Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker did its best to tie all loose ends from the Star Wars sequels, and though it didn’t succeed at that for the most part, it had some more subtle details that connect to the previous films – like Rey’s actions in Star Wars: The Force Awakens creating a problem for Poe Dameron in The Rise of Skywalker. After over 40 years of Skywalker history, the Star Wars saga as fans have come to know it finally came to an end, though it’s not the end of the Star Wars universe as there are still new projects coming up.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker saw the Resistance’s final stand against the First Order, which was revealed to have been aided by none other than Sheev Palpatine himself (though exactly how he came back will continue to be a mystery). Meanwhile, Kylo Ren’s inner battle between the light and dark sides continued, as did Rey’s Jedi training. In addition to that, Rey got the answers she had been looking for. It was a lot to fit in just one film, which has earned Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker a lot of criticism. Still, it had some entertaining moments, and others that connected to the previous sequels in less obvious ways.
Given that Star Wars: The Last Jedi left more plot threads than the ones it solved, The Rise of Skywalker had to bring all the films together, and one of Rey’s actions in The Force Awakens actually had some repercussions in this new film.
How Rey Created A Problem For Poe Dameron In The Force Awakens
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Finn, BB8, and Rey escaped from Jakku thanks to the Millennium Falcon. Once out of there and somewhat safe in outer space, the Falcon broke down, and the trio did its best to repair it. They later came across with Han Solo and Chewbacca, and while traveling in hyperspace, the Falcon experienced a few problems, which Rey solved by removing the compressor, and the ship was able to keep going for the rest of the film (and the sequels). The absence of the compressor didn’t represent a problem until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
After Kylo Ren’s encounter with Palpatine (and the latter ordering the former to kill Rey), the film cut to Finn, Poe Dameron, and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon. The team received a message from a First Order spy and were quickly targeted by several TIE fighters. In order to escape, the Falcon jumped to hyperspace, but it couldn’t get rid of the fighters. Poe began lightspeed skipping through various systems, and though this allowed them to escape, it damaged the Falcon quite badly.
The Millennium Falcon wouldn’t have been beaten so badly during lightspeed skipping had Rey not removed the compressor, and Poe would have been able to better maneuver the ship. It’s a simple detail that many viewers most likely forgot, as it had seemingly no importance when Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out, but it’s fun that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker picked it up and gave it some relevance.