Fans have been clamoring for a new glimpse at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ever since the first trailer debuted in April. And, at this year’s D23 Expo, director J.J. Abrams didn’t disappoint.
Abrams presented a short sizzle reel that started as a nostalgic look back at the original and prequel trilogies, eventually building into Luke’s dialogue from the first teaser trailer about thousands of generations being passed to Rey.
The new footage, which is not online as of yet, showed our main band of heroes, looking out over a grand bazaar in the desert. Almost like a Star Wars farmers market as far as the eye can see. There’s a shot of a bunch of Resistance starships coming out of hyperspace together. John Boyega’s Finn and new character Jannah (played by Naomi Ackie) look up from out of those ships and see just a sea of Star Destroyers. Dozens of them. Filling the entire frame.
There was a shot of C-3PO with red eyes. A shot of Daisy Ridley’s Rey throwing her blue lightsaber almost like a boomerang, cutting down a tree and then coming back to her. Later, she and Adam Driver’s Kylo fight on what seems to be a crashed ship among a very rough body of water. Waves crashing all around them as they fight with their sabers. It’s what you get a glimpse of in the new poster, also released at the convention today.
“The journey nears its end,” says Emperor Palpatine before the money shot.
A dark hooded figure looks up. It’s Rey. She’s in black — you’d call them Sith robes — holding what looks like two red lightsabers very close together. We then realise the sabers are connected and fold to either be a longer saber, or two sabers that almost resemble a tuning fork.
Is Rey in disguise? Has she been turned to the dark side? Who knows. But wow was that final shot an outstanding surprise.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens December 19. If it’s holding to the same pattern as the last few films, expect a new trailer in October.