My Five Favorite Things About The Rise of Skywalker

Lists, Sequel Trilogy 4 Minutes

So we’ve come to the last film of the sequel trilogy (and of the Skywalker Saga) and I had to pick out my five favorite moments of The Rise of Skywalker. (Solo and Rogue One will come next, as I forgot to put them in the proper timeline, lol). Here are my picks:

Favorite Scene

“Dad..”” I know.” This scene was incredible in several different ways. First, I never thought Han Solo would make any kind of reappearance in Star Wars again, and yet here he is. And it wasn’t just for nostalgia’s sake; it was a very important thread of Ben Solo’s redemption. I’ve seen some fans comment that it should have been Anakin’s ghost he talked to–No. No, no, no. That WOULD have just been for nostalgia’s sake. It had to be his father. Ben never knew Anakin, and misguidedly worshipped Vader. The conflict and crux of his dilemma had always been his father, and it needed resolution. One of the other ways this scene is amazing is the way it was done. Obviously, Han is not a Force ghost. It’s a projection of Ben’s memory of his father. Maybe it’s so vivid because of his connection to the Force, I don’t know, but it was a way for Ben to seek his father’s forgiveness so he could do what he had to do next. It was also a clever reverse on the dialogue between the two when Kylo killed Han. Maybe it’s Ben’s way of “correcting” that scene. That’s my take on it, anyway. However you interpret it, it’s a powerful scene, possibly the most moving scene (for me) in all of Star Wars.

Favorite Duel

Kylo vs. Rey on Kef Bir. Kylo and Rey had a confrontation on Kijimi, which was interesting in its own way (Kylo doesn’t want to kill her; he’s still trying to lure her in), but this one on the Endor moon is epic. At this point, Kylo is trying to kill her, as she’s proving quite stubborn in not joining him. That makes him, well, mad. She’s also furious at him for destroying the Wayfinder they all worked so hard to find. They battle out their rage at each other on the wreckage of the second Death Star, with huge swells of water crashing down around them. They’re both equally skilled, but Kylo is obviously physically stronger, and Rey is still a bit drained from healing the Vexis. It comes down to Kylo nearly killing Rey, until Leia reaches out to Ben. He hesitates, and Rey takes the opportunity to stab him with his own lightsaber. She then heals him, when she could have left him for dead. The water imagery really comes into play here, as it serves as a kind of baptism for Kylo: he’s reborn as Ben Solo again, all the hate and anger and bitterness is washed away, leading up to the scene with Han. The whole thing is quite visually stunning, as well as emotionally satisfying.

Favorite Line

“I am all the Jedi.” This is a great line as a counter to Palpatine’s claim that he is all the Sith; it also happens to be true, as all the prior Jedi spoke to Rey and gave her the strength to get up and face Palpatine again. They’re with her. It’s also the culmination of Rey’s character arc, as she accepts who she is, gains confidence from that, and defeats Palpy once and for all.

Funniest Moment

C-3PO: They fly now! Finn: They fly now?! Poe: They fly now!

Most Impactful Character

I adore Rey’s lightsaber.

Rey Skywalker. Yes, Rey Skywalker. Some people took issue with her choosing the Skywalker name, but those people are the ones who generally dislike the sequels, and Rey in particular. I don’t really care which name she chose (Skywalker, Palpatine, Solo, Organa); it’s the fact that she chose it. Throughout the entire sequel trilogy, Rey is on a mission of identity–we don’t know who she is, or where she comes from, and neither does she. It agonizes her. “Who are you?” Luke queries her on Ach-To, and the question burns in her. Everyone wants to put labels on her: Kylo claims they are a dyad, and she’s meant to join him in the dark side, even though she’s “nothing”; Palpatine claims her as his granddaughter and heir, the Empress; even Finn, her good friend, thinks he knows her: “Rey, that doesn’t sound like you.” To which she replies angrily, “Everyone thinks they know me. I’m afraid no one does.” This is after she learns of her Palpatine heritage, and now, after finally learning who she is and where she comes from, it’s almost worse than not knowing. By the end of the film, however, after claiming “I am all the Jedi,” she’s come to accept who she is: she is all of these things. Part of a dyad, a Jedi, a friend, a Palpatine (though she ultimately rejects it), and someone who chooses her own destiny. And her own name. You can’t choose your blood family, but you can choose who you identify with, who you honor, and who you love. For Rey, that’s the Skywalker family. And oh yeah, she saved the galaxy and stuff.

What are your favorite moments of The Rise of Skywalker? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!

Published by Tina Williams

Published

15 thoughts on “My Five Favorite Things About The Rise of Skywalker”

  1. Ben and Han – I think we talked about this scene earlier and what Ben was doing when he talked to his father in his mind. I dunno how anyone could think it was a force ghost, lol that made zero sense considering Han was not force sensitive. It was also an important step for Ben psychologically because he was taken back to the same scene on the bridge that you mention. It was just Ben’s way of working through the residual feelings from that horrible event and him finding forgiveness from himself as much as his father. It was super sad and super inspiring all at once. I balled the first time I saw it, it was so moving. I would say it’s up there with the most moving scenes in Star Wars but I prefer the scene with Luke and his father over this one (only just though).

    The Duel – I was okay with the duel, it wasn’t the best duel in star wars but it was a necessary one. I think the environment in which the duel takes place is part of this puzzle between Ben and Rey. Turmoil is the word that I get when I see this scene – the ocean is in unrest crashing all around them, and some say that any body of water particularly in dreams, signifies an emotional tie to something or someone. Maybe that is what the ocean represents, their emotional state and turmoil with each other. After all, there is a whole lot more going on here than just good versus evil, in fact it isn’t even that really. It’s them finally facing each other after so long and realising who they really are in their connection to the force and each other. It’s a beautiful scene, I give JJ Abrams that much at least 🙂

    Most impactful character – definitely Rey but not with a lot of help. She wouldn’t have become who she became without Ben/Kylo Ren so I reckon they are both as influential in relation to her journey to find herself and carve out her own identity. I still consider Ben a mirror to Rey and she a mirror for him. Kind of like she represents all the good things the light brings and he was showing her how powerful she could become if she turned to the dark side. In the end, it came down to Rey and Ben and all the Jedi doing what they did to ensure the demise of Darth Sidious 🙂 That is how I see it anyway 🙂

    GREAT POST thank you for letting me type up a storm lol 😀

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    1. Thanks! I had fun writing it. We did talk about Ben and Han, so it’s probably no surprise to you that’s my favorite scene. It does rival the Luke/Vader scenes in ROTJ, though, you’re right. That’s a great insight about the water in the duel scene. And Rey definitely had help on her journey. She had Ben/Kylo, her friends, all the Jedi, probably the Light itself, lol. Meaning none of us are in this alone; we need others to get us through the dark times. Thanks for the thoughtful reply!

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      1. No worries, you are always there replying to my silly posts so its the least I can do lol 😀 Plus I love stretching my star wars muscles a little and enjoy thinking about these things in-depth 🙂

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      1. I wish you all the luck possible in the universe!!! But seriously, I do hope it goes well, keep us updated but only if you can. You’re probably going to need some good rest and relaxation afterwards 🙂 and watch a lot of star wars 😀

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  2. First off, may the Force grant you a speedy and successful recovery – failing that I could probably get you a tank or two of Bacta (but remember it does smell bad a lot!)
    Second, I am afraid I have to agree with Julie in that the Luke-Anakin/Vader scene was probably slightly better than Ben-Han (but by a razor thin margin because it was the original redemption scene).
    I studied Media Studies (and Performing Arts) at college and learnt that their is a large amount of iconography and theory regards images, colours and lighting to represent different emotions and such. JJ did do a good job of using those tools to reinforce what we saw on screen (so we could “see” the turmoil and “feel” the emotions/thoughts in Ben’s mind).
    And in the end we see part of what I think the morale of the story was…we can all make our own decisions if we believe and trust in ourselves…whether we are a “Nobody” or a Sith Emperor….or all of the Jedi….the “power of the Force” is our own choice! Just as I had foreseen! And if you don’t quite believe I knew what was going to happen check out this post I did in February 2017 about Rey’s choices and her heritage!
    https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/scavenger-ep8-which-way-for-rey/

    Again, May The Force Be With You on your procedure, get some good rest afterwards and thanks for a great read.

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