Spotlight on Star Wars: The Finale of the Skywalker Saga

By Stefani Shoreibah A t first, the screen is black. Then, words in blue read, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” followed by an emphatic thunder of John Williams’ score that, since shown to audiences in theatres over forty years ago, has become immortalized in pop culture and cinema history.

It’s hard to fathom someone who has not heard of Star Wars. Even if unfamiliar with its charac ters or plotlines, many people are able to identify some aspect of it; whether a specific character, type of starship, or even the humming of lightsabers, the imprint of Star Wars on not only our culture, but also the world, proves how much this saga become a force of nature. As mid-December ap proaches, so does The Rise of Skywalker, the finale film of what will culminate as the nine-film saga of the Skywalker family. The past eight films chronicle the lives of Anakin Skywalker and his twin children, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. To recap, the light and dark sides of the force clash as Anakin Skywalker falls to the dark side to become the iconic villain, Darth Vader, in episodes one to three. In episodes four to six, we see Princess Leia lead the Rebellion against the tyrannical Empire led by Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, while Luke becomes a Jedi and attempts to redeem his father. With the help of the cocky pilot Han Solo, his best friend Chewbacca, and quirky droids R2D2 and C-3PO, the Rebellion prevails. The victory is short-lived, however, when the child of Princess Leia and Han Solo begins the ruthless First Order under the name Kylo Ren. Set thirty years after the Rebellion’s victory, the Resistance seeks to eradicate the First Order, in episodes seven to nine. When newcomers Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron are introduced, we learned of Finn’s trauma as a former stormtrooper, Poe’s X-Wing piloting skills, and Rey’s strong force-sensitivity that captures the attention of Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke. With questions and speculation swarming the internet over who could be Rey’s parents, given her abilities, answers may finally come in episode 9.

The released trailers have so far revealed Emperor Palpatine’s menacing laugh, the destroyed Death Star from the days of the Rebellion, and Rey with a red lightsaber (indicative of a Jedi turned to

the dark side). At this point, it is difficult to tell whether or not the latter of these is true. “It’s just really epic,” says actress Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, in an interview with Marie Claire. Ridley also mentions a lightsaber duel between her character and Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) took a week long to shoot that was physically and emotionally draining for the cast. Unsurprisingly, this stirred more Star Wars fan theories to flood social media, debating and disagreeing how likely Rey may or may not turn to the dark side.

But what fans seem to all agree on is the emotional weight this finale film will carry. Especially with the passing of the beloved Carrie Fisher, who played the fearless Princess Leia, a character that redefined the feminist heroine in Hollywood with Fisher’s unforgettable performance, the Star Wars fan community will be in tears from her digitally-recreated presence in The Rise of Skywalker.

Watching the final trailer for The Rise of Skywalker was difficult. For me, as a passionate lifelong fan, knowing that the Skywalker saga will conclude is daunting, and frankly, unimaginable. But as we bid farewell to our favorite characters on the big-screen, knowing that their legacy will live on is powerful. To my fellow Star Wars fans, I recommend listening to the words of Leia and Luke from The Rise of Skywalker trailer: “The force will be with you, always.” It has for over the past forty years, and it will forever.