Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) is the ninth and final film in the *Star Wars sequel trilogy and the overall Skywalker saga. Directed by J.J. Abrams, it serves as a conclusion to the story arcs set up by the previous films, *The Force Awakens* (2015) and *The Last Jedi* (2017), bringing the long-running conflict between the Resistance and the First Order to a dramatic and epic conclusion.
The film picks up a year after the events of *The Last Jedi*, with the Resistance struggling to survive against the oppressive First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke’s former apprentice, **Kylo Ren** (Adam Driver). In the opening sequence, **Rey** (Daisy Ridley), the last hope for the Jedi, continues her training under **Leia Organa** (Carrie Fisher), the leader of the Resistance, who now struggles with the loss of her son, **Ben Solo** (Kylo Ren).
The major twist of the film is the revelation that **Emperor Palpatine** (Ian McDiarmid), who was thought to be dead after *Return of the Jedi* (1983), has secretly survived and is the true mastermind behind the rise of the First Order. He has been hiding on the Sith homeworld of Exegol, in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Palpatine reveals that he has built a massive fleet of Star Destroyers and plans to use them to retake the galaxy and establish the Sith’s rule once again.
A central theme in *The Rise of Skywalker* is Rey’s mysterious origins. It is revealed that she is the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, making her a part of the Sith bloodline. Rey struggles with this revelation, torn between the dark legacy of her grandfather and her desire to follow the Jedi path. Her internal conflict with her identity plays a key role in the film’s emotional beats.
*The Rise of Skywalker* was met with a mixed reception. Some praised the film for its action sequences, visual effects, and emotional moments, particularly the handling of Leia’s character, as Carrie Fisher had passed away before filming. However, others criticized its pacing, plot choices, and the handling of character arcs, particularly Rey’s sudden lineage revelation and the return of Palpatine. Nonetheless, it provided a definitive conclusion to the Skywalker saga and offered a sense of closure to long-running narrative threads.
