The release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is edging closer, and fans can’t wait to see what JJ Abrams and Disney have in store for them this Christmas. One thing that is to be expected, though, are several twists and turns throughout the course of the blockbuster. The whole franchise has continually left its viewers stunned over the course of the previous 10 Star Wars outings over the past 40 years.

With that in mind, we now take a look at the biggest twist from every Skywalker movie, as well as Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

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The Phantom Menace: Two Shocking Deaths

Prior to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, everybody had high expectations. They thought Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn would become a big figure, while villain Darth Maul was expected to follow in the footsteps of Darth Vader by being the big bad guy across the trilogy.

However, neither of those things happened. There were audible gasps within the theatre when Qui-Gon met his end at the hands of Maul during their showdown on Naboo, and everybody was shocked for a second time when the Sith Lord died following a confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He would, though, go on to be resurrected further down the line.

Attack Of The Clones: Yoda Fighting

Yoda Wields a Lightsaber in Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones

When Star Wars: Attack of the Clones released in 2002, fans were enthused about seeing more of Yoda. The strange little green Jedi was made popular during the original trilogy where time alone on the planet of Dagobah appeared to mess up his brain. He was somewhat marginalized in The Phantom Menace with Mace Windu instead coming across as the leader of the Jedi Council.

But the second prequel movie had fans shocked when Yoda engaged Count Dooku in lightsaber combat. It comes out of the blue with the Jedi moving at astonishing speed and performing a series of acrobatic movements as he wields his weapon. As twists go, it was a controversial one, with not everybody being so happy at seeing Yoda in action.

Revenge Of The Sith: Anakin Skywalker Killing Younglings

Anakin murdered the younglings

Everybody knew that Revenge of the Sith would be the Star Wars movie where we finally see Anakin Skywalker transform into Darth Vader. As a result, very few twists were expected. But one of the biggest—and most horrifying—is when the fallen Jedi Knight travels to the Jedi Temple and eliminates all of the younglings hiding there.

Even for Vader, this was a big moment. One where he totally and utterly crossed the line. Thankfully you don’t see all of the action, with the massacre instead happening off-screen. But that doesn’t make it any less surprising or shocking.

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Solo: Darth Maul Is Crimson Dawn Leader

As mentioned above, fans were convinced they’d seen the last of Darth Maul when he fell down the chute on Naboo during The Phantom Menace. However, Lucasfilm admitted to regretting that decision by bringing him back for the animated TV series The Clone Wars and again in Star Wars Rebels. He made a sensational return to the big screen when Solo released in 2018.

It’s completely unexpected, but it went down a treat with fans. It emerges that Qi’Ra, the mysterious lover of Han Solo, is in league with the former Sith Lord. Maul heads criminal organization Crimson Dawn and his appearance means he may appear in other movies or TV shows further down the line.

Rogue One: Everybody Dies

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso and Diego Luna as Cassian in Star Wars Rogue One

Rogue One ranks among the finest Star Wars movies ever released with the blockbuster performing surprisingly well considering its plot, on the surface at least, seemed straightforward. A bunch of Rebels stealing the Death Star plans meant it was inevitable some would die before the end, particularly given the ruthlessness of the Galactic Empire.

But what was surprising, especially for a Disney movie, was that everybody died. Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Chirrut, Baze Malbus, and K2SO are all the focal points of the movie, but all five die before the end. This left fans shocked and also showed Disney was willing to go to such measures if it means producing a brilliant, impactful movie.

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A New Hope: Ben Kenobi Dying

Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Darth Vader in Star Wars A New Hope

It seems crazy to think that, once upon a time, Star Wars was just the one movie rather than an entire franchise. The series kicked off back in 1977 when A New Hope released to the world, and it immediately became a huge hit. It’s biggest surprise, though, was the death of Ben Kenobi.

Fans today are lucky enough to know loads about Kenobi due to the prequels, but, at the time, his character was full of mystery and intrigue. We knew he and Darth Vader had a past but we expected answers. Instead, the Jedi Knight allows himself to be killed on the Death Star. Thankfully, though, the decision to release two sequels to A New Hope meant fans were finally given the answers they needed.

The Empire Strikes Back: I Am Your Father

Darth Vader reaches out to Luke

Never mind just Star Wars, the revelation that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father in The Empire Strikes Back ranks among arguably the biggest twists in cinema history. Period.

By the time the second movie of the franchise released, people were sucked in and invested. Everybody was left gasping when George Lucas decided to have Vader to confess to Luke the truth about his family shortly after the former Tatooine farmboy had lost their dual on Cloud City. Lucas wanted it to be impactful, so he even hid the revelation from members of the cast, and that made it all the more surprising as a result.

Return Of The Jedi: Darth Vader Changes Sides

Palpatine and Vader in Star Wars Return of the Jedi.

We very nearly went with Luke Skywalker learning that Leia Organa was his sister as the biggest twist of Return Of The Jedi. However, we’ve ultimately gone for the moment where Darth Vader, the big evil bad guy of the entire franchise, suddenly has a change of heart and turns on master Emperor Palpatine on the second Death Star.

Palpatine is in full evil mode as he electrocutes Luke Skywalker following his failure to turn to the dark side. But Vader, feeling remorse for the first time in years and unable to allow his son to be subjected to such treatment, ends up throwing the Emperor to his seeming doom. It’s Anakin Skywalker’s moment of redemption and also the moment Luke showed himself to be the biggest hero in the galaxy.

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The Force Awakens: Kylo Ren Kills Han Solo

Kylo Ren and Han Solo speak before Kylo kills him in The force Awakens

Despite Darth Vader’s sacrifice at the end of Return of the Jedi, the galaxy is once again in a state of flux 30 years on. The Force Awakens introduces the character of Kylo Ren who, it emerges, is the son of Rebel Alliance heroes Han Solo and Leia Organa. Yet, while he’s determined to be like grandfather Darth Vader, he’s different in the sense that he’s emotional and far more conflicted.

It looks as if Kylo Ren is about to become Ben Solo once again when he and his father have an emotional exchange on Starkiller Base. But viewers are left reeling when the son murders the father, driving a lightsaber through his heart and allowing Han’s corpse to disappear. Nobody expected one of the heroes of the original trilogy to die so early into the sequel trilogy.

The Last Jedi: You’re Nothing

Prior to the release of The Last Jedi in 2017, fans had spent months theorizing on the identity of Rey’s parents. It was important. She was ultra-powerful with the Force, the Skywalker lightsaber called to her, Han Solo’s behavior towards her suggested he knew something and Kylo Ren’s ‘what girl’ comment also hinted she was somebody with a bigger place in the story than she knew.

However, every single theory was blown away when Kylo told Rey her parents were drunkards from Jakku who sold her for drinking money. So controversial was that decision that Star Wars now faces a fight to get fans into theatres for The Rise of Skywalker. JJ Abrams has hinted there’s more to Rey’s parentage, suggesting there’s another twist in store.

NEXT: Rise of Skywalker: 10 Theories About Rey's Parents