“Let the final battle begin,” declares an off-screen Palpatine in the latest TV spot for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The line is heard 8 seconds into a 30-second promo that’s mostly content to let the music and the images do the talking, though Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is still able to get a few words in, telling his comrades not to surrender as they make their “last stand.”
All in all, it’s clear the new TV spot really wants to remind us that J.J. Abrams’ upcoming film will be bringing a lot of “lasts” to the Star Wars franchise, serving as both the final entry in the Sequel Trilogy and the grand finale of the decades-spanning Skywalker Saga.
Of course, we already know that Disney has another Star Wars movie on the release schedule just three years from now, but at the very least, you can expect The Rise of Skywalker to serve as a swan song for some of the franchise’s most familiar faces.
In particular, this looks to be the final big screen outing for multiple Original Trilogy regulars, including Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, and fans have even started to get nervous about the fate of C-3PO. Similarly, while Palpatine’s comeback makes sense for the end of the Skywalker Saga, the time also seems right for Ian McDiarmid’s villain to finally be ousted once and for all.
Meanwhile, Daisy Ridley mentioned in an interview earlier this year with Vulture that she “can’t actually imagine” returning after this next film, adding that the movie “feels like a really nice full stop on the Skywalker series.”
Granted, there’s always time for the Rey actress to change her mind, but we’ll find out if Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker can at least conclude the current era on a satisfying note when the flick hits theaters on December 20th.