#the rise of skywalker speculation

[unfinishedslurs]

The boy stops in his tracks. “I know you,” he says, tilting his head curiously. He’s not tall, but he’s regal nonetheless, dressed all in white. Something about him makes Leia’s hair stand on end, and although she hides it she feels a stirring in her own chest. I know you like I know my own soul, she thinks wildly, and wonders where it came from. Has she gone insane?

“That’s nice,” she says, and shoots him anyway.

He deflects it in a flash of light, a glowing blue laser sword appearing in his hand like magic. She’s only seen one of those before, and it’s Vader’s. If this boy is anything like Vader, she realizes, she’s in deep shit.

She’s smart enough to know when she’s outmatched. Leia makes the tactical decision to run for her life.

Later, as she’s getting the hell out of there, she wonders why he didn’t try to stop her.

She remembers being young and tugging on her mothers skirts, demanding to know why their guest was so sad. “Does he not like it here?” She’d asked, and then, trembling, because Kenobi always seemed saddest around her. “Is it…because of me?”

“Oh, Leia,” her mother sighed, lifting her into her arms. “It’s not that, I promise.”

“Then what is it?”

“Master Kenobi lost a child under his care, years ago.” Breha’s eyes grew deeper, darker. “It was not his fault, but he blames himself. You remind him of that child, that’s all.”

Leia had quieted at that, contemplative.

The next time she’d seen Master Kenobi, she had given him a hug. He didn’t seem to know what to do with that, so she resolved to give him more of them. “He’s lonely,” she’d told her mother. “No one should be lonely.”

Looking at Obi-Wan Kenobi now, the memory seemed so far away. He’d aged thirty years in the ten it had been.

He looks, Leia thinks with a small twinge of regret, very lonely.

“Leia,” he greets. “It’s been a long time.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Leia sees a glint of white.

Kenobi freezes in his tracks. “Luke?” He whispers, and through the distance Leia can hear it as if he’d been speaking directly into her ear.

Master Kenobi lost a child under his care, her mother whispers in her head. He blames himself.

In an instant, Leia understands everything.

Kenobi is still staring at the boy he’d lost so long ago when Vader cuts him down.

Later, as she’s pacing around on the Falcon to Han muttering darkly about Princesses and supernatural abilities, she rememberers the way the boy collapsed, as if all his strings had been cut. Vader was too occupied with him to even look at her as she shot at him desperately.

Luke. She hates him more than she hates herself.

“They know where you are,” he hisses frantically. “They’re coming for you. You have to run.”

“Wait!” Leia quickly pulls up their sonar. Nothing yet, but it would explain the distant queasiness she’d felt since they’d landed. She tended to trust her gut. “How do you know? How much time do we have?”

“Not important, and not enough,” he says. “I have to go, and so do you. You need to leave yesterday.”

“How do I know I can trust you? I don’t even know who you are.”

He pauses. “Call me Skywalker.”

“That’s not an answer, Skywalker.”

“Yes it is.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but there are faint voices on the other end, drawing nearer.

“Shit,” Skywalker mutters. “I have to go. I’ll be in contact, okay? Don’t ever tell me where you are, or where you’re heading. Vader and Palpatine aren’t shy about reading minds. Just leave as soon as you can, and figure out the rest.”

“But—“

It’s too late. The comm has disconnected.

She stares down at it, disbelieving. How would the Empire know they’re here? Why should she trust a stranger who somehow got her personal comm code?

Gut feeling or not, on paper this was a perfect location. Supplied, armored, and most importantly, extremely well hidden. There was no real reason to think it would possibly be found out.

It’s probably a trap. Almost definitely a trap.

Han sticks his head in the door, a sour look on his face. “Hey Princess, can you tell these idiots—“

She makes a decision then and there.

“We’re leaving.”

“What?”

“We’re evacuating, effective immediately.” She pushes past him, and he follows so close he’s nearly stepping on her heel.

“Why? I think it’s pretty cozy here. Actual sunlight doesn’t hurt, either.”

“Apparently too cozy.” She grabs the first person she sees, a pilot who stares at her with wide eyes. “Emergency evacuation. Spread the word to pack everything you can and leave, I’ll let you know where we’re headed when we’re in orbit.”

He salutes and scurries off.

“Woah, hey now.” Han snatches at her elbow until she turns around to face him. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a new informant. He told me the Empire knows we’re here. They’re coming for us.”

“And you trust this person because…”

“I don’t have a choice,” she snaps. Someone runs past them, holding three packs filled to the brim with rations. “It’s either he’s lying and we’re not in danger, or he’s telling the truth and we’re going to die if we don’t listen. It’s not exactly hard math.”

It could be a trap of course, but he hadn’t suggested any sort of direction or destination to follow, and Leia wasn’t inclined to share. Especially not after his tidbit about Vader and Palpatine reading minds.

He squints at her. “That’s not it.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you,” he insists. He’s so infuriating. Leia doesn’t know why she hasn’t kicked him out yet.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do, and you’re either gonna tell me why, or find a different transport when we head out of here.”

“Who said I was riding on your hunk of junk?” She demands. She actually was planning on going with them, since the Falcon has more than enough room for all the supplies that can’t fit in the other ships and none of the trustworthiness of the other pilots, but Han doesn’t need to know that.

“Well?”

Damn him. Damn him for knowing how to read her. She doesn’t know when she let that happen.

“I feel it,” she admits, defeated. “Something tells me he’s trustworthy. We’ll wait and see if it’s right.”

He studies her. She holds her head high, but inside she’s jittery at the scrutiny. They don’t have time for this.

“Yeah, all right,” Han finally says.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He rolls his eyes, like she’s not acting absolutely insane by putting all her trust in a random man she’s never even met. “Now come on, Princess, weren’t you the one who said we had to hurry?”

What is it about this man that makes it impossible to tell whether she wants to punch him or drag him into the nearest supply closet? They don’t have time to find out.

“So there’s good news and bad news.”

“Bad news first,” she demands.

“They know there’s a mole.”

“Shit.” Of course they know, how could they not? She should have been more careful, less obvious about the correlation of their movements with the Empire’s plans. “The good news?”

“They’ve tasked me with hunting down this ‘pathetic rebel spy,’” Skywalker says, humor in his voice. “That should buy me some time.”

Leia can’t quite stop the snort she lets out. “Seriously?”

“Yep. You’re speaking to a professional mole-hunter, here.”

“Well congratulations on the promotion, Skywalker.”

“Thank you,” he says grandly. Then, quieter, “It won’t last, Princess. They’ll find out eventually.”

“I know. Just hang in there, it will be over soon.”

“Will it?” He asks, suddenly sounding very young. She realizes that she has no idea how old he is. She doesn’t know anything about the man who has saved them more times than she cared to admit, and the idea rattles her until they sign off.

Later, she looks up the name Skywalker in their archives. There are a few results, but only one sticks out.

Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars. Killed at the hands of Darth Vader. There are gossip articles too, speculations on his relationship with the pregnant Senator Padmé Amidala, who died around the same time Skywalker did. The baby, it seems, died with her.

Unless he didn’t.

It’s ridiculous. It’s impossible. The idea is so ludicrous that Leia almost rejects it entirely.

But it makes sense. By the Maker, it makes sense.

The child of Anakin Skywalker, it seems, would be a powerful Force user indeed. Powerful enough for Kenobi to take the baby and run. Powerful enough for the Emperor to want him for his own gain. Powerful enough to send Vader after Kenobi and take the boy himself.

Maybe even powerful enough to shield his mind from Vader and Palpatine’s intrusions.

Powerful enough to hide the fact that he’s a spy.

Leia sinks into her chair, covering her face as she laughs.

Maybe Luke isn’t so bad after all.

“No, no, no,” she mutters, digging through the smoking wreckage of the TIE fighter. “Don’t be dead, please don’t be dead.”

“Princess…” Han lays a hand on her shoulder that she immediately shrugs off.

“No, he’s not dead. He’s not. Luke!”

A faint cough answers her, and she’s so relieved to hear it she could cry. Behind her, Han starts bellowing for a medic and, “Some damn help here, do you expect us to move all this ourselves?”

“Luke, it’s me,” she sobs. “It’s Leia. You’re at the Rebel Base. You’re safe.”

More coughing, and there’s a worrying rasp to his voice when he says, “You know…my name?”

“I figured it out.”

“Smart.” This time, the coughing is so bad Leia and Han both wince.

“Shit, kid,” Han says, moving another piece of rubble. “Don’t talk. We’re gonna get you out of here, all right?”

“Stand back,” Luke chokes out.

“What?”

“Stand back. Please.”

Han protests, but something in Leia knows they should listen to him. She drags him back, and motions everyone else to fall back with them. They do, albeit reluctantly.

“Clear,” she calls, hoping Luke can hear her.

The TIE explodes.

“Fuck!” Han goes back in, Leia on his heels with the terrifying feeling that she’d just allowed Luke to die, before they both stop in their tracks. Around them, the broken pieces of the TIE are floating.

And curled up in the middle is a man dressed all in white.

“Luke!” She pushes past Han to start dragging him out, and after another moment of staring around them, he helps her.

As soon as they get clear, the pieces fall to the ground with a clatter. Luke falls limp with them.

Han is still looking at the TIE. “Can you do that?” He asks quietly.

Leia pauses her examination of the unconscious man in front of her to glare at him. “Is that what you’re most concerned with right now? Really?”

“Excuse me for asking, Princess!”

“It’s white,” Luke grumbles, pulling at his hospital gown bitterly. “I hate wearing white.”

“Should I be offended?”

He rolls his eyes. “Don’t even. You look great and you know it. I just feel like I never left.”

“Well,” she says gingerly. “I guess it’s a good thing you got sick of it. If we went around in matching outfits all the time, people might think we’re twins.”

He snorts. “Yeah, right.”

[short-wooloo]

No, The world between worlds is not in Rise of Skywalker

People will just come up with anything won't they?

Apparently it's a not too uncommon belief that the wbw is in ROS

Why?

Well, there seems to be 2 reasons given for why

1. Because during the final battle with Palpatine Rey looks up to the starry sky and hears voices...

Ok, this one is deeply rooted in "it looks/sounds the same therefore it is the same"

Additionally, this is not how the world between worlds works

The world between worlds is explicitly another dimension (and we'll cover how you even get there later) that has windows into different points in time, past and future, the people in said windows cannot interact with you because they exist in their own points in time

In ROS, Rey hears the voice of multiple deceased Jedi, people who she has never met, addressing her directly, that alone is proof that it is not the wbw (I mean there's a lot of easy definitive proof that this isn't the wbw because the basis for it being such is flimsy but I digress), because the wbw offers windows into the past/present/future, and more importantly, the people in those windows cannot interact with a person seeing them through the wbw

Furthermore, Rey communing with the deceased Jedi is a case of narrative payoff

In her first scene the film establishes that Rey has been trying to commune with the spirits of past Jedi, this scene is her finally accomplishing that goal, this isn't anything deeper, it's basic story structure, you set your protagonist up with a goal, and you have the achieve it at the climax/near the end

Reason 2.

Books

Frikken books

See, apparently because the one of the sacred Jedi texts talks about the wbw, that equals it being in the film

Now I actually own and have read the ROS visual dictionary, and here's what it has to say about the wbw:

"Unattributed visualization of the chain wotlrlds theorem, also known as the world between worlds, or vergence scatter"

That's it, that's the full extent of the wbw being "in" ROS, it's never is brought up in the movie, we never read the book it's in, all we have is a visual dictionary saying "this page of this book has doodles of the wbw"

Also, something people really need to understand is that these books don't really mean anything

They're not hard immutable canon that the films must adhere to, they're written by different people from the movies often with little input between the two

Visual dictionaries don't really matter, they're just "books of neat facts"

By the way, this whole page is not something that should be taken at face value, it is noted here that these books are rich in metaphor a blend myth and history

So yeah, wbw ain't in ROS

So why do people want it to be in ROS?

So they can have a way to undo the sequels

(Thanks to @tarisilmarwen for this)

Yeah, the wbw can't do that

That's kinda what the whole episode of Rebels is about, Ezra can't use it to change time, and why can't he do so? Well, because:

A. He doesn't know what will happen, butterfly effect and whatnot, the results could spiral out of control and he could just make things worse

B. Paradox, the bigger issue, if Ezra saves Kanan, well that means Kanan is no longer holding back the explosion, thus Sabine, Hera, and most importantly, Ezra himself will die

C. Its wrong to change time, it's fundamentally un-Jedi like, its taking the universe and countless lives and bending them to what you want, its selfish, that's not what the Jedi are, a true Jedi would never do this, to change time like this is what a sith would do

Which gets into

Temptation, the wbw is temptation for Ezra

That is the narrative purpose of the wbw in Rebels, it comes at a point where Ezra is at his lowest, its a test for him, will he remain true to the way of the Jedi? Or will he give in to the dark side?

But why he could save ahsoka?

Well here’s the thing, did he?  Did he save ahsoka?

Or was that always meant to happen?

See, saving ahsoka doesn't cause a paradox because we already knew ahsoka survived, we saw her reenter the malachor temple at the end of Season 2 (there’s a serious bit of revisionist history going on here where people either forget this or outright ignore this fact) she was already alive, Ezra didn’t change the past, he caused it to happen the way it happened, its a closed loop

“But what about Palpatine?”  Surely him trying to gain control over the wbw proves that you can in fact use it to change time right?

no

Palpatine’s attempt to control the wbw doesn’t mean it can change time

Palpatine certainly thinks he can rule time, but more importantly he doesn’t care if messing with time causes paradoxes or catastrophic consequences

Whether the rules regarding changing the past are soft (you can't change the past because you have no idea what will happen) or hard (you can't change the past because you'll create reality destroying paradoxes), Palpatine would do so anyways

Palpatine is fundamentally a selfish sociopathic person, he'll destroy everything if he can rule the ruins

And even if he can't alter time, the knowledge the wbw grants is dangerous, its a window into the past and future, using it Palpatine could have learned of the existence of the Skywalker twins early, or where surviving Jedi have hidden, or seen how he dies, Palpatine knowing these things could lead to disastrous consequences

Lastly we get to how one enters the wbw, (and why it's obvious that the wbw isn't in ROS)

For starters, you can't just accidentally end up in the wbw, as the claim for it being in ROS relies on, to get to the wbw, you need to be in the right place, and actively trying to get there

In Rebels Ezra enters the wbw through a gateway in the Lothal Jedi Temple

So yeah, you can't just stumble through it randomly

But more importantly, it's a Jedi Temple that he enters through, aka a place of the light

So why in God's name would you be able to just accidentally enter the wbw on exegol, aka sith cult planet?

The answer: you can't

(Also if a way into the wbw is on exegol why isn't Palpatine focusing on that?)

The wbw, a place that is specifically out of reach of the sith/dark side, has only ever been accessed through gateways in areas of the light

That's why Palpatine needed Ezra to get it, that's why he had to use a dark side ritual to try and capture Ezra and Ahsoka while they were in the wbw, he could effect them but not it, and of course it is why the wbw is not in Rise of Skywalker

Goodbye, and use critical thinking skills

[themattress]

Well, the Grysks and any other such threat. The point of the Final Order fleet was to keep in line / defeat ALL enemies and potential enemies. That’s why Palpatine called his cult “the Sith Eternal”; he sought eternal rule over the galaxy that couldn't ever be taken away by anyone.

I have always wondered why Palpatine went overkill on Exegol. Why that army of planet-destroying Star Destroyers? It can't have been all intimidation tactics - and even if they planned to use it, at some point it becomes counterproductive to blow up half of the galaxy.

So as I was thinking about Thrawn again, and the fact that Exegol is so close to the unknown regions/the Chiss Ascendancy, it finally hit me.

Palpatine didn't plan to use that army against the New Republic, at least not primarily. He built that army to use against the Grysks. He knew. He knew they were coming because he listened to Thrawn. And he started to plan ahead.

[mohnaka]

So, in regards to Hondo in Skeleton Crew since it's something I keep seeing people ask about: it was confirmed that he won't be appearing. Here's the specific bit from the article:

I’ve seen speculation that a live-action Hondo Ohnaka will appear in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. True or false? –Corey A freighter resembling Hondo’s was spotted in the distance at Port Borgo in Episode 2, but series creators Chris Ford and Jon Watts confirmed for me that we won’t be meeting the Clone Wars pirate. “We’ll rip off that Band-Aid and say no, we don’t have any Hondo,” Ford told TVLine. “Honestly, we love Hondo, but there wasn’t really a part in our story that offered a good enough role for him. Like, if we were trying to cast him in this, he would be like, ‘This part is not big enough for Hondo!'” Which is not to say Skeleton Crew, in success, won’t ever feature the interstellar buccaneer. “We would love to keep doing this,” Ford said, “and keep exploring the whole pirate side of the galaxy, and build up to that.”

There's always the chance they could be lying, but considering the wording, I don't think they are. But! He is coming in the next dlc for Star Wars Outlaws! No exact release date yet, sometime in spring. If you haven't played it yet, I highly recommend it.

Now on a side note, something else I've seen a lot of people ask/say in regards to Hondo showing up in media set after Rebels: isn't he already super old/dead/etc? Long story short, no. Short story long because I'm autistic and don't know when to shut up under the read more:

If you were somehow unaware (hoping that doesn't come off as judgmental, it's more of a surprised thing I swear!), he's actually a part of Galaxy's Edge aka "the Star Wars land" at Disneyland/Disney World, which is supposed to take place in between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker (so about 34 ABY). Or at least it was initially, they've been kind of loosening it up lately, but the two rides (Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, the latter of which Hondo is basically the star of) are still in that specific time range. So he's not dead nor is he going to die in anything set before the sequels (but then again, "Hondo Ohnaka survives every time", could be the Force keeps bringing him back to life to fuck with everyone).

In Legends, the approximate lifespan for his species (Weequay) was about 90 years of age. There's been no word on whether this is still canon or it's been made longer, but if it is still canon, it does give us an idea of how old he was in the various eras. If we're to assume he's somewhere between 80 to 85 years of age in 34 ABY (Lando, who he's shown to be on good terms with in issue 4 of the Halcyon Legacy comic, is 77/78 years in 34 ABY for reference), that would make him:

Between 25 to 30 years old when he's first introduced in The Clone Wars

Between 42 to 47 years old when he's first introduced in Rebels

And last but not least, between 55 to 60 years old in 9 ABY, which is (supposedly) when The Mandalorian/Skeleton Crew/etc takes place

Somewhere in the middle is most likely, since the younger estimate would put him at only 14 years old in 32 BBY (during The Phantom Menace), but 17 to 19 years old isn't that wild considering what we've seen older kids/teenagers deal with in this franchise. It's not completely unrealistic that someone with a background like his would be just starting off leading a group of pirates in his late teens.

Anyway, what's he been up to since Rebels? He actually founded his own Totally Legitimate Shipping Company, Ohnaka Transport Solutions, sometime in between 1 ABY and 4 ABY prior to the Battle of Endor. It's currently (as in, 34 ABY currently) based in Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, though whether it was always there is unknown. Also at some point he got himself a ship that he named the Katooni...yes, like that Katooni. In fact, it's the one mentioned in the above interview about Hondo appearing in Skeleton Crew, so in a sense, he might have already had a indirect cameo!

Sources for most of this/recommended reading: Pirate's Price, The Secrets of the Bounty Hunters, and Halcyon Legacy #4. If you're looking for Hondo content outside the shows, read these. Especially Pirate's Price if you've always wondered what it'd be like if Han and Hondo met. And as previously mentioned, Halcyon Legacy #4 has him with (the real) Lando.

[tremendouskoalachild]

what we know: The Acolyte was pitched sometime in early 2020. The Rise of Skywalker had just ended the movie saga. The Mandalorian, which kicked off disney+, had just finished its first season with great audience response. Lucasfilm was reorienting itself to streaming. Rayne Roberts loved the pitch, got Kathleen Kennedy who also loved it, and the show was greenlit.

the show premiered in summer 2024, after a generous marketing campaign (including a clip shown with The Phantom Menace rerelease, an original Victoria Monét song, and plenty of trailers and tv spots). multiple pieces of tie-in media were announced both before and during the show's airing (an Acolyte comic issue, a Kelnacca comic issue, a visual guide, an art reference book, two novels featurig show characters).

the high republic multimedia project (THR), in advanced development when the show was pitched and published continuously from early 2021, greatly influenced the show's development. the costuming is largely based on the look of THR, the show makes plenty of lore references, and includes a main character from the books in its main cast. THR material coming out in summer 2024 has "a century before The Acolyte" prominently on the cover, the upcoming show tie-ins are largely written by THR authors, and often feature other THR characters.

the show was expensive, with a long production period and a great focus on the technical aspects - building large elaborate sets, filming on location in Madeira, detailed stunt sequences with a lot of actor involvement, plenty of attention given to costumes, make-up and creature design. the cast included many high-profile actors. everything suggests the show had full confidence of lucasfilm.

what i'm gonna speculate: lucasfilm was playing the long game with this show, or hoping to. cancelling the show this early was unexpected.

in 2019 star wars was quite literally centered on the original trilogy. the seven decades or so around the OT contained all currently canon star wars media, even as the franchise was spoken of as one with 25,000 years of history. the following years would plug up even more empty spots on the timeline, with the projects often overlapping. this gave the writers much less creative freedom, which was the whole point of decanonizing all pre-2014 media aside from films and shows. over time, fans started clamoring for onscreen content set outside of the known eras, and there were more and more voices in and outside of the fandom exhausted with fanservice (the glup shitto phenomenon).

The Acolyte was set in a whole new era, as far as onscreen content goes, and its only legacy character was from children's and YA books most viewers wouldn't be familiar with. it was specifically introduced as a show you wouldn't need any homework for. it had actors prominent in entirely different contexts (Matrix. sitcom. Squid Game. YA. superhero movies. independent films. relationship dramas.) and the cast was pretty international.

the show had a lot specifically for established fans - you could say it was the most wide-reaching in its star wars references, incorporating elements from every trilogy, the animated shows, canon books, oldschool legends lore, video games. but i believe it was mostly meant to attract people who were not previously fans, and especially target demographics that were underrepresented in the fandom. draw in international audiences, young people who were around for other star wars properties but they never caught their interest, women who either weren't in the fandom or felt pushed away by the reaction to The Last Jedi.

lucasfilm execs definitely weren't planning for viewing numbers comparable to Obi-Wan Kenobi, or even Ahsoka, since those are characters people are already invested in. i think lucasfilm expected the show's audience to grow over a longer period, since plenty of people might check it out because it seems cool and they like an actor in it, and hopefully stick around to watch other star wars and become new fans of the franchise. the audience would get a chance to establish itself through new viewers watching it outside the couple weeks when it aired originally - it's a streaming platform, after all - and the show would have a solid fandom for its second season (which they were clearly planning to make).

these new fans would keep disney+ in order to check out other star wars shows and film, and keep buying star wars stuff over the hiatus. even if they were only into The Acolyte and their interest never expanded beyond that, there were many merchandising products and tie-in materials coming out. the comics and books would have connections to THR, hopefully getting an influx of readers before the initiative finishes next year and boosting sales of already published works. the THR readers who weren't interested in the show originally would see all their favorite authors writing stuff for it and check it out, too.

but then someone higher up decided to cancel it a month after airing so no i guess

[samasmith23]

Why Revenge of the Sith remains my personal favorite Star Wars movie

I think one of the main reasons I have such a fondness for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in particular amongst the entire saga (controversial opinion I know, but ROTS is my personal favorite Star Wars film period...) is because of the experience I had with this movie as a kid growing up!

This film came out in 2005 when I still would have been in the 3rd Grade, and I had already grown up loving the Star Wars franchise, watching the unaltered VHS copies of the Original Trilogy, as well as Episodes I & II on DVD constantly as a child. So when I started seeing tons of trailers and promotions for Episode III popping up, you'd better believe that I was incredibly huped about this film! I still remember seeing the initial teaser trailer for Revenge of the Sith when I first saw Pixar's The Incredibles back in 2004, and you'd better believe that little kid me was excited as all heck!

I personally remember the build-up and anticipation for Episode III being wild back in the day, since not only was this being promoted as the "final entry in the Star Wars saga" since George Lucas stated his intentions to not make an Episode VII at the time (hindsight can be funny sometimes... lol!), but this would be the film that finally answered the question of how exactly Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader! Episode III was also promoted as the darkest film in the entire franchise since it was the first to ever receive a PG-13 rating (all the previous movies were rated PG here in the US…). Heck, I remember the PG-13 rating causing a lot of caution and concern among both parents and teachers, since not only did one of my teachers state that my 3rd Grade class was "too young to watch Star Wars Episode III," but when my Dad and I finally saw in cinemas, he calmed my Mom down by telling her he would cover my eyes if any scene got overly violent. Fortunately, my Dad did not end up not having to shield my eyes... although funnily enough he almost did so during the scene when Anakin ignited his lightsaber in front of the younglings before it immediately cut away (so their deaths occurred offscreen...). It wasn't until I was much older that I later learned that the primary reason Episode III was given the PG-13 rating was that in addition to Lucas’ personal recommendation due to the film’s darker tone, the rating was specifically aimed at the immolation scene on Mustafar when Anakin is burned alive by the lava after losing his duel with Obi-Wan.

When I finally saw Revenge of the Sith in theaters in May of 2005, to say that I was completely blown away by the film would be a massive understatement! Not only was I completely immersed in the sheer epic scale of the space and lightsaber duels, but the aesthetics of the planets like Utapau & Mustafar, as well as creatures & droids like General Grievous, captured my imagination to entirely new levels that surpassed even the previous Star Wars films. Heck, General Grievous in particular was a character that I became completely obsessed with as a kid in a similar manner to how countless other Star Wars fans are completely enamored by Boba Fett (both for his badass character design, as well as his status as a Jedi-killing cyborg who wields 4 lightsabers simultaneously while also foreshadowing Anakin's similar future transformation into a being "more machine than man")!

However, the elements of Revenge of the Sith that especially captivated my young mind in the theater were the portrayal of Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side, as well as Chancellor Palpatine's rise to power as the Emperor. Before the movie's release, I would constantly speculate about what exactly would cause Anakin to become Darth Vader (little kid me came up with wild theories such as him being mind-controlled into being evil via Sith lightning or some such bullcrap... lol!) and the revelation that Anakin turned to the Dark Side primarily out of fear of his wife Padmé dying at childbirth was certainly not what I was expecting back then. At the same time though, this plot point made perfect sense to me and I couldn't help but be engrossed in the whole Greek/Shakespearean tragedy portrayal of Anakin's descent into darkness being motivated primarily out of love. Additionally, as I continued to rewatch Revenge of the Sith on DVD and Blu-Ray as I grew older, I began noticing more of Anakin's growing frustration and distrust with the Jedi council, and how it heavily correlated with the political themes about the corruption of democracy and the rise of fascism (which makes both the Order 66 montage and Padmé’s line, “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause,” hit even harder)! Furthermore, Palpatine himself made for such a phenomenal main antagonist & master manipulator, with scenes such as him telling Anakin the legend of Darth Plagueis story at the Coruscant opera house as well as his reveal as Darth Sidious being particularly chilling standouts for me!

While some of those more complex themes went over my head as a 3rd grader, Revenge of the Sith was probably one of my earliest exposures to darker forms of storytelling dealing with flawed characters & complex themes. Elements that I now actively search for in my consumption of media, ranging to films, comics, TV, and video games. Additionally, as a child these aforementioned elements made me rewatch Episodes I & II with an even greater appreciation and attention to Anakin’s gradual downfall and Palpatine’s manipulations which all culminated in Episode III. As a kid, I used to primarily focus on the action scenes in Star Wars films above all else, but as an adult elements such as the corruption of bureaucracy with the Jedi Order, the downfall of democracy & the rise of fascism with the Old Republic's devolving into the Galactic Empire, and the Shakespearean tragedy of Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader are the elements of the Prequels that continue with stick with me!

It's for this reason that despite whatever flaws Revenge of the Sith might have along with the rest of the Prequel Trilogy, it honestly still remains my personal favorite Star Wars film in the entire saga, followed closely by both Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi (which means that my Top 3 Star Wars films include one from each trilogy! Lol!)! And for the longest time I thought that Episode III would have been the ONLY Star Wars movie I'd ever get the chance to see in theaters... thank goodness I was wrong with the release of the Sequel Trilogy a decade later! Still though... I will forever cherish that initial hype of Revenge of the Sith as my first-ever theatrical Star Wars experience!

[amarcia]

"The Force makes me think of stars" reminds me of when we got to see the crazy pseudo-hyperspace thing the Lothwolves do in Rebels and how that, coupled with the Purgill, had folks speculating that Hyperspace is just another aspect of the force (if not Literally the Cosmic Force itself).

This wonderful thought also reminds me how every star wars film starts in space with a star screen, and how that scene is mirrored in Rise of Skywalker when Rey connects with the Jedi of the past. Stars. STARS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I had no idea there is a theory like that but it sounds like it could make sense. The Chiss use force sensitive kids to navigate the hyperspace. Instinctive astrogation is a thing too. The force is a thing of the cosmos the hyperspace routes are like veins of the galaxy, it's all coming together

And anyway, the force being connected to stars is like the best symbolism it makes me eat walls

You too, are a star, and the light that shines from you is the Force !!!

[bo-katan]

What is this "Great Work" that everyone keeps talking about in Skeleton Crew, though? It can't be from Palpatine, right??

Disclaimer: this is all, of course, speculation, as nothing was confirmed in the series.

It's interesting that you bring up Palpatine, as he did have multiple contingency plans in case he ever met his demise. One of these was Operation Cinder, an orbital bombardment campaign meant to punish the Galactic Empire for failing to prevent his death. Considering the Supervisor mentioned the Jedi being traitors, it is a possibility that the Great Work mentioned in Skeleton Crew was one of the contingency plans concocted by Palpatine. With how much wealth is stored in the vaults, it's possible that At Attin served as a personal wealth caché for Palpatine outside of the Banking Clans that he was utilizing to fund certain projects, such as the the sentinal messenger droids that relay his posthumous instruction for Operation Cinder to loyal Imperial officers, or other secretive, darkside schemes like his cloning in The Rise of Skywalker.

However, some of us that have delved into the High Republic believe it is possible that the Great Work is actually in reference to Chancellor Lina Soh's Great Works projects from the High Republic era (which, for those who are unfamiliar with this era, takes place about 150 years prior to the prequels).

With the mention of the currency on At Attin being "Old Republic credits," it's possible they are talking about the High Republic. Also, they teach about the Jedi in a positive way in their schools, despite the Supervisor's last message received from the Republic.

Chancellor Soh's Great Works projects ranged from bacta cultivation (as bacta healing wasn't a researched, sustainable form of healing yet) to their creation of the Starlight Beacon, a massive space station meant to connect the outer-rim to the central government at Coruscant; to the restoration of ecologically damaged planets and other technological advancements. It wouldn't be hard to add whatever the Barrier surrounding At Attin is as one of these Great Works projects, or even just having At Attin be a sort of test to see if a droid-run utopia were possible to cultivate, where there is peace and safety for generations as they are secluded from the Galaxy at large.

I would not be surprised at a season 2 announcement where we would be exploring more about At Attin and the other planets that were said to be lost to the galaxy. (I haven't been online, so I'm unaware of any news about renewal.)

[slyandthefamilybook]

"Disney Star Wars is bad because it's not silly or fun or campy like the original" what do you mean

Watch The Force Awakens again and tell me that Disney Star Wars takes itself too seriously. Watch The Rise of Skywalker again and tell me the dialogue isn't hammy enough. Watch Solo and tell me it's not campy. Watch Andor and tell me a franchise taking itself seriously is a bad thing

Star Wars has endured because it's a classic story and it's told well. I think everyone's forgotten about what a story is and means and what storytelling even is. A good story won't just be a chain of events; the events lead into one another, build off of each other, make you feel the right emotions at the right moments, convey the information in a timely manner. Star Wars isn't just a great movie it's a great story.

It's not an original story by any means; it draws heavily on extant fantasy tropes about evil empires, brave knights, powerful wizards, and beautiful princesses. It's such a classic fantasy story that you can set it in a classic fantasy world and call it Eragon lol. (I'm not saying Eragon ripped off Star Wars because the fantasy tropes that Eragon and Star Wars use predate both of them. But the story structure is undeniably similar.) And Eragon was a big success because no matter the trimmings people like a well-told story about a young farm boy who goes on a big adventure.

Add to that the fact that Star Wars is set in an expansive open universe that has just enough rules to serve as gutter rails for speculation. Add to that the inclusion of World War II-style dogfighting and capital ship combat. Like I'm not even going to talk about the actual movie; the groundbreaking visual effects, the incredible sound design, the brilliant score, the gorgeous sets, the fantastic performances. Just the elements of the story itself are interesting enough on their own

[thewickedbohemian]

Since I've heard it both ways

On the one hand in addition to what RTD said about wanting to respond to the Rey reveal in The Rise Of Skywalker there's how some might see her actually being "special" all along as undercutting the parallel point in "Empire Of Death" about the power of belief and memory or w/e and what we saw provides good representation for a different sort of adoption-y story often seen in real life but not often in fiction

On the other hand RTD also did say there were revelations to come next season about Ruby's family (in a way that I don't quite think is meant to imply they'd be more mundane ones whose fandom-given importance-speculation is somehow plot-revelant but there's a part of me fearing he'd do the same thing twice) and in addition to that there's stuff I feel like still didn't get addressed meaning either they've really been slacking on the writing (the option those burned by "Empire Of Death" have made me fear was the case) or there's potential explanation to come like the Doctor's changing memory, how be it permanent or temporary (and the fact that we know she'll be back next season makes me think there's even more potential for something to be up) Ruby's happy ending at the end seemed just a little too perfect-fantasy-y (esp. as some people said her mom shouldn't even know her name) esp. by companion standards, why it was suddenly snowing out of nowhere again at the end when it didn't look like the episode was set in winter, how the "watch where you step" motif set up all season didn't seem to have any climactic payoff, how the importance of "73 Yards"'s events/timeline was stressed/linked to Ruby's mystery and funnily enough the TARDIS's perception filter just happens to be that titular distance etc. etc.

[calebjorgens2024]

Star Wars: Relics of Tantiss

With all the speculation of Tech going on in the Bad Batch fandom, I am going to offer yet another intriguing idea of mine but this time… it’s about Tech being in a Kix situation… this idea takes place during and after the events of The Rise of Skywalker…. In this Tech and dozens of longtime stasis frozen clone troopers and clone commandos are freed by a much older Omega in the year 35 ABY.. Tech still looks the same as he was in 18 BBY. He now has cybernetics but otherwise his body structure remained the same. Omega has freed them and now has forged them with Tech’s guidance into the Tantiss Battalion. Mount Tantiss would be permanently destroyed in a blaze of fire, erasing the final traces of Dr. Royce Hemlock’s dark legacy. And afterwards. Alongside her unaltered brother Boba Fett and countless Allies, Omega would aid in the uprisings against the First Order after Rey killed Palpatine

I have much more in mind but this is the basic surface of it!

[themattress]

Elaboration: @short-wooloo, it has actually been fairly well documented that this was a clash between the creatives and the studio heads. The creatives (Abrams, Kasdan, Johnson, Terrio) never committed to a redemption for Kylo Ren. They didn't rule it out altogether, as "reverse Vader" only meant that he'd be at his firmest on the Dark Side for much of the final movie, which still ended up as the case, but not that he'd stay on the Dark Side to the end. However, they did not guarantee it either. The studio heads, otoh, such as Kathleen Kennedy, DID actually always insist on him turning to the Light by the end, with Leia being the main impetus behind it. Even when Trevorrow, Connolly and Thorne were attached to Episode IX, every script draft they made had to include Kylo turning to the Light at the moment of his death regardless of how illogical it seemed. So I doubt Kylo dying at the Death Star ruins was ever a thing; he was always going to make it to the end of the movie and find redemption.

What does kylo do upon reaching exegol? Fight the knights of Ren, something Rey herself could do or perhaps even better you could have had the Knights fight Finn, Rose and the Resistance soldiers

You forgot that he also stops Rey from striking down Palpatine through connecting with her via the Force, to show her that she wasn't alone and the situation wasn't as hopeless as Palpatine was trying to make her feel it was ("they win by making you think you're alone").

With the news from Adam Driver about how kylo redemption was never the plan originally and his story was basically meant to be reverse Vader, I'd like to resurrect an old conspiracy theory of mine about Rise of Skywalker

So the duel in the ruins of the death star, y'know how it ends with Rey stabbing kylo and then she heals him?

Well I believe he originally was meant to die there, Rey killed him in anger, and it causes a breakdown in her, she's upset not only that she failed Leia and couldn't redeem kylo, but also terrified by her anger, scared that she truly is a Palpatine, and from there we get our pep talk from Luke and final battle with Sidious

Basically I think Rey healing kylo was a last minute addition to the script (probably at disney's insistence)

And the rest of the film doesn't exactly prove me wrong

How does kylo get to exegol after Rey took his TIE fighter? Well apparently in the exploded, sitting in water for 30 years ruins of the death star there's not only a functional imperial TIE, but one with a hyperdrive too

What does kylo do upon reaching exegol? Fight the knights of Ren, something Rey herself could do or perhaps even better you could have had the Knights fight Finn, Rose and the Resistance soldiers

Does kylo meaningfully contribute to the final battle with Sidious? Not really, he gets drained of his life force by Sidious (so basically he inadvertently helps him) and is thrown down a hole for the rest of the battle, Rey does all the heavy lifting from there

The only meaningful contribution kylo makes after his "redemption" is sacrificing himself to revive Rey, which may not have even needed to happen because the only reason she was so drained is because kylo being there caused Sidious to realize he could absorb both of their life forces to restore himself (so in a way, it's his fault!) Alternatively it could have just been written that Rey passed out due to exhaustion and was otherwise fine

So yeah, that's my conspiracy, not that crazy, perfectly reasonable from my perspective

[topwan-obikin]

Hello dear obikins, and welcome to our third day of submissions for our second deadline!

We a nice little batch for you on our ao3 collection today, so feast on these wonderful creations. Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to show the authors your appreciation!

twitter thread here.

Ama'ya's Dance by Anonymous

Jedi Dragonrider Anakin Skywalker never expected his Dragon would rise during a planetary battle of all places. Or that his Master’s would answer her call. With the sacred bond between Dragon and Rider extending to shared mating dances, Anakin and Obi-Wan are repeatedly forced to confront the ways their Master-Padawan relationship has changed since Anakin was knighted.

Home by Anonymous

Fleeing a dark past, single omega parent Anakin Skywalker moves back to Coruscant in the hopes of giving his young family a fresh start. Alpha Obi-Wan Kenobi has just returned to teaching his kindergarten class after a whirlwind year abroad that ended in disaster. A second chance at love was something neither of them expected.

My Son; My light by Anonymous

Prompt fill! Single father Obi-wan has spent the past 17 years making sure his beloved boy is raised happy and though they’ve struggled a bit making ends meet when Anakin was younger, Obi-wan always tried his best to make sure he could give everything he could to Anakin. Nowadays, his baby is nearly all grown up and getting offers from universities all across the country, and he’s not feeling ready for the empty nest. To his surprise, his boy doesn’t want to leave his daddy, ever, Anakin decides to seduce the only man who’s ever made him happy into his childhood bed.

Too Hot To Handle by Anonymous

Obi-Wan and Anakin are in a tight spot. It's even worse when Anakin suddenly presents as an omega.

Lace by Anonymous

When Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent undercover to a high-end slave auction for a vital mission, Obi-Wan had thought it would be a straightforward affair. He hadn't counted on the lingerie.

and we have an update!

Chapter 4 of Eight of Cups is up!

Anakin’s knighting ceremony is canceled. Somehow, Qui-Gon Jinn has joined the land of the living again, and the Council is too busy figuring out what to do. Washing their hands off the matter, the Council decides to make Qui-Gon Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s problem. For Anakin, this is a dream come true (minus the mishap with his knighting). He has always wanted Qui-Gon as his Master. Unlike Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon would understand him. This is his chance to experience what having Qui-Gon as sort-of-Master would be like. The answer is as surprising as it’s disappointing. It sucks a lot. Rather than understanding, Qui-Gon misunderstands everything. Half the (disparaging) stuff Qui-Gon says about Obi-Wan flies over his head, too, but Anakin’s convinced Qui-Gon’s trying to drive a wedge between Obi-Wan and him. So, on second thought, Anakin prefers to remain Obi-Wan’s Padawan. Really, there’s no need to reschedule his knighting ceremony.

If you’d like to speculate on who the authors are, join us in our discord server to chat!

For previous submissions click here or go directly to our ao3 collection for the whole two days worth of amazing submissions!

[kalinara]

I did think I would feel a bit more satisfied when an actor finally confirmed what, I think, most of us knew about Kylo Ren's intended arc in the Sequel Trilogy.

Blah, blah, the redemption arc wasn't supposed to happen. Kylo was supposed to be a villain throughout. Where's that Captain Holt vindication gif when you want it?

I'd agree, personally, that it would have made for a better movie if Kylo had remained the big bad. Adam Driver, I think, is the one who really missed out. I feel like he missed out on his chance to go full out, balls to the wall evil overlord. He'd have killed it, I suspect. And I say that as someone who isn't particularly a fan of the guy.

I do think though I get why they went with a half-assed redemption arc, though. I don't think it had anything to do with the Reylos (the kiss maybe, but I'd like to think they're smart enough to realize that rabid shippers generally don't go for the romantic - die for your love type of ending. At least not if the hot guy is doing the dying...)

I think it's because of Carrie Fisher's death.

They'd said for a while that the third movie was supposed to be Leia's, in the way that TFA was Han's, and TLJ was Luke's. Whether or not this made you optimistic probably depends on how much you liked the fates of those characters in those movies. I didn't hate them, personally.

I'm not going to speculate too hard on what the original story would have been. I certainly can imagine some pretty epic stuff with Princess Leia as the Big Good set against her son as the Big Bad. But...well...when you lose one of your primary actors before you get a chance to actually film anything...well, that limits what you can do.

I suppose that's why I'm willing to give Rise of Skywalker a bit more slack than a lot of folk. They were kind of stuck. Ultra-evil Kylo Ren is a more satisfying story with the set up they had, but it's also a tragedy. For what it's worth, the man does have a mother, who will grieve him if no one else does.

Except...we can't actually film the grieving, can we? We can't film the confrontation between despairing mother and lost son - whatever resolution was likely to happen. We can, at least, use some lost footage to TRY to build the relationship between Leia and Rey that needs to happen for that side of the story, but even then, we'll need Force Ghost Luke to help with the more reactive parts.

And of course, they need to write Leia herself out as gracefully as possible. In a way that doesn't require a lot of new footage and still gives the character a sense of accomplishment. Otherwise, you might as well have just blown her up with Hosnian Prime.

So...half assed redemption arc. With not-exactly-force-ghost Han to help there. I do feel like they could have done a better job with Kylo's part there. You know, made it look like he was at least interested in doing something OTHER than violating a woman's mind and terrorizing her for a good third of the movie. But well. No one's ever completely happy with things.

I don't know. In the end, I think the folks behind the Sequel Trilogy did what they could to give us a final, reasonably satisfying conclusion. There were fuck ups along the way (see: Finn, see: Poe. Though that fuckery started with TLJ, IMO) but, I think if we sat down and watched all nine movies in a row, and got to Rise of Skywalker's closing scene...I think we would end it feeling like we'd reached a workable ending to the Skywalker Saga.

Probably because we'd be too exhausted to notice the plotholes at that point. C'est la vie.

[enkisstories]

Satisfaction

Scene: The Rise of Skywalker, When Finn, Poe and Chewbacca are about to get executed. I find it strange that Hux doesn’t react more strongly to Poe here, so we’ll remedy this with a short insert.

---

“On second thought, I’m going to do this myself.”

Poe snorted, standing between Finn and Chewbacca with bound hands and the back of his head turned towards the execution squad. Of course General “Hugs” would want the satisfaction of personally ending the life of the man who had played him for a fool mere hours after having also destroyed his pet project, Starkiller base.

A blaster got exchanged from the stormtrooper to the General… checked… lifted… aimed… and fired!

Three shots in quick succession and three stormtroopers less later, the captives turned around.

“I’m the spy!” Hux exclaimed, not the most sophisticated thing he could have said, but he had to have come up with something, anything, really, quickly. Anything to be the first one to take the word in this confrontation, anything to prevent Poe from saying “Your aim leaves a lot to be desired”, “Hey, you missed us at three paces!” or something equally hurtful.

“I KNEW IT!” Poe shouted, because apparently there was no shutting up this man ever. But at least, Hux thought, I forced the rat to utter something equally stupid.

He adjusted his grip on the blaster. Holding it more firmly now, he dashed forward three steps, yelled “Dodge!” and then rammed the weapon full force against the pilot’s head.

Finn had dodged as instructed, as his stormtrooper conditioning was still taking over way too readily in life or death situations. Meanwhile Chewbacca caught Poe. He growled angrily when he saw the blood on the pilot’s cheek, right where a scar from Poe’s captivity at the Finalizer was still visible.

Now Finn got up again. He found himself staring right into the General’s face, who quickly pressed the blaster into his hands.

“We need to run. I’ll show you the way out, you fire at everything that moves.”

“Handcuffed?”

“Yes, yes, coming to that…”

With an audible “click”, Finn got freed.

Another “click” and a quick sidestep out of the Wookie’s range later, Chewbacca was freed, too.

Hux looked back at Chewie. “Can you carry…?”

“Rwww.”

A general term of disagreement, perhaps?

Hux nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to touch that, either. Alright, rat, looks like we’ll need to re-enable you to scurry on your own. Hands, please!”

Another “click”, a very careful one as to get into as little contact as possible with anything that either was Poe Dameron or an object attached to him, and the pilot’s hands were free again, too. He used them to press his kerchief to his forehead where Chewie had already wiped the blood away.

“That fucking hurt!” Poe gasped. “Still hurts…”

“You could have killed him with that hit!” Finn chimed in.

“I could have killed him in even more ways, but that’s beside the point now. Get a move on!”

The foursome moved out of the room, with Hux taking point.

In a string of shyriiwook words, but so silently Hux hadn’t expected a Wookie to be able to speak, Chewbacca pointed out that the General was walking with his back exposed to Finn’s blaster. Whatever was going on here, the man was serious about it. For now the trio could – and should - trust Hux.

*

The Force… Hux believed in it same as he “believed” in gravity: It existed, had a tangible effect on everyone’s lives, but didn’t have a mind of its own. Furthermore it was speculated, and backed up by some evidence, that when people died, before one’s personality dissolved in the Force, one got to experience everything one had done through the eyes of the people one had interacted with in life.

Poe Dameron would experience the battle of D’Qar again. He’d feel what Hux had felt… And without the pressure of the actual encounter, Dameron could savor his opponent’s misery to the fullest. In a small part, this possibility had played into the General saving all three rebels, not just the defector and the hairy thing.

I don’t… don’t want him to… Dameron should not get the satisfaction of getting into my mind! It’s not fair… to hurt… AND get to feel the results firsthand!

Everyone who had ever stood tall over Armitage. Every last fucker would get access to the full range of pain he had felt. No matter how well Hux had kept his composure in life, after death they all would know. There was no hiding. And they would all laugh again.

And Hux couldn’t even prevent this, for one day Poe Dameron would naturally die. Then he’d get that triumph. The winners always scored double. But Kylo Ren, when the end would come for him, wouldn’t know that Armitage Hux had facilitated that end. Ren therefore wouldn’t feel anything regarding this and Hux in turn wouldn’t be able to feel Ren’s distress. Robbed.

What he’d get instead would be thirty years of getting called useless. Armitage would feel the disdain again, more intensely this time, it coming right from the source instead of spoken or expressed in mimic. Every previously clumsily veiled snicker and snort would land right into his mind.

But that was going to change! After this war, everyone would see Emperor Hux for who he was. Everyone looking at or thinking about him from this point on, would do so with admiration or envy. Decades worth of happy memories waiting to get collected. All he had to do was endure the space rat a couple of minutes more.

It also would make for a nice memory of the pilot being fully aware that he was getting used by General Hux. Just a tool, not even an annoyance anymore!

Running… running…

No, dying wasn’t an option just yet. The future and his empire were waiting.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Please do the movie ships with the worst chemistry. I would like to see the world burn. 🥺

I will not include romantic comedies because pretty much all of them are actually terrible people in those movies and the dysfunction is kind of why the movie takes so long to work.

But if I had to pick which Canon couple had the worst Chemistry I had ever seen. I will have to pick two.

The first is Scott Lang and Hope Pym in the First Antman movie

Because my goodness, that was the most out of no where forced romance I have ever seen and it didnt feel right. Its not awful but its just so... out of left field that I was actually surprised. There were NO hints that there was romantic chemistry until the scene where the dad walked in on them. And I am still like wtf.

I havent seen the sequels so I dont know if it gets better, but to this day, I am still confused by it.

and for the second one. Its Rey and Kylo ren of Reylo from Star Wars

The most unbelievable thing in the Rise of skywalker wasnt Palpatine some how being alive, or even the fleet of star destroyers being beaten in the dumbest way possible. It was the writing that thought that having them kiss was a good idea. I know the fandom speculated about them being together, I was not one of those people. I still stand by the disney sequels being the biggest tragedy to star wars franchise and this was just the cherry on top of that Crap sundae.