Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker - 8 Burning Questions Left By The Trailer
1. Who, Or What, Does The Title Refer To?
Just like The Last Jedi, The Rise Of Skywalker is a title with many possible meanings. It might sound a little hokey, and less neat than The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but it's still the most intriguing of the sequel trilogy's titles thus far.
This is partly because of the fact that there are no characters with the last name "Skywalker" who are currently alive. Leia and Kylo are both part of the family, of course, but neither have adopted the name. So what does this title actually mean?
Well, since we know that the movie will bring back Mark Hamill as Luke, maybe it could be a reference to his own "rise". That could be literal - rise from the dead, or return as a force ghost - or more subtle, with the character making amends for some of the mistakes he made while teaching young Ben Solo. Though he did confront Kylo, Luke must still be feeling guilty over the destruction of the new Jedi Order he was training.
It could even be a reference to Kylo himself, and maybe the conflicted dark side user will ultimately decide to fight the good fight, adopting the Skywalker name in honour of his deceased uncle. Or, perhaps the reveal about Rey's parentage will be that she is a Skywalker, and will "rise" to become the next powerful Jedi with that name.
The best theory so far though is a beautifully simple one involving the significance of the Skywalker name. It's been speculated that the film will end with Rey training a new generation of Jedi, with the title "Skywalker" being granted to new Jedi masters, similarly to how the Sith use "Darth". Alternatively, maybe the term "Jedi" will be dropped altogether, and "Skywalker" will be the new standard going forward.
This would allow the film to not completely disregard The Last Jedi, which had a running theme of letting the past die. Luke desperately wanted the Jedi to end, because of all the mistakes they've made in the past. What better way to start afresh than by giving them a brand-new name?
The great thing about this title is that it throws up so many possibilities, so be sure to share your own in the comments below!