But we know what most people are thinking. Given the trailer’s insistence that Rey is the true hero of this story, the title must be talking about her. Thereby teasing that she’ll be revealed as a secret other member of the Skywalker family tree in the movie. Even after TLJ saw Kylo tell Rey her parents were unimportant, fans won’t rest on this topic. Rian Johnson did say that Abrams is welcome to retcon this explanation if he wants, though, so that’s a possibility.
Whoever it specifically refers to, the title represents the fact that Episode IX will be the final installment in the Skywalker saga that we’ve been watching unfold for 40 years. As such, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has a lot to live up to but, as ever with this franchise, this was one heck of an exciting trailer.