Fans finally have a title for the concluding film of the Skywalker saga--Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In addition to the title, fans were also treated to the thrilling first teaser trailer for the film.
Naturally, fans have been creating and sharing theories for this movie ever since The Last Jedi hit theaters in December of 2017. While the validity of many theories won't be known until The Rise of Skywalker is released, certain theories were confirmed or denied by the teaser trailer. This list will steer clear of things that were already known before the trailer like that Carrie Fisher would would reprise the role of Leia via unused footage from The Force Awakens or that Mark Hamill would be returning as well--though it's still heartwarming to see Leia hugging Rey and hearing Luke Skywalker's voice narrating the trailer.
Confirmed: Rey Will Rebuild The Skywalker Lightsaber
It is the most iconic lightsaber in Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker's blue lightsaber that Obi-Wan passed down to Luke, and many years later it would be passed down to Rey. The weapon was broken in The Last Jedi, though Rey recovered the two halves. The trailer revealed early on that Rey won't be constructing an entirely new lightsaber and instead will reforge the legendary lightsaber she wielded in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It is fitting to take this route in a story that will bring the entire Skywalker saga to a conclusion.
Confirmed: Unused Concepts From The Force Awakens
In the years since The Force Awakens was released, fans have been treated to a variety of stunning concept art for the film. Some of the concept art is close to what the actual movie was like while other images are drastically different. With J.J. Abrams returning to direct and co-write The Rise of Skywalker, there was speculation that he could use unused concept art from The Force Awakens. This is absolutely the case as the trailer shows Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, C-3PO, BB-8 and his new droid D-O friend on a mission related to the underwater remains of the Death Star. The Force Awakens concept art included underwater remains of the second Death Star, a concept unused for that movie that Abrams is now utilizing in a huge way for The Rise of Skywalker.
Confirmed: Major Connections To The Prequel Trilogy
With this film wrapping up not just the sequel trilogy but also the entire Skywalker saga, many fans have hoped for significant connections to the prequel trilogy. Between its characters and themes, the sequel trilogy has had plenty of connections to the original trilogy, but not as much with the prequels.
Emperor Palpatine's chilling and instantly recognizable laugh at the end of the trailer assures that he will play some kind of important role in The Rise of Skywalker. Palpatine was not only a crucial figure in the original movies, but also in the prequels, meaning his role will help tie all three trilogies together.
Denied: Replacing All The Stormtroopers With Clones
After Finn ditched the First Order in The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren criticized General Hux's First Order Stormtrooper program, asserting that a clone army would be much more effective. With Kylo Ren in control of the First Order by the end of The Last Jedi, a theory arose that Kylo would entirely replace the First Order's Stormtroopers with clones. The theory is denied by the sighting of a Stormtrooper fighting in the woods alongside Kylo Ren. This one shot doesn't mean clones are entirely out of the question, but clones definitely haven't replaced the entire Stormtrooper army.
Confirmed: A Search For A MacGuffin
There's been a lot of rumors that the film's plot would largely revolve around a hunt for a MacGuffin. Rey and a small group of some of her closest allies on a mission to the ruins of the Death Star appears to confirm those rumors. If it is the remains of the second Death Star, perhaps the MacGuffin is somehow related to Emperor Palpatine, which could provide further insight into his mysterious role for the film. The MacGuffin might also be related to kyber crystals. They were used to power the Death Star's superlaser, but they also power lightsabers and could prove useful to Rey and the Resistance in a number of ways.
Confirmed: Kylo Ren's Helmet Will Be Rebuilt
It seemed like the end of Kylo Ren's helmet when he smashed it in The Last Jedi, but it's clearly making a comeback for The Rise of Skywalker. Part of what makes the shot of reforging the helmet so intriguing is the hands repairing it are definitely not Kylo's hands. In fact, the hands look more alien than human. This brings into question who is piecing the helmet back together. It's also worth noting that while the helmet is making a comeback, Kylo won't be wearing it the entire movie, as he is not wearing it in the shot where he's fighting in a forest.
Confirmed: Lando Will Pilot The Millennium Falcon Again
This one's not exactly a shocker, but it's still nice to receive confirmation in the trailer. Ever since it was announced that Billy Dee Williams would be returning to reprise the role of Lando Calrissian, fans have clamored for him to fly the Millennium Falcon again.
Fortunately, the trailer features a shot of him doing exactly that, with Chewbacca as his co-pilot, and Lando having the time of his life back in his old ship. Hopefully, there will also be an opportunity for him to communicate with L3-37 aboard the Falcon.
Denied: Rey Will Build A Double-Sided Lightsaber
After the iconic lightsaber broke in two during The Last Jedi, many fans theorized that Rey would rebuild it as a double-sided lightsaber. Given that her weapon of choice was a staff long before she ever wielded a lightsaber, it made sense to think that a double-sided lightsaber would be more fitting for her fighting style. The trailer clearly shows that the lightsaber has been rebuilt, but not as the double-bladed weapon many fans wanted to see her use. For now, Darth Maul will remain the only character to fight with a double-sided lightsaber in the live-action films.
Confirmed: C-3PO Will Have A Larger Role
C-3PO is one of the only characters to appear in all nine films within the Skywalker saga, and Anthony Daniels is the only actor to appear in all the canon Star Wars films. This made some fans disappointed that everyone's favorite protocol droid played a relatively small role in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. As some fans speculated, that is set to change as The Rise of Skywalker looks to be C-3PO's largest role yet in the sequel trilogy. He can be spotted twice in the trailer on two completely different planets. Most importantly, he is at the heart of the action, first in a chase scene with Finn and Poe, and later on with the mission involving the ruins of the Death Star.
Confirmed: Rey Will Be More Powerful Than Ever Before
Just as Luke Skywalker was much more powerful in Return of the Jedi than he was in The Empire Strikes Back, Rey looks to be even more powerful in The Rise of Skywalker than she was in The Last Jedi. Her abilities with the Force were certainly impressive in the previous sequel trilogy films, yet she appears to be on a whole new level as she backflips over an oncoming TIE Fighter. It'll be intriguing to see how else Rey's powers have developed since The Last Jedi, and if she's been teaching herself through the ancient Jedi texts. It's also possible she's been receiving teaching from Force ghosts, which would add further meaning to Luke's narration that "We've passed on all we know."
Are there any other theories that were confirmed by the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer? Let us know in the comments!