The junior novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker includes a number of deleted scenes — ones presumably restored to Star Wars canon. The last film in the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seems to have undergone a number of cuts during editing. Naturally, that's meant there's been intense curiosity about deleted scenes.
In a breach with tradition, Lucasfilm chose not to include either deleted scenes or a director's commentary on the home release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, likely because they didn't want yet more discussion on what might have been. Still, both Rae Carson's novelization and the recently-released junior novelization are extended versions of the script. Amusingly enough, they actually present different visions of some scenes.
There are many scenes in which the junior novelization includes dialogue cut from the final film. The novel's opening scene is also particularly interesting — because it's distinct from the theatrical cut. There are several deleted and alternate scenes in the novelization; the following are the most significant differences.
An Alternate Training Sequence — And Rey's Force Visions
The junior novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens with an extended training montage in which Rey practices against a number of training droids. It's a lot more dramatic than the scene that appears in the film, and it presents the dark side's influence on Rey rather more effectively than the movie itself. Rey is presented as far more driven and competitive, desperate to please her Master — Leia — by beating her old record. Unfortunately, her mounting frustration opens her up to the dark side, and as a result, Rey experiences a Force vision that is clearly orchestrated by Palpatine. Rey is shown as suffering from a form of survivor's guilt, blaming herself for the deaths of both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, and Palpatine is playing upon that to manipulate her.
An Alternate Mustafar Scene
Like the film itself, the junior novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker spins away to Mustafar, where Kylo Ren is searching for Darth Vader's Wayfinder. Rae Carson's novelization already presents an expansion of that scene, in which Kylo Ren encountered a last servant of Darth Vader, a being known as the Oracle. Surprisingly, the junior novelization features a different version of that scene, and it's frankly far more effective than the theatrical cut. In this, the Oracle — otherwise known as the Eye of Webbish Bog — points Kylo Ren across the plains to the ruins of Vader's Tower, which was seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Among the rubble, Kylo Ren discovers an ark containing the lost Sith Wayfinder.
As exciting as this scene may be, it causes something of a problem for the fanbase. After the Disney acquisition, Lucasfilm chose to take a different approach to the canon, making everything equal in terms of status — the films, the TV shows, the books, and the comics — but now the two novelizations contradict. What should be considered canon?
A Conversation Between Leia and Maz Kanata
The junior novelization includes an interesting conversation between Leia and Maz Kanata that serves to set up the importance of Han's medal later on in the film. Maz has clearly become one of Leia's closest advisers, and it is Maz who persuades Leia to give Rey the lightsaber for her mission to Pasaana. It's difficult to say whether this particular footage existed; Lucasfilm was using old footage of Carrie Fisher from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi to complete Leia's story. It's possible this was made, but was cut from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker because it just didn't quite work.