A new image from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may be teasing the testing of the First Order's new super-weapon. The Skywalker Saga will come to an end this December, and so far Lucasfilm has kept a tight lid on what fans can expect. They've so far shared one teaser and some new footage in a franchise-spanning trailer. But, with only a few months to go before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, the marketing campaign for the JJ Abrams-directed film is finally picking up.
In the build-up to the merchandise release for all the upcoming Star Wars content this year, several new photos from The Rise of Skywalker have made their way online. It began with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) gracing the cover of a magazine. And even though Rey's journey is something many are looking forward to seeing, the latest batch of promotional materials have been focused on Kylo and his dark side friends, the Knights of Ren.
Now, the latest image released by Empire brings an inside look at some possible experimentation by an unmasked Kylo and the First Order. The image features a blast of some kind happening off-screen that has knocked the entire fleet of nearby Stormtroopers on their backs. Kylo - holding his newly reforged helmet in his right hand - appears to be using the Force to hold himself upright. As for the cause of their positions, it's possible that it's part of the First Order's tests on a new super-weapon.
Just like the Empire that came before them, the First Order has used super-weapon tech to help speed up their galactic takeover plans. Starkiller Base was used to blow up the entire Hosnian Prime system, and they used similar technology in the canon they brought to Crait. There have been teases in the trailers that the First Order has built another super-weapon. Although the energy blasts from this possible weapon are red, the blue light causing the blast could be an earlier version of the same technology.
If this isn't a super-weapon in the process of being tested though, then what exactly is happening in this scene from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is all the more fascinating. It's possible that this could be the Resistance attacking the First Order. Many may also wonder if this could be part of the process that will see The Emperor return or part of Kylo's search for dark side secrets. With the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker expected to arrive in the next few weeks, it may not be long before more context to this image arrives.
Source: Empire
