Lucasfilm has never been very good at keeping a lid on spoilers and just like the plots for
The Force Awakens and
The Last Jedi leaked online in advance, it seems the same can now be said for
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!
Thanks to
Making Star Wars (a site with an excellent track record that doesn't share rumours without being confident in them), we now have a detailed breakdown of the movie's final act and while it only touches on one very specific part of that, it makes for very interesting reading.
This leak details a battle between Rey and The Emperor, while also shedding some light on their relationship, the fate of Kylo Ren, and a scene that site describes as the "money shot" (we also have an artist's interpretation).
Once you've read these, there's no going back but to do so, hit the "View List" button below!
The Emperor's New Throne
Apparently, the movie's final battle features Rey confronting The Emperor as he sits upon his new throne. Compared to the high backed chair that Ralph McQuarrie originally designed for
Return of the Jedi, it's made of stone and is also described as being
"thorny" in appearance.
There are four giant stone thorns either side of the throne with two smaller ones where Palpatine's arms rest. The seat is said to be four or five steps high and it's surrounded with red lights.
Oh, and the kicker? At this point in the movie, The Emperor has somehow managed to channel the Force through Rey and Kylo Ren to restore his youthful appearance from
Revenge of the Sith (whether he's still scarred thanks to his battle with Mace Windu or perfectly normal isn't mentioned).
A New Look For Darth Sidious
This rejuvenated version of The Emperor reportedly wears a red/burgundy robe with a black hooded tunic over it. The site adds that his waist is tied with a black belt and a silver buckle over to the right which has a red light on it. Described as the character's
"best costume" in the entire Skywalker, a comparison is made to what he was frequently shown wearing in
The Clone Wars series.
It's worth noting that a separate report has claimed that when we first see The Emperor in
The Rise of Skywalker, he's bed-ridden and almost skeletal in appearance because he's so old and weak.
The Death Of Kylo Ren?
This confrontation reportedly takes place on the dead planet of Exogol and the site just so happens to mention that, at this point, The Emperor has
"thrown Ben Solo into the abyss." He reportedly falls into mist similar to his father in
The Force Awakens and it sounds like he's killed here.
The site's sources know nothing about Kylo Ren returning after this but it's entirely feasible that he'll climb his way out from that hole in order to help Rey put an end to Darth Sidious.
There's mention of a power from the "other side" that helps Rey in the end, so perhaps he'll just be among a number of Force Ghosts who help take down The Emperor? That's pure speculation on our part, however, and it sounds like that part of the movie is shrouded in secrecy for now.
Rey's Connection To Palpatine
Believing that Rey has been incapacitated, this repowered version of Darth Sidious unleashes his Sith lightning into the sky and uses that to stop the Resistance fleet in its tracks. Essentially serving as an EMP, it appears as if our heroes are going to be at the mercy of The First Order and The Empire.
Rey struggles to her feet, though, "and stands before her grandfather." Yes, it sounds like it is indeed the plan for her to be related to Palpatine, something which pretty much debunks what Rian Johnson did in The Last Jedi when he revealed that Rey's parents were actually just junkers and nobodies.
Rey Vs. Sidious
Distracted by his granddaughter's interference, Sidious' barrage of Force Lightning stops and the Resistance fleet is able to recover. Rey's actions buy them just enough time for the Millennium Falcon to show up with reinforcements and, like in
Return of the Jedi, an epic space battle ensues.
Now, this next bit is described as the "money shot" by the site and it sounds pretty awesome.
As the villain sends a blast of lightning Rey's way, she uses both Leia and Anakin/Luke Skywalker's lightsabers to deflect her grandfather's attack in what looks set to be an iconic moment!
Some Extra Details
That's where this description ends but the site does share a few more details. For starters, Palpatine reportedly never uses a lightsaber in the movie and that probably means we can expect to see him defeated similar to what happened when he battled Mace Windu all those years ago.
It's also said that despite reports to the contrary, Matt Smith does not appear in the film. It sounds like an earlier version of the movie would have featured him playing this rejuvenated version of Emperor Palpatine but something changed along the way and it was decided that Ian McDiarmid should be brought back (and presumably de-aged). That's a decision that makes a lot of sense.
Continue reading below to check out more recent
rumours about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!
Rey Develops...Superpowers?
The Force Awakens was criticised for being a carbon copy of
A New Hope, but it definitely sounds like J.J. Abrams will take us to some weird places in this finale to the Skywalker Saga.
At one point in the movie, it's said that Rey and her fellow heroes are attacked by a worm-like alien creature, but rather than killing it, she uses some new healing abilities which ends the attack and shows that the young Jedi is capable of showing compassion even in the face of imminent danger.
The power to heal is definitely something new for a Jedi, but if you think that sounds weird, it seems she's also able to wield Force Lightning. No, we're not kidding...
Force Lightning
This particular plot point is a little vague, but at one point in
The Rise of Skywalker, it's said that Rey and Kylo Ren are struggling over a ship using their respective Force powers. As Rey uses all her might to try to best her rival, Force Lightning erupts from her fingertips for the first time by accident and ends up destroying the ship in question.
Needless to say, if those rumours about her being Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter are correct, then it makes sense that she has access to the same abilities he's unleashed over the years.
"Master" Leia
Despite the fact that Carrie Fisher was obviously unable to shoot any new scenes for The Rise of Skywalker, we know that the late, great actress will still have a role thanks to footage that was originally going to be used for The Force Awakens. However, Abrams must have had a lot to choose from if this rumour is to be believed.
It's said that the movie kicks off with Rey being trained on a jungle planet by Leia, and it sounds like the Princess turned General turned Master will be instrumental in finishing her training.
Leia showed that she could use the Force in
The Last Jedi when she controversially pulled herself back into her ship from outer space. Bear in mind that past rumours have indicated that we'll get flashbacks revealing that Luke once trained Leia before it was decided that she shouldn't become a Jedi Knight like her brother.
Sith Rey
If you're among the people who believe that the Sith version of Rey we saw in the latest trailer for
The Rise of Skywalker was just an illusion/Force Vision, then...well, it sounds like you'd be right!
Rey and Kylo Ren reportedly spend a chunk of the movie looking for a device called "The Wayfinder" which can be used to bring The Emperor and his forces back from the Unknown Regions. When Rey touches that, she sees herself as a Sith entering Palpatine's chamber in what sounds like a glimpse at what she could become should she choose to follow him and fall under the villain's spell.
Where Has The Emperor Been?
That's the big question, right? No one seems to known how The Emperor survived, and there are conflicting reports about where he's been. While the Sith Troopers have been hidden away in the Unknown Regions with a fleet of Star Destroyers with Death Star technology built into them, we don't know whether he was there too or if he's just been stuck in the Death Star II's remains.
The First Order was reportedly unaware of the existence of this fleet, so them simply being an offshoot of the Empire rather than something it evolved into is sounding more and more likely.
The time the remains of the Empire have spent in the Unknown Regions sounds hellish, because they've faced all sorts of threats in this unstable area and while this isn't something that's been rumoured, the Sith Troopers being clones would make sense as they would surely be old men otherwise!
C-3PO Red Eyes
One of the most intriguing reveals in the latest trailer for The Rise of Skywalker showed C-3PO with red eyes. While the prevailing theory is that he enters some sort of "instant kill" mode, there's actually much more to it than that. When a Sith Dagger is found (which may or may not have ties to Rey's parents), not even Threepio is able to translate the writing on it.
As a result, he's taken to Kijimi where he can be rebooted to give him the ability to bypass his programming and read that ancient text. It's also at this point in the movie we learn that Poe Dameron and Zorii Bliss have a history...of the romantic variety!
Eventually, C-3PO is able to translate the message on the blade and this sends Rey to Endor where she has to get her hands on The Emperor's Wayfinder (Kylo Ren is said to have found Darth Vader's). This all sounds rather convoluted and confusing, so here's hoping it makes more sense in the movie itself because it all seems a bit weird as of right now based on this intel.
The Emperor Lives!
There's been a lot of speculation that The Emperor we see in this movie is a Force Ghost, a clone, or something else entirely. However, no one seems to know about Matt Smith's role in the proceedings so that seemingly takes him out of the running as the "new" Emperor, and one source even claims that Palpatine is indeed alive but extremely old and decrepit, and on the verge of death!
At this point in the Star Wars timeline, he should be around 113 years old, and while his main goal appears to be luring both Rey and Kylo Ren to his side so they can rule over a new Empire, he may actually just be using them so he can restore himself to power. Either way, he's spent the past thirty years creating a new fleet who can help him once again rule over the Galaxy with an iron fist.
General Hux Shows His True Colours
There have been rumblings about this for a while, but it's once again being reported that General Hux is outed as the First Order mole who has been feeding the Resistance information that helps them.
Common sense says that he's probably not doing this out the goodness of his heart, though. After all, it's no secret that he despises Kylo Ren so he's probably hoping this will lead to his downfall.
A Secretive Final Act
We may know how the movie ends (as you'll see below), but the third act appears to be shrouded in secrecy. No one knows how the battle between Rey, Kylo Ren, and The Emperor ends, and rumours continue to swirl that Ben Solo will either die, be redeemed, or possibly even both!
It sounds like there will be a confrontation between this trio in Palpatine's throne room in the wreckage of the second Death Star. That could be the location of the final battle and, if so, it would obviously be a nice parallel to how
Return of the Jedi wrapped up way back when.
Rey...Who?
While rumours may be pointing to Rey being somehow connected to Emperor Palpatine, it sounds like she'll have embraced an entirely different family by the time the movie ends. That, or she learns something major which these scoopers are unaware of!
The final scene of
The Rise of Skywalker reportedly takes place on Tatooine, and Rey is shown to have used both Luke and Leia's lightsabers to create a new hilt that has a gold blade. After burying the leftover pieces of those on the grounds of the former Lars homestead, a local asks who she is. Her response? "Rey. Rey Skywalker."
That might go some way in explaining the title, but we still don't know exactly what this means.